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LinkedIn GM CEO on Electric Vehicles
- Thread starter Buckeye2320
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- Electric Vehicles
MichFin
Member
One thing I have learned is that people Americans in particular aren't willing to sacrifice. That's why the Leaf and Volt have been disappointments with their sales. That's where Tesla has prevailed with the Model S... There are no sacrifices except for money.
-The car is as big or bigger than any luxury sedan
-The car is as fast or faster than any luxury sedan
-The car's styling is as nice as any luxury sedan
-The car has the best safety rating of any car
-The car drives smoother and better than any other car
-The car has tech gizmos like the best of them
-The cars range of 270 miles is close enough to most of the luxury sedans
Here are the negatives for the Tesla.
-Supercharger network is not built out completely so people feel limited by range (rightfully or not)
So unless GM follows this same model they will end up with another disappointment. Not to mention the fact that they are SO FAR behind on any kind of super charger plan.
-The car is as big or bigger than any luxury sedan
-The car is as fast or faster than any luxury sedan
-The car's styling is as nice as any luxury sedan
-The car has the best safety rating of any car
-The car drives smoother and better than any other car
-The car has tech gizmos like the best of them
-The cars range of 270 miles is close enough to most of the luxury sedans
Here are the negatives for the Tesla.
-Supercharger network is not built out completely so people feel limited by range (rightfully or not)
So unless GM follows this same model they will end up with another disappointment. Not to mention the fact that they are SO FAR behind on any kind of super charger plan.
Vger
Active Member
Exactly. I pointed this out to the (non-EV-owning but interested) friend who forwarded the story to me. What is the point of 200-mile range if you cannot drive inter-city time-efficiently? You are still stuck owning (or renting) an ICE.
The opportunity to lead rather than react is already passed, Ms. Barra. Your predecessors had that chance; you are going to have to react to Mr. Musk and Co.
First time I read this, in all seriousness this is how my brain interpreted it:
GM CEO Mary Barra Knows Big Changes Are Coming to Autos. Here's How She Intends to Not React
Bangor Bob
Member
We'll know they're serious when they move electrification into their mainline C/SUVs and pickup trucks. Until then they're dabbling despite protestations to the contrary. That said, the Malibu gets a PHEV version this year, and that IS their mainline car.
Baby steps. The majors are so incredibly risk-averse that they get left behind quickly when the world changes. Own worst enemy syndrome. Still, it could be worse. They could be Chrysler...
Baby steps. The majors are so incredibly risk-averse that they get left behind quickly when the world changes. Own worst enemy syndrome. Still, it could be worse. They could be Chrysler...
-The car is "Full" every morning
-The car gets better with age (via OTA updates)
-The car has greatly reduced maintenance
-The car has a ridiculously low C/G
-The car can be refueled with renewable free solar
-The car can be refueled for "free" (as in no increase in electric bill and depending on where one lives) by load shifting house usage to off-peak rates of $.0512 kW/hr :biggrin::biggrin:
I believe that she is a VERY smart capable CEO and "lifer" at GM and I like her Apple Watch w/sport band. I just fail to see GM leading at anything other than the nearly 50 MILLION recalls over a 12 month period a short while ago.
hmm...I wonder if she will send GM corporate lawyers to MA this fall to fight Tesla in the same manner she did in MD
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MichFin
Member
"Volt-ing along while I await the Model 3."
I have a Volt and a model S and I loved my Volt until my model S arrived a few weeks ago. It's painful switching cars with my wife now although I had no problem switching my Mercedes for the Volt.
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I just believe the Bolt has to be much bigger than the Volt, 200+ mile range, better acceleration than an average full size car, fast charge in < 30-40 minutes and join the super charger network or it will hit the ground with a thud.
I have a Volt and a model S and I loved my Volt until my model S arrived a few weeks ago. It's painful switching cars with my wife now although I had no problem switching my Mercedes for the Volt.
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I just believe the Bolt has to be much bigger than the Volt, 200+ mile range, better acceleration than an average full size car, fast charge in < 30-40 minutes and join the super charger network or it will hit the ground with a thud.
