PurdueGuy

what an idiot.

Thanks for ignoring my post and acting like the Volt will either succeed or fail completely. It's battery technology. Batteries exist. They can build a functional Volt TODAY on TODAY'S battery tech, it just might not have the range they hope for. That would be disappointing, but not a complete failure (though I'm sure you might make it out to be). It's not like "dang, if we can just get cold fusion to work, this will be great!" They're freaking batteries, and they already exist. Since when was the e-flex platform being developed to REPLACE the 2-mode? The way I see it, all 3 hybrid setups are likely to have a place in future products. GM can lean on the mild hybrid setup in cheaper vehicles to up their CAFE across a broader range while not boosting prices as much as would happen if, say, Toyota tried to apply their existing hybrid tech across a broad range. This would up CAFE in budget vehicles. 2-mode makes for a more effective hybrid, but still in a package more people are familiar with, with the engine still connected to the wheels, and less by-wire stuff going on. E-flex is more of a flagship hybrid system to out-prius the prius. While how many Volts will sell is hard to predict (and obviously depends on how well GM meets expectations they've been setting), but I think it's safe to say that a Cobalt-like vehicle will still sell in higher volume, simply for being about half the price for the same size vehicle (even if the Volt will likely have some nifty technology features and more attention to detail to help justify it's price tag.) I guess your statements come across as "I don't care that the news generally is sounding good, GM is DOOMED!" I think it's safe to say that most people on here realize there are still dumb things being done at GM, and it's good to point them out. What I think is rubbing people the wrong way is that you come across like GM is doing nothing right, everything wrong, and the only solution is to fire half the organization and start from scratch. Surely you realize that that would destroy the business as well, like trying to cut out a tumor with a chainsaw.

While the battery tech is important, I'm not under the impression that it's a situation where the car can't exist without some non-existant battery tech. They could use current battery tech and make the Volt, it may just have a bit smaller all-electric range. If some things don't work out and they build a Volt with a 30 mile all electric range, is there any reason to think it won't still be an excellent vehicle? Granted, a lot of people will point at the 40 mile development goal and cry foul, but the actual product should still be really, really good. And there's nothing to say that the battery tech won't improve for gen2 later on. Still, if a 6 month delay is the difference between 30 mile electric range and 40 mile, they should wait the 6 months, IMO. Better to be late and good than early and under-deliver.

The big issue is how the increase in economy is achieved. Good ways: -offer good, small, high mpg cars, and enough people buy them simply because they want them, not because the cars are forced on consumers. -offer alternative fuel vehicles, and enough people buy them simply because they want them, not because the cars are forced on consumers. -weight loss without sacrifice in performance or safety -improved technology at acceptable cost increases, if any Feared ways: -cut availability on high-performance vehicles -cut availability on trucks that can do real work -force everyone into smaller vehicles -force high tech on everyone, increasing prices across the board and repair costs

Not sure how it would add up to that much either, but maybe if they're counting everything - testing, tooling, marketing, market testing, flying people back & forth between the US and Europe a gazillion times... *shrug*

With the CAFE crap being forced on the manufacturers, do you think we will see a return of the wagon, or do you think it will simply embody itself in crossovers? By the way, I mean real wagons - 3 row seating.

my wife is 4 days older than me... I think I'm good.

yes, very disturbing. I would throw the keys back at the guy if he did that to me, and proceed to walk out the door. But then I would wake up, because I'd have to be having a bad dream to be in a KIA dealer in the first place...

Why does the blame for horsepower wars and people driving trucks go to the manufacturers? Those things are driven by consumer demand. I'm far from convinced that the manufacturers conspired to convince people to turn trucks into replacements for commuter cars (though they didn't fight it, either.) Seems like maybe there should be more efforts to shape consumer demand instead of telling the manufacturers what to do. Think hybrids would have caught on nearly as well as they have if there hadn't been tax breaks?

CAFE numbers are based on sales, not just models offered, right? So they have to make the high mpg vehicles very appealing so they get the sales so they get the CAFE numbers...

I'm not sure if I like how it looks, but I think we're guaranteed that 'yota will beat it with the ugly stick before production if it's made.

My prediction is NA production of the Saturn Astra for the next gen.

test drive one if you haven't yet. If you like it, go for it. It's not like you're trying to justify an Excursion for a one-person commuter vehicle. It's a beefed up small truck, who cares what people think. Personally I think they look great.

*snicker* China? You're leaning your argument on China? They may write down a standard in a book somewhere, but that doesn't mean they'll live up to it. Goes right along with their attempts to convince the rest of the world that they're becoming some westernized capitalist society. Har har har. I don't buy it - not to the extend they want us to believe. Personally, I don't have a problem with having two emissions standards. More than that is retarded, but as was said - Cali, a major population %, has major issues with smog and such. Major portions of the country, however, do not. Cali people want to spend that much MORE to live there (not for me, thanks), let 'em.

the plate on the front says i30... you couldn't just google "hyundai i30"?

IMO, it's totally NOT rice when the car's performance makes any pizazz added completely legit. Hood window... if there were nothing sweet underneith, it would be rice. But oooooh so sweet. If the carbon fiber weren't real, or were just placed here & there to look cool - rice. But it's everywhere, and just shown in areas as an accent. Sweeeeet. Cars like this are the real thing that ricers only wish they could come anywhere close to being like.

sooooooo sweet! *drool*

well, we now know the ZR1 is one of the 30.

No pictures yet? Sounds sweet. Plus we know what one of the 30 cars w/bluetooth is. lol I can't get too excited... cuz I'll never own one.

But the reverse shouldn't generally be true, should it? If it's registered fleet then it's probably a work vehicle. So about 20% fleet sales tells you that you can start at about 20%, then try to figure how many retail sales are work trucks...

congrats.

+1 Though if they're needing to reduce the workforce by say 10,000 and they could buyout 5,000 and have another 5,000 that are going to retire soon anyway, that could work out. Good to keep some of the older, er, "more experienced" folks around if they're still doing their job and doing it well. Don't want to narrow it down to a bunch of newbies. lol Best people to target: the slackers. Get 'em out - they'll just hold the company back. I'm sure there's only so much targeting they can do, though, and be fair about it.

One less thing for people to whine about... but they'll find one more. lol Still, a good move, since I doubt it will really cost that much to implement once initial development costs are done.

I'm posting! That's a good sign...

I hate it when people don't use cruise control on the highway. Pick a freaking speed. I do 5 over generally. I don't want to have to slow down for someone, get around them, then have them fly past me three minutes later. The only place I see cruise as annoying on the highway is when someone is creeping by a semi at 1mph faster than the semi. Then again, maybe the whole dynamic is different in Cali vs Idaho. Here we can just get out & go, it's not very congested.