Comments on: New GM CEO: Higher Margins Needed to Make Next-Gen Cars http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/ Helping the Earth with Technology Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:07:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Should Electric Vehicle Makers Be in the Battery Biz? http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-38230 Should Electric Vehicle Makers Be in the Battery Biz? Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:08:46 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-38230 <p>[...] either prohibitively expensive for an average consumer at this point, or forcing the company to consider selling it without a profit for at least the first few [...]</p> [...] either prohibitively expensive for an average consumer at this point, or forcing the company to consider selling it without a profit for at least the first few [...]

]]> By: Smartphones: the Ultimate Model for Green Cars? http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-34909 Smartphones: the Ultimate Model for Green Cars? Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:01:28 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-34909 <p>[...] that could be customized for each driver. Loading cars with driver-facing tech could be key to boosting automakers’ margins on smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles (in recent years many of them have relied on bigger [...]</p> [...] that could be customized for each driver. Loading cars with driver-facing tech could be key to boosting automakers’ margins on smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles (in recent years many of them have relied on bigger [...]

]]> By: GM Gets a Fresh Start — Will Green Innovation Rise from the Ashes? http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-34509 GM Gets a Fresh Start — Will Green Innovation Rise from the Ashes? Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:29:45 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-34509 <p>[...] expected to be profitable for at least the first generation, in a time when Henderson has said the company needs every model to “pay rent” (by contrast, the company has for years relied on large, higher margin SUVs to cover losses on [...]</p> [...] expected to be profitable for at least the first generation, in a time when Henderson has said the company needs every model to “pay rent” (by contrast, the company has for years relied on large, higher margin SUVs to cover losses on [...]

]]> By: Why GM Killed the 2010 Chevy Malibu Hybrid http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-32755 Why GM Killed the 2010 Chevy Malibu Hybrid Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:53:18 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-32755 <p>[...] the Malibu Hybrid didn’t “pay rent” (i.e. generate meaningful profit) — a new requirement for all vehicles in the GM lineup, as CEO Fritz Henderson put it on his first day on the job, after the Obama administration asked Wagoner to step down. The company [...]</p> [...] the Malibu Hybrid didn’t “pay rent” (i.e. generate meaningful profit) — a new requirement for all vehicles in the GM lineup, as CEO Fritz Henderson put it on his first day on the job, after the Obama administration asked Wagoner to step down. The company [...]

]]> By: GM Topples Into Bankruptcy: What’s Next for the Chevy Volt? http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-32185 GM Topples Into Bankruptcy: What’s Next for the Chevy Volt? Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:16:49 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-32185 <p>[...] to step down — said GM would have to improve profit margins across the entire GM fleet in order to have the resources to invest in advanced technologies, such as the Volt. This morning Henderson emphasized in a press conference [...]</p> [...] to step down — said GM would have to improve profit margins across the entire GM fleet in order to have the resources to invest in advanced technologies, such as the Volt. This morning Henderson emphasized in a press conference [...]

]]> By: GM, Segway Team Up On Tiny Electric Vehicle http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-28618 GM, Segway Team Up On Tiny Electric Vehicle Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:40:56 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-28618 <p>[...] No Comments Posted April 7th, 2009 at 8:40 am in Automotive,Big Green We know General Motors is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, but building a new car that looks like a souped-up wheelchair may not be [...]</p> [...] No Comments Posted April 7th, 2009 at 8:40 am in Automotive,Big Green We know General Motors is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, but building a new car that looks like a souped-up wheelchair may not be [...]