I still don't hear a confident CEO saying they are about to charge into the EV scene. I see a CEO playing the office politics game by saying juuuuust the right words in her sentences. And it's almost like she is trying to hold back innovation with her "autonomous" approach. Crazy lady.
It should be: Tesla made an amazing EV, we now see the where the future is going, we are trying to build something that can compete with the Model 3........
It should be: Tesla made an amazing EV, we now see the where the future is going, we are trying to build something that can compete with the Model 3........
MichFin
Member
The Volt is a great car and they did heavy marketing for it. They are spending well over 300 million dollars on upgrades for the new EV plant even after the flat Volt sales. I think they're serious.
I also think they're serious. Plus, GM got a serious black eye with the EV1 that they must be very sensitive to. They well know that they had a huge opportunity to lead the world into the future. But they actively (and absurdly!) took their brainchild out behind the barn, shot it, burned it and scattered the ashes across the field. And I'm sure the subsequent Tesla success adds major insult to injury.
They will not want to be perceived as repeating that idiocy and so they're going to take a measured but serious approach and I believe that they intend to execute. You certainly cannot call their effort with the Volt as anything but serious.
RobStark
Well-Known Member
GM is planning on 36k Volt capacity per year plus 36k Bolt capacity per year.
GM manufactures almost 10M cars per year. That is not serious.
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That would be an awesome car. But it ain't happening. Malibu get a strong hybrid with electric CVT and 1.3 kWh Hitachi battery pack.
Hyundai Sonata gets a PHEV with ~9.8 kWh battery pack and ~25 miles AER. This gets the standard six speed automatic for ICE Sonata.
MichFin
Member
Money talks and according to this article they are serious. You don't spend this kind of money just for show.
"But yesterday, GM announced an additional $245 million in funding for the Orion plant, specifically to help it bring a brand-new, unnamed model to market. All in all, that brings the total investment in the Orion plant to $962 million since it reopened in 2010."
https://transportevolved.com/2015/06/23/gm-makes-245m-investment-in-orion-assembly-plant-where-chevy-bolt-ev-will-be-made-to-develop-new-unnamed-vehicle/
"But yesterday, GM announced an additional $245 million in funding for the Orion plant, specifically to help it bring a brand-new, unnamed model to market. All in all, that brings the total investment in the Orion plant to $962 million since it reopened in 2010."
https://transportevolved.com/2015/06/23/gm-makes-245m-investment-in-orion-assembly-plant-where-chevy-bolt-ev-will-be-made-to-develop-new-unnamed-vehicle/
mknox
Well-Known Member
Which is EXACTLY what Elon Musk and Tesla wanted to happen. Seems all good to me....
There's conservative serious, and aggressive serious. I see GM as conservative serious. Gen 2 won't quite make it to 200k sales, but a much-improved Volt and a good Bolt would prime the market and get them in serious conversation with LG Chem on the next step. Similar situation to Tesla and Panasonic, with Tesla needing to show demand to get Panasonic and its partners to commit.
Yes, Malibu hybrid. 48mpg rating expected. No price yet; should be interesting because if it's Camry end rather than Accord Hybrid end it would add more pressure on Toyota. But Cadillac will be introducing a CT6 PHEV in 2017. (Should be a PEV+H, rather than a HEV+P).
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Right, but are they? GM is making something, but is it as sleek looking as the next ICE that will make people lust after it like the Model S? Nope. It's some weird future design like the LEAF.
Elon has said at least twice now in interviews that he's glad to see that others have stepped up, but not as much as he'd had liked. So it's an A for effort, but falls short of GM's' full potential.
FlatSix911
Porsche 918 Hybrid
Bangor Bob
Member
Doh! Got it mixed up with the CT6. Which of course won't be a high-volume vehicle. But... If they do it for the CT6, then good odds it'll fit in the Malibu too, next mid-cycle refresh?
James Anders
Member
It is serious. And those numbers are based on certain realities in the market. You can only push the market so far. Even if Model 3 comes out with a 400 mile range and there are twice the number of Superchargers out there - there will still be people who are hesitant.
There's going to have to be a ramp-up of the awareness.
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