Bob Lutz Fires Back About David Letterman's Derogatory Chevy Volt Remarks

Hey grysko,

Based on market research across the US the average American commute is less than 40 miles per day. GM went with the 40 mile goal (which has been met by pre-production mules over a year ago) on pure electric to give its customers the ability to not use oil. Also having a battery pack that will support 40 miles on electric only allows the company to keep costs low (unlike the Tesla roadster which is right at $100k). Now should you go above 40 miles the ICE engine will fire up and provide electricity to power the electric motor until you are able to charge the battery pack again. This allows you to be able to drive across the nation stopping only to get gas, as you would with a standard gasoline vehicle but do so with better mileage. If you tried that with a Tesla you would have to stop for hours on end every 100 miles or so to charge the battery.

So really, which is the more logical solution to most Americans?

It is not fair at all to compare a 2 seat light weight sports car to a 4 seat compact sedan, especially if one is costing $100k and the other less than half of that.

BTW the Tesla manager knows all of this but didn't want to contradict Letterman on his own show. The solution GM has come up with is elegant and efficient. That is why GM is scheduled to supply Fisker will be using the GM 2.0 DI turbo 4 cylinder for its Karma sedan.

Instead of bashing things without knowledge, try doing a little research on a topic first. Otherwise you just come out looking like a stupid little kid.

— 91z4me (View Profile)

Posted on 5/3/2009 7:39:28 PM | | Votes: 6   

My, my. Such hostility! You must be one of the GM buffoons that were laid off because their company is sinking. Maybe they'll an anger management course as an option when you buy your VOLT. Research that, you a$$hole.

— grysko (View Profile)

Posted on 5/3/2009 11:58:14 PM | | Votes: -2   

GM DID make electric cars years ago, they subsidized them and leased them to people. They did this because at that time the business case for electric cars was terrible! Then after GM did all of the good stuff with the EV1 project it had to stop the project because of a loss in profitability. Instead of getting good 'Prius-like' vibes from the greenies they get slammed because they 'killed the electric car'. Lets recall who make the only modern electric car in the US before Tesla came out with theirs around 10 years later, GM.

DinamoR, you are so ill informed it is difficult to not just flame you.

Bob Lutz is an expert in the auto industry who has worked across the globe. He wasn't even AT GM when the EV1 was killed (1999) because he started there in 2002.

Also if you will notice Tesla isn't exactly rolling in money. In fact some speculate the company will be dead by the end of the year and IF they ever produce their 4 seat sedan, the company may not be around to support it.

— 91z4me (View Profile)

Posted on 5/3/2009 7:31:00 PM | | Votes: 0   

What? you're the uninformed one. go watch the move 'who killed the electric car'. it's free on youtube

— DinamoR (View Profile)

Posted on 5/3/2009 10:24:08 PM | | Votes: 0   

DinamoR,

Are you honestly going to ask me to go watch a 2 hour propaganda piece written by people who have no idea about the car industry instead of looking things up for yourself?

That isn't even a documentary, it is an editorial. Surely you can come up with something better than that.

— 91z4me (View Profile)

Posted on 5/3/2009 10:40:41 PM | | Votes: -1   

HAHAHAHA a propaganda piece? keep being a closed minded moron. keep watching faux noise channel and calling everyone else the uninformed one. Or maybe watch it and then come talk to me. Are you afraid to because they might have a point?

idiots like you crack me up.

— DinamoR (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2009 12:08:14 AM | | Votes: 2   

bs. hopefully, somebody on Letterman's staff pulled him to the side and informed him that the Volt is more practical than the Tesla. And that his "on air" explanation of the Volt was wrong. Letterman is the jock doesn't read.

If you really want to listen to talk show hosts about cars, at least, listen to Jay Leno.

— dumpsty (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2009 11:38:48 AM | | Votes: 3   

The average "Joe" is an idiot. 150-200 mile range isn't even available in a 100k plus electric car, let alone one that costs less than 30k. To think that you can have both right now is idiotic. Everyone seems to forget that the average "Joe" is the one who bought millions of SUVs in the 90's and early 2000's. The average "Joe" is the one to blame for not having electric cars because they didn't want to pay for them. They wanted their SUVs dangit, and if you're a car company without one, you don't get business and you're stupid. Now, 5 years later, if you don't have a hybrid, you deserve to die. The EV1 was a great step and GM should be applauded for trying, but if you produced a product that lost money, would you continue to produce it? The ONLY reason the Prius is still around is because gas went up. The first few production years LOST money. Wow, just like the EV1!! If gas prices hadn't gone up, the car would have died as well, just like the Insight did.

— komododave (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2009 11:31:34 AM | | Votes: 0   

And you too have not gotten the information correct either.

The Volt can travel up to 40 miles on electricity alone. THEN, the engine will start-up to continuously recharge the batteries for additional range...somewhere in the range of 250-300 miles (?) with a full tank of gas.

GM is betting that most commuters won't travel 40 miles to-and-from work each day (that's a 20 mile or less commute to work). So, essentially, they won't even use a drop of gas in the car's tank. For example, if a person lives 10-15 miles from work, they could go months before needing to refill their gas tank. And if they only use the car to go to work, they would never need to use gas.

If your daily commute to work, drop the kids off, etc is more than 40 miles; then the Volt isn't for you. Get an Aveo, Fit, etc. for their tiny, fuel-sipping engines that get 35+ mpg combined (cty/hwy).

— dumpsty (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2009 11:33:49 AM | | Votes: 1   

Crash worthy five passenger sedan with a trunk. Zero emission vehicle (ZEV) 100% electric or otherwise. Price: anything between 20K to 40K with tax incentives. Range after full charge: No less 100 miles regardless of average speed driven. Charge time: No more than 100 minutes. Max speed: no less 100 kilometers/hour. A 100 mile charge range is the preferred target required, 72% of Americans drive less than 40 miles a day and 98% drive less than 100 miles per day.

Toyota already produced such car it was called the 1997-2003 RAV4 EV.

— topneuro (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2009 5:31:32 PM | | Votes: 1   

you must LOVE him then.

— 800over (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2009 9:52:44 AM | | Votes: 1