Bob Lutz Speaks
28:04 | 
At the New York International Auto Show, GM’s Bob Lutz held court among a group of fellow bloggers including Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo, Jen Chung and Tien Mao of the Gothamist, Rebecca Carter of ecorazzi, Brandy Schaffels of AskPatty, Michael d’Estries of GroovyGreen, Mark Durham of Wired/Autopia and Dan Vaughan of Concept Carz. I tried not to monopolize the conversation, but I had so many questions!
13 Responses to “Bob Lutz Speaks”
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Copyright ©2008 PodTech.net. All rights reserved. Modified: Wed, 23 May 2012 08:37:43 -0700
April 12th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Matt,
Great interview
April 12th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
[…] In this video, we also get a few insights into the recent talk about the Volt’s viability. Lutz gets his knives out and manages to get a few quick stabs in on the Detroit News reporter, Sharon Terlep, who was the first to report that GM was attempting to slowly diffuse the Volt PR balloon in case the program hits the skids. True or false? Lutz says that the program is still a go for 2010 and that the company has “firm intent” to build it. + PodTech: Bob Lutz Speaks video […]
April 13th, 2007 at 3:24 am
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April 13th, 2007 at 3:26 am
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April 13th, 2007 at 4:34 am
[…] [Source: PodTech via Winding Road] […]
April 13th, 2007 at 7:32 am
[…] [Source: PodTech via Winding Road] […]
April 14th, 2007 at 9:55 am
[…] GM’s Bob Lutz spoke with a group of bloggers at the New York International Auto Show, including Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo, Jen Chung and Tien Mao of the Gothamist, Rebecca Carter of ecorazzi, Brandy Schaffels of AskPatty, Michael d’Estries of GroovyGreen, Mark Durham of Wired/Autopia and Dan Vaughan of Concept Carz. PodTech’s Matt Kelly has more here. […]
April 14th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Matt
Really terrific first-person interview, direct from teh horses mouth! Excellent questions, concrete answers from Bob.
Power On.
moderator, www.gm-volt.com
April 16th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Nice interview…I’m going to comment as I listen.
At ~7:45 he really dodges the NiMH battery question…claims the cost is higher and that it “just won’t do it” whatever that means. He’s now saying that nickle is “a bad metal” environmentally. Then says that Li is “not a poison” and is being used as a psych med…what a duffus. Li is extremely toxic to humans and it’s dosing in psychiatry must be monitored closely…if I’m not mistaken Li is also quite explosive and caustic.
New version of the Volt at the Frankfurt show…new body, interesting.
It’s also interesting how he claims that the gov’t are the ones pushing improved conventional vehicles and how that costs so much with minimal gain. That’s a heck of a lot different than what he was saying in 2003 and 2004 when the Prius came out.
Cool, moveable aerodynamic devices that deploy at different speeds…sweet! Spoiler that goes down almost to the ground at hwy speed. And a grill that closes….that’s something that we’ve talked about on PC, but more in the sense of reducing ICE cooling in cold weather.
I’m not sure he understands why narrow high pressure tires improve FE…seems to think it has mostly to do with frontal surface area. I think it has much more to do with rolling resistance.
Would sure like to hear if they’ll make this into a functional 5-seater so it’ll be more amenable to families. I’m glad it’ll have a somewhat unique appearance, but I want a functional vehicle that meets the EV range and mpg marks they’ve been claiming.
He’s darn pessemistic that the US will be able to produce Li ion batteries…then why all the investment in A123 and other companies if he’s resigned to importing from “China, Korea, and Japan”?
Curious how he blames the gov’t for the low fuel economy standards. That if gov’t instituted a gradually increasing fuel tax then the demand for SUVs would be reduced. But he accepts no responsibility for promoting the demand for SUVs.
Interesting and insightful interview. I admit that I’m becoming more and more convinced of Lutz’s sincerity. Between the private email responses that’ve been posted and an interview like this that he knows will be dissected by the blogosphere every which way I’m starting to believe that he’s infavor of positive change in the auto industry. Clearly there are a lot of other forces and factors involved precluding overnight change, but if he keeps his job I think there could be movement.
–evan
cc’d at ChevyVolt Yahoo! forum
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/chevyvolt
April 17th, 2007 at 5:36 am
After listening to those charmed by Lutz, who get convinced somehow of his “sincerity” even though the text of what he says tells you that he’s dissimulating, you believe for a fact that GM’s epiphany is just for PR, and Lutz, as usual, is a liar.
Again, looking at the peripherals, if GM were serious about the Volt, it would start by repairing its tattered, frayed relations with its former EV1 car club; the fact that GM has not even tried to con the EV1 drivers back into the fold means that GM still hates and vindictively despises us.
The EV1 went up to 110 miles on Panasonic lead-acid batteries, up to 160 miles on even the poorer quality Ovonics Nickel Metal Hydride batteries.
We are still driving HUNDREDS of Toyota RAV4-EV NiMH battery-powered EVs, years after they were made; virtually NO failures in any of the 328 Toyota RAV4-EV that were sold to the general public.
If GM were serious, if Lutz were not a liar, GM could make the serial plug-in hybrid right now, with NiMH, and wait for its “research” on Lithium to pan out some day in the distant future.
America needs oil-free cars NOW, not after Lutz’ lies are exposed.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Lutz expresses his belief in the benefits of transitioning to the electric grid, lessening our need for liquid fuels by using them merely as range extenders for an electric car. And I couldn’t agree more. Does he mean it? Or is he simply asking to feed again at the federal trough, millions for lithium research much like the PNGV or various hydrogen and fuel cell research subsidies that have brought us neither fuel choices nor even high mileage gasoline vehicles.
If Lutz means it, GM should be willing to meet higher CAFE requirements with electric miles in the Volt, rather than ethanol flex-fuel loopholes.
If Lutz means it, GM should have no objection to a reinvigorated ZEV mandate in California. If he means it, GM should be working with CARB right now to include plug-in hybrids with all-electric range in the revised mandate.
If Lutz means what he says about the great benefits of the “E-Flex architecture,” (what’s more commonly known as a serial hybrid,) GM would demonstrate some real e-flexibility, and build a NiMH Volt now. GM doesn’t need a fancy new package. And it doesn’t need to have a $20,000 MSRP. There is a market for plug-in cars now.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
What a liar! Lutz can’t even look at the interviewer in the eye, his shifty eyes wander all around!
He ducks the question of NiMH, and ignores the 100 mile range 2002 Toyota RAV4-EV, using Nickel Metal Hydride batteries.
October 9th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Sounds like more typical GM bait and switch PR BS to me. Multiple movable spoilers and wings and foils and dams…is this a car or KITT in Turbo Boost Mode? Does he think it’s going to go 200 MPH. This guy just doesn’t get it.