Sounds like Deming ( an American )....I have implemented much of his teachings in our company. Yes it worked for the Japanese and it works for our company.
The Volt is a promising car for GM, but they will need to continue to refine its abilities to make it competitive.
p.s. Im a former '04 GTO owner and liked that car a lot.
Correct, it was Deming. I learned the truenature of quality control from his classes and improved the products and processes which I was responsible to where there was no doubt they were correct. Not nessarily less costly to make but certainly over ther long term where customer feedback is involved.
I think it's overweight, underperforming, overpriced, and dramatically overhyped, but I don't think it's EVIL. I doubt the wheels will fall off. Actually the biggest reason it's overweight and overpriced, IMO, is the battery pack is too large. They're treating it with kid gloves, rather than taxing a smaller, cheaper, and lighter pack harder.
So, I predict that they'll have you take it in for numerous software updates, but by the time its pack finally throws in the towel, your Volt will be an pretty old car and people will be asking about converting it to run with the gas engine only.
"your Volt will be an pretty old car and people will be asking about converting it to run with the gas engine only."
Which they have made it pretty clear that it can't do with the planetary setup. The planetary is configured in a way somewhat(but a bit different), opposite the way that the Prius does where it can't run without the electric power otherwise the engine would spin with no movement to the wheels as the main traction motor would just spin without movement since the wheels are attached to the planet carrier. I think this describes it better, one of the best graphics there is of the planetary setup comparing it to the Prius.
Cobb, I agree. It's an outstanding vehicle and if I had my chance at owning one, I'd snap it up. Too bad I will never get that chance. Unless someone replicates it, which would be really cool.
.19 cD
183mph in a modified prototype(boat tail, front bumper mods, probably a gearing change too) EV1 record set in 1994 for electric vehicle land speed
0-60 in 8.5 seconds
290 pound body!!
18.7kw of Lead acid batteries added 1310 pounds
26.4kw of NiMh cells added 1147 pounds
Tires rated for 50psi
137hp in a package at roughly 2900 pounds(NiMh)
Quite a few of the RAV4's using the same batteries as the EV1 are beyond 100k now, which to me is excellent considering those batteries are a decade old at this point.
They are obsolete based on their performance and energy densities compared to both volume and weight and the car could be made either much lighter or provide a tremendous increase in range. We also have lighter, small, and more efficient electric drivetrain technology too that the car could have.
...but hey, lease a car out of only 34 dealers under limited production where you require someone to be rich to qualify for the lease and give no option to sell, rip them out of peoples hands and crush almost all of the 1117 units that were produced and leased to people and telling them all that what you have is something nobody wants. To me 1117 units of a single vehicle that was barely advertised and with no option to buy with a heavy price tag and not allowed to leave the dealership area by the lease contract with plenty of early adopter anxiety, I think 1117 units is stellar performance in those conditions. I sat in an EV1 in the late 90's and was at a booth demonstrating the car, people loved it. Oddly enough when people asked one of the guys manning the booth a question, one that wasn't even negative, and he would provide a neutral to negative response for pretty much every question, it was clear to those I went with when we saw it that this guy wasn't promoting the car. I sat in one currently being held at a University earlier this year, it was nice to see a car that was actually built for efficiency and the only GM vehicle that I feel was actually done right, possibly the most reliable vehicle ever produced too.
With the 290 pound body, pulling out the heavy battery putting in some new technology lighter batteries and replacing the disabled components in the car with some new smaller lighter components and this car would fly and if GM put it out there for the MSRP of $33995 that their documentation says, they would fly off the dealers lots. Mass production would drive a vehicle like this down in price pretty quickly and the price break on batteries for the quantity would make them very cheap. Looking at the components involved in the Volt, it looks like there is no way they are losing money on production costs. It's all about using the per-unit profit to pay off the R&D and turn the company towards profit again. Of course the sales will tell the story if this car will save GM. ...who knows though, seems the ~40mpg highway Cruze Eco at about $20k will probably steal the sales considering the price premium is going to be difficult to justify for most.
...gaah, want an EV1, can't wait until they sell the car of the future that they will always refuse to sell. I want a lightweight aerodynamic car that is crash safe. Nothing better has come along since the 90's when the EV1 and 1st Gen Honda Insight was developed. I love my Insight but I just can't believe nothing better has come along with the passing and future return of $4+/gallon gas, not to mention the higher prices seen on the other side of the ocean.
this car would fly and if GM put it out there for the MSRP of $33995 that their documentation says, they would fly off the dealers lots. Mass production would drive a vehicle like this down in price pretty quickly and the price break on batteries for the quantity would make them very cheap. Looking at the components involved in the Volt, it looks like there is no way they are losing money on production costs. It's all about using the per-unit profit to pay off the R&D and turn the company towards profit again.
I have to say I agree with you 100%. With the tax incentives, this would make it a $25-$26k car, making it very competitive in the marketplace. GM needs market share as much as it does profit. That is how the Japanese, and later the Koreans made inroads in the U.S.; low profit per unit, but lots of units.
Quote:
Of course the sales will tell the story if this car will save GM. ...who knows though, seems the ~40mpg highway Cruze Eco at about $20k will probably steal the sales considering the price premium is going to be difficult to justify for most.
Again, I think you are on the mark. I saw the Cruze at the NY Auto show back in April. Base car was to list for under $17k according to the promos, and it would include things like power windows and AC. Not sure if that turned out to be true, but if it is any kind of decent driver, it would be a good seller, even if you have to add some options back and get back to $20k.
Until gas goes back up, though, no significant resources will be pushed to make cars more effcient. Higher CAFE will help some, but necessity is the mother of invention. Given gas prices are just under $3/gallon in my world, during worldwide economic doldrums, it is not hard to imagine $4 and $5 gallon gas before 2013 or 2014 when economies pick up steam and put pressure on supply. Assuming the cartel countries are not going to suddenly ramp up production, then prices have to go up.
Companies that invest in technology will have product (just like the last time, when little cars went for a premium instead of the big cars) and those companies that don't, won't. Will we see more bailouts if that happens??? Stay tuned.
Regards,
Jerry
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2004 MT Silver Bullet
West Palm Beach, Fl.
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