]]> By: kerry bradshaw http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-28268 kerry bradshaw Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:42:48 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-28268 <p>Henderson may agree that with higher oil prices, trucks and SUVs can be risky, but there is simply nothing that GM can make that will generate those profits. In effect, he's saying that GM will be even worse off than before, when Toyota and Honda were able to make enough profit to redesign their cars twice as often as GM. Unless GM lucks out and finds some designing genius who can style cars that will be lusted after (the auto business is really all about looks and comfort - even the vaunted Beetle never sold cars heavily into the middle class, those who bought cars frequently) there is no reason to believe that GM can compete if they make the mistake of trying to exist on small cars. Everyone knows that that simply won't work. Can you imagine Mercedes doing that? Obama is talking out of both sides (actually all four sides) of his mouth by contradicting himself - he wants "high tech cars" (what yhey are and why he thinks they will succeed remains a mystery - remember the Edsel?) then the next minute claims that the Volt won't help GM. Then he mistakenly claims that GM is far behind on hybrids (apparently Obama doesn't keep up with auto news) and that they wil be salvation (don't mention that Toyota has never made a dime off its best selling hybrid). Oh, yeah, the future sure looks rosy with Obama sticking his big foot in his equally big mouth. Now, what exactly became of that campaign pledge to balance the budget? Hmm...</p> Henderson may agree that with higher oil prices, trucks and SUVs can be risky, but there is simply nothing that GM can make that will generate those profits. In effect, he’s saying that GM will be even worse off than before, when Toyota and Honda were able to make enough profit to redesign their cars twice as often as GM. Unless GM lucks out and finds some designing genius who can style cars that will be lusted after (the auto business is really all about looks and comfort – even the vaunted Beetle never sold cars heavily into the middle class, those who bought cars frequently) there is no reason to believe that GM can compete if they make the mistake of trying to exist on small cars. Everyone knows that that simply won’t work. Can you imagine Mercedes
doing that? Obama is talking out of both sides (actually all four sides) of his mouth by contradicting himself – he wants “high tech cars” (what yhey are and why he thinks they will succeed remains a mystery – remember the Edsel?) then the next minute claims that the Volt won’t help GM. Then he mistakenly claims that GM is far behind on hybrids (apparently Obama doesn’t keep up with auto news)
and that they wil be salvation (don’t mention that Toyota has never made a dime off its best selling hybrid). Oh, yeah, the future sure looks rosy with Obama sticking his big foot in his equally big mouth.
Now, what exactly became of that campaign pledge to balance the budget? Hmm…

]]> By: Electric Vehicle Owner http://earth2tech.com/2009/03/31/new-gm-ceo-higher-margins-needed-to-make-next-gen-cars/#comment-28260 Electric Vehicle Owner Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:10:26 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=27520#comment-28260 <p>"“As we get into the next generation of technologies,” he said, mentioning the Volt and GM’s lineup of flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles as examples, “that requires money. That requires investment.”</p> <p>Ya, whatever, build them already. You're 35 years late.</p> <p>Nice way to tell us that for decades they've been overcharging consumers for wallowing, herky-jerky, obsolete technology, milking it beyond dry, and still managed to lose money.</p> <p>Flex fuel was/is an ok concept until the scams that are low mileage corn ethanol and cost more energy to make it than you get from it with no existing infrastructure (unlike electricity) hydrogen came along and dirtied it up. They should just 'fess up and say high energy biodiesel and non-food-crop low energy ethanol, which are at least cheap and doable.</p> <p>In the meantime, "in terms of overall performance, the diesels of Audi and Peugeot took four of the top five positions with the No 2 Audi R15 TDI winning by 22 seconds over the No 8 Peugeot 908 after 12 hours of racing." To beat Audi's killer diesels, Peugeot is going with a diesel hybrid, with the electric drive providing the performance edge: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/03/25/peugeot-commits-to-racing-diesel-hybrid-at-2011-le-mans/</p> ““As we get into the next generation of technologies,” he said, mentioning the Volt and GM’s lineup of flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles as examples, “that requires money. That requires investment.”

Ya, whatever, build them already. You’re 35 years late.

Nice way to tell us that for decades they’ve been overcharging consumers for wallowing, herky-jerky, obsolete technology, milking it beyond dry, and still managed to lose money.

Flex fuel was/is an ok concept until the scams that are low mileage corn ethanol and cost more energy to make it than you get from it with no existing infrastructure (unlike electricity) hydrogen came along and dirtied it up. They should just ‘fess up and say high energy biodiesel and non-food-crop low energy ethanol, which are at least cheap and doable.

In the meantime, “in terms of overall performance, the diesels of Audi and Peugeot took four of the top five positions with the No 2 Audi R15 TDI winning by 22 seconds over the No 8 Peugeot 908 after 12 hours of racing.” To beat Audi’s killer diesels, Peugeot is going with a diesel hybrid, with the electric drive providing the performance edge:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/03/25/peugeot-commits-to-racing-diesel-hybrid-at-2011-le-mans/

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