GM Inside News Forum - View Single Post - Bob Lutz on the Future of Green Cars and Fuel Economy

Gagarin · 06-21-2008, 07:19 PM

Who are these guys, anyway?

I always thought the 2-Mode was going to be tried out on the trucks first, and then get launched all over many models, and the Mild-Hybrid would be an option on many, many cars because it fits in a conventional transmission size casing, instead of the bulky Prius system.

Instead you could hardly find the 2-Mode, or the 6-speed, and the Mild-Hybrid wasn't on many cars at all, and that's hard to find, too.

Maybe if GM wasn't so cash-strapped they could have made a bold move with the technology that was emerging. That would have changed the image right there. "We offer 10 hybrid models - some of them with V8s." The economies of scale GM is capable of - or was - is so ridiculous I can't believe they didn't get those 6 speeds, Milds, and 2-Modes out accross more models.

Can you imagine comparison shopping against Ford or Chrystler models if the 6 speed and BAS were ambigitous on the dealer lots?

I know many people would have opted for 2,500 option for better fuel economy (that's NOTHING on monthly payments when you finance) and take a huge cut in their variable fuel costs...especially when it was always going up.

06-21-2008, 07:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
Gagarin 1.8 Liter ECOTEC Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 44	Re: Bob Lutz on the Future of Green Cars and Fuel Economy Who are these guys, anyway? I always thought the 2-Mode was going to be tried out on the trucks first, and then get launched all over many models, and the Mild-Hybrid would be an option on many, many cars because it fits in a conventional transmission size casing, instead of the bulky Prius system. Instead you could hardly find the 2-Mode, or the 6-speed, and the Mild-Hybrid wasn't on many cars at all, and that's hard to find, too. Maybe if GM wasn't so cash-strapped they could have made a bold move with the technology that was emerging. That would have changed the image right there. "We offer 10 hybrid models - some of them with V8s." The economies of scale GM is capable of - or was - is so ridiculous I can't believe they didn't get those 6 speeds, Milds, and 2-Modes out accross more models. Can you imagine comparison shopping against Ford or Chrystler models if the 6 speed and BAS were ambigitous on the dealer lots? I know many people would have opted for 2,500 option for better fuel economy (that's NOTHING on monthly payments when you finance) and take a huge cut in their variable fuel costs...especially when it was always going up.