The GM Volt Spin Machine: Gosh, this EV stuff is hard!

[c0mp13x]

Recently, the GM Volt spin machine has been out in all it's glory explaining how all this EV stuff is really difficult! While I will admit that making any vehicle for mass production is a formidable task, it's funny to see GM complaining about stuff they knew and dealt with 10 years ago. AC/heat, lights, stereos and wipers were all part of the EV-1 program, but now GM has sent it's public relations machine out to let the world know that it's really tough to make all this work on batteries! (see article below)

Hey, 10 years ago Toyota had the vision to see that these components were all part of making a modern hybrid vehicle... yet we don't hear them whining. They are too busy thinking of how they can make it better, cheaper, lighter and more aerodynamic than the last version. GM, stop making excuses of why this is all so difficult, takes so long (and of course is contrary to all the old-school big-oil think), and get to work on a vision for the future. The sad thing is, while you spent the last 10 years dreaming of Hummers, Toyota was figuring out how to make an entire vehicle, AC/heat included, use less gas with electricity.

Thanks to the Aptera team for breaking free of this automotive rut and giving us an American vision of the future. Rather than "the way it's always been done", you used new thinking about aerodynamics, light weight and the science of vehicle design to define your vision of a commuter car. It surprises no one that a vision such as yours, took a leap of faith far beyond the tired desks of Detroit...


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2243/2278399769_38f6cb2388_o.jpg

Detroit News EV Batteries Article (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080219/AUTO01/802190349)

:D

[palmer_md]

I agree. GM now knows how much the car will cost to build and they are trying to justify and figure out how much they can charge the public to get the most profit. Originally they said $30k then said it could be as high as $40k but after much public complaining they said it could be near $35k, all the while they are sending out information about how hard it is to make an all electric car (ie how much current draw there is with wipers and radios and how they needed redesign to draw less power).

[KarenRei]

It's not an excuse to "to justify and figure out how much they can charge the public". The public doesn't care *why* they're charging what they do. They only care *what* they're charging. $35k is going to cost them, and they know it. That's why they originally were going for $30k. You don't set a target you think you can't reach with the goal of disappointing a bunch of consumers who thought they'd be able to afford one and now discover that they can't. $35k means a lot less sales.

GM is in a situation that Aptera isn't: legacy. Due to stupid decisions of the past that other companies, like Toyota, didn't make, GM ignored the ascendant green movement, and it's coming back to bite them. The Prius selling almost 200k a year is a really big wakeup call. They're now trying to jump onboard with green vehicles, but they have a problem: big auto manufacturers can't adapt quickly. They need to find suppliers who can make products in huge volume for them -- entire mass production facilities need to be built. They need to test the heck out of the parts or they could face a recall of tens of thousands of vehicles and/or get another Ralph Nader going after them (or perhaps even the actual Ralph Nader ;) ). They need to do extensive market research, or their shareholders will be up in arms if they end up losing money and don't have some study to point at. They're just slow moving. I have no surprise at all that this issue is biting GM. They don't just need to mass produce batteries; they need to mass produce *everything*.

Re, the EV1: The EV1 had serious problems with auxillary drain, and even so, what they made for it then A) has its lines shut down (they shut the lines for many parts down before even the CARB rules were overturned), and B) even back then, they were only made in small numbers. GM needs to make parts for the Volt by the tens of thousands, and they don't want the drain issues of the EV1's accessories. With the EV1, they weren't dealing with a very picky consumer base. They deliberately limited themselves to the most enthusiasic lesees**. When you're selling tens of thousands per year, like with the Volt, you are dealing with an ordinary, picky consumer base, and you can't afford to mess up, or you'll sabotage your future sales of said vehicle.

** Here's an interesting article from the late 90s about GM's plans. It's kind of sad to read, knowing what the ultimate outcome was:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E5D61130F934A35756C0A9619582 60&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all