General Motors’ Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz truly does not seem to enjoy being called out when he says absurdities. There was a recent brouhaha over his calling Global Warming a "total crock of s–t" in a meeting with reporters. As the man seemingly converted, the driving force behind the Chevy Volt (a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) that could, quite literally, change the nation), some of his discussion, some of his focus seems determined to undermined the public support of developments in the PHEV world.
RE the Volt / PHEVs
A quick background, the Chevy Volt looks to be coming to the market in Fall 2010, with an initial run of 60,000 cars per year. It will be a plug-in, serial hybrid electric vehicle with the ability to run, roughly, 40 miles or so off electricity before its 'backup' engine turns on to be recharging the battery & powering the car. And, the battery would be typically charged through plugging into the wall.
As most Americans drive under 40 miles per day, this provides the potential for moving a high share of driving from gasoline to electricity. And, it is easier to make (get) clean electricity (solar panels, wind anyone? even nuclear when it comes to CO2) than clean gasoline (oxymoron ...). In fact, electricity has the potential for being cleaner every day while the system to get gasoline will, by definition, be dirtier every day.
In addition, PHEVs will foster a revolutionary potential to provide via V2G (vehicle-to-grid) a distributed power storage, with power flowing not just to cars but also, at the owners' discretion, from the cars back into the grid to lower requirements for power plants and lower pollution. The V2G will also enable greater penetration of, for example, wind power, through distributed power storage to help cover wind's intermittency.
PHEVs have a potential to change, for the better, radically the US and global personal vehicle fleets.
Back to Lutz the Putz
When speaking of the Volt, Lutz says things like this:
The Chevrolet Volt program is occurring under my personal watch, because I — and others in senior management — believe in it. I fully expect that it will revolutionize the automotive industry, and I’m committed to seeing it successfully developed and in showrooms.
"Believe in it ... revolutionize ... committed ..." Frank certainly gives us words to believe beyond the "commitment", but to see this as a passion of his.
But, is anyone else perplexed that someone so impassioned about the possibilities of this revolutionary advance spends so many words talking, with virtually a wistful and mournful tone, about how current gas guzzlers might not be around in the face of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard increases?
From the New York Auto Show, where Volt Nation occurred, comes commentary like this
"We're going to have to sell a ton of hybrids whether people want them or not,"
Doesn't this sound like "Okay, going to shove this down your throats people, even though I sort of doubt that this is something that you're going to want me to do ..."
Lutz told Bloomberg News ... that the new fuel economy standards are "basically going to result in the quasi-disappearance of V-8 engines."
Is that a bad thing? Hmmm ... Why do we have so many V-8s (other than for drinking) other than due to massive advertising from GM and other car manufacturers? Hemianyone? (As per Dodge... Hemi at No Extra Charge (except those gas bills ...) Yes, there are people and uses that might require the power represented by a Hemi and by a V-8. What fraction of the actual sales is represented by that requirement? And, what fraction (far greater) is represented by the advertising created demand?
Now, the restriction of American freedom to choose would be screamed to by those, evidently like Frank "the Putz" Lutz, who are trying to continue America's profligate oil substance abuse problem.
Let us postulate something: If Frank were so enthusiastic, so supportive of the power of the Volt and of the entire E-Flex drivetrain, wouldn't he speaking differently? Wouldn't he speaking with enthusiasm about the new world of options and choices being opened to the American consumer? Of opportunities being created for ever better transportation choices? About how GM is opening a revolution of choices for the US and global transportation system? About how GM is paving a path for reducing global dependency on oil? Wouldn't he?
Instead, Frank "the Putz" Lutz seems to speak of this automotive future in almost mournful terms, in how choices will be constrained and things lost. Is this how a visionary speaks?
Lutz and GM are in the cat-birds seat to change significantly the competitive position not just of GM, but of the entire US automotive industry. With an aggressive embrace of the promise and potential of E-Flex and serial plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, GM/Chevy could position themselves to be back on top of the automotive game. With an aggressive approach, pushing this technology throughout their product line and developing ever more products associated with it, GM vehicles could skyrocket to the top of the pile in terms of energy efficiency and low-pollution. But, "aggressive" suggests looking to this future with enthusiasm, Bob, rather than regret.
Proof that Chevy Doesn't Believe in the Volt?
Was the advertising company incentivized to turn people off? Or what?