Will plugins survive the cut$
Those that have followed my Evangel work over the years know that worked at Hewlett-Packard for over 25 years as a Customer Engineer, dealing with customers, resolving issues, working long-long hours as a company man, true-blue, and through and through. Then I had a sad life-experience, when an outsider was appointed CEO, who ruined the company. I won't go into a rant venting sour-grapes (I was laid off, much at the displeasure of my customers and coworkers ... ), or baggage (old-memories of an abandoned company-man ... ), but instead express my concern over the change that has occurred at GM. Referencing to the newswires of the change at GM, of-course the gender-card was played up: http://www.autonews.com/article/20131210/BLOG06/131219977/pioneers-reflect-on-the-meaning-of-barras-promotion#axzz2nChKPmhN Pioneers reflect on the meaning of Barra's promotion http://www.cnbc.com/id/101262706 Women buy more cars, and are now driving GM http://www.business-standard.com/article/international/mary-barra-adds-to-ranks-of-science-minded-female-ceos-113121101163_1.html Mary Barra adds to ranks of science-minded female CEOs http://www.inc.com/abigail-tracy/mary-barra-ends-the-auto-industrys-boys-club.html Mary Barra Ends the Auto Industry's Boys' Club at GM http://www.euronews.com/2013/12/11/gm-s-new-female-chief-executive-adds-to-slow-closing-of-ceo-gender-gap/ GM’s new female chief executive adds to slow closing of CEO gender gap http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-mary-barra-gm-ceo-20131211,0,6764014.story#axzz2nChrjM9A Mary Barra new CEO at GM, most powerful female exec in America [Q&A] http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/company-focus/2013/12/12/395726/GM-taps.htm GM taps 1st female chief executive officer as it emerges from US control http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-12-10/news/45036460_1_gmc-sierra-government-motors-chevrolet-cruze General Motors names Mary Barra CEO, first woman to head car company http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/careers/3493343/general-motors-appoints-female-electrical-engineer-as-ceo/ General Motors appoints female electrical engineer as CEO But a few newswires were helpful in providing some background on the new CEO: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/business/gm-names-first-female-chief-executive.html?_r=0 New G.M. Chief Is Company Woman, Born to It http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/business/mary-barra-gms-new-chief-speaking-her-mind.html?src=recg Mary Barra, G.M.’s New Chief, Speaking Her Mind Other pieces let me read of what direction she might go: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/good-governance-at-g-m/?src=recg Good Governance at G.M. http://www.newswise.com/articles/barra-appointment-signifies-new-beginning-for-a-smarter-gm Barra Appointment Signifies New Beginning for a Smarter GM And a couple newswires mentioned about her views on plugins: http://www.plugincars.com/gms-mary-barra-cautious-thumbs-electric-cars-129079.html GM's Mary Barra: A Cautious Thumbs-Up for Electric Cars http://www.plugincars.com/next-generation-volt-will-be-10k-cheaper-127121.html GM: Next Generation Volt Will Be $10,000 Cheaper to Build This post and topic should not about stock (I do not have any stock in any company). It is not about gender (I have had several managers and coworkers I worked with of a wide diversity). But about the direction GM will be going that will affect their plugins. The two CEO's (Fiorina vs Barra) do not seem similar (yay!). The former was an outsider, that was unqualified to be in that position which led her to make continuous blunderous mistakes, much to the determent of the company). And the latter is a GM company person of over three decades, and having been in several key company management positions, which seems to qualify her as a good candidate for the CEO position. So, why is what GM does that important? GM is that 800lb Gorilla that with just a sneeze has other companies making changes in their company's direction. So, what GM does affects other companies. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing for the EV-cause. GM has a long history of doing devious things. Some of that have been toned-down since the Gov. bailout GM received (could GM actually be humbled? ... naa). They still do them. Yet, I feel good that GM has the Spark EV offered at an affordable price that the public can actually buy. I want to see this develop further. So, right now GM has their phev/pih: Volt & Cadillac, and their Spark EV. I am hoping/wishing/praying GM continues to improve on their line of plugins by offering an affordable line that suits more of what their loyal customers currently drive. Look at what ice are selling best each year, and develop the market with plugin versions. I have a post coming up about how Ford is putting out feelers of different drive trains for their new Mustang model: ice: gas, diesel, hev; & electric. A 'what if' came to mind: if GM took one of their popular products and also offered it with an online-order-able option to have a different drive-train. While having a compliance-car EV is a start in the right baby-steps direction, I want to see more development on GM's part toward an affordable EV that is based on their most popular product. Perhaps a 100 mile range plug-in-hybrid SUV that would fit the carrying capacity of most families, and allow drivers to seriously cut their fuel costs. How many parents have you seen driving a gas guzzling SUV just so they can have a huge vehicle that can carry it all (like driving around in a giant-baby bag/purse). Offer it as a pih with different range options: 25/50/100 mile, and grow the market. And also further development on hatchbacks at an entry level-price for the cost conscious consumer (something more in that direction than a warmed-over/converted Spark). This may mean an investment in body/chassis design tooling that allows for different drive-trains/power-plants in a model. That would be moving in a positive direction to make ice more efficient like an EV, instead of trying to make an EV out of, or like an ice. What are your thoughts on this? {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/There-s-a-new-hand-on-the-wheel-steering-GM-tp4666674.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
