How did we miss facesofgm.com? I mean, it’s not like they have four (five?) other websites offering the public a look down the nationalized rabbit hole. But now that we’ve found it, well, way-hey! Clearly, New GM is playing the babe card; all three “faces” are female. Mel Fox by name, Mel Fox by, uh, nature. Needless to say, “the world of Mel” has been carefully sanitized by GM’s spinmeisters. Not so much Mel’s personal blog: theworldofallthingsmel. Here we get the idea that maybe Volt battery engineer Mel’s got mixed feelings about GM. “so i find myself asking… what can i do about this? [the root of the problems that we face in our nation is the mindset of humans, and the way people in power work to manipulate others, and the way that those being manipulated enable themselves to be manipulated again and again] the other question i ask is, how much of my career needs to involve invoking change vs. believing that what i’m working on is “good?” my point here is that perhaps it’s via the time donated to affiliations and public offerings that real change can be fostered as i don’t see too much within corporate america that truly facilitates change (fundamental change, that is).” On the other hand, Mel’s met the enemy and it is us!
i love that gm is so involved with social networking and sharing information about the employees at gm with the outside world. my perception is that the media perpetuates a horrible image of the automotive industry, and i am a big supporter of general motors showcasing the hardworking and interesting people that work on the inside!! one of my favorite things about working at gm is working with so many excellent people – i have been very lucky to develop good relationships with new people and seasoned veterans, and to be able to learn from and work together them in this very exciting industry!! :-)
Not so sure that this new era of “openness” is all it’s cracked up to be.
Well, now GM has truly shown that they are too ignorant to survive. Everyone who knows anything knows that Mel is a short, bearded fellow who frequently appears on the letters page of Annals of Improbable Research, where his whereabouts is the subject of much debate. http://improbable.com/tag/mel/
This is Mel: http://improbable.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/mel-150-wide.gif
Real babes don’t go around with names like Mel. I’m sure GM, in its ignorance, paid that lovely woman enough money to make it worth her while to pretend to be Mel–and it was probably at least in the high six figures. And while her real name MIGHT be Melissa, nobody EVER called her Mel until the General came along with the high six figures.
I love how on her blog she is so appreciative of incompetence. I have to imagine this is the skill that comes in most handy for her at GM.
“Seasoned veterans”???
Doesn