Bob Lutz calls global warming crock of [bad word]

[SVOboy]

Check it out at ABG

Regardless of how you feel about AGW, it's certainly interesting to note that GM is not going to be driven in their marketing out of concern for reducing environmental impact. I guess we won't be seeing a "green" hummer for a while, yet.

[Gone4]

Purely electric vehicles have lower maintenance costs. No explosions means less wear. Less moving parts means less wear. Vehicles depreciate slower, last longer, and need fewer repairs and new parts. That all adds up to huge losses for the auto companies. Why would they want to push anything better than gasoline and diesel engines that make them so much money? Bob Lutz won't live long enough to care about the environmental damage, but some of us will. I wonder where he thinks he is taking that money and fame for being a CEO when he dies.

[Silveredwings]

At the lunch Bob also said hybrids like the Prius make "make no economic sense"

Well not for GM, that's for sure.

and the Volt is exciting for him because "it's the last thing anybody expected from GM."

... and I still don't expect it.

Should anyone actually wonder that after reporting record losses (of $38,700,000,000), one of GM's stooges would commit desperate acts of denial? He thinks he's doing a Jedi mind trick: "this isn't the hybrid you're looking for ... move along, move along"

[RH77]

Well, instead of making piles of cash, they're settling for a crock of #$&!

Huge losses of revenue, big layoffs.

Old GM mentality passed on, and on, and on...

They've flooded the fleet market, so resale is in the dumper. I drive them almost every week and they've improved a LOT, but not as much as the competition.

RH77

[bennelson]

I would also say that hybrid cars don't make a lot of economic sense for the average person.

They are expensive! Most of them are new, hard to find a used one anywhere at a decent price.

My old car, which I paid $800 cash, got 47 miles per gallon. How many tanks of gas would I have to go through to pay for a new Prius???

A well maintained, economy car, bought used makes sense. Then ecomod the heck out of it!

Now, if you have the money, and would like to spend it on a Hybrid that's great. I am not anti-hybrid, but I think some people overrate them.

I have also heard that GM makes buckets of money with Hummers, and almost none on hybrids.

[SVOboy]

But if you're going to buy new, hybrids have ridic good resale, they won't be 800 dollars in a few years like your car,

[bennelson]

I have no problems with resale value. I don't buy cars with the idea of selling them later. I buy them to drive them.

If you buy a car and drive it forever what's the point of a high resale value?

[Gone4]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

But if you're going to buy new, hybrids have ridic good resale, they won't be 800 dollars in a few years like your car,

If he drives that car to the ground he lost $800 plus investments in modding. If he buys a Prius I bet the depreciation is still more than that... But I have a feeling the Prius may be more comfortable and fun

[SVOboy]

Oh well, it's not fair to compare new and used,

[cfg83]

bennelson -

Originally Posted by bennelson

I have no problems with resale value. I don't buy cars with the idea of selling them later. I buy them to drive them.

If you buy a car and drive it forever what's the point of a high resale value?

Me too. I don't really believe in resale value when it comes to cars that are "driven". When you buy something for investment, do you go around everywhere with it or do you keep it in a safe place? If the car isn't an economy car like a Honda Civic, then I think you need to do a "care and feeding" calculation of your "investment". If the insurance and maintenance are greater than your non-investment alternative, then your "investment" is a net loss.

CarloSW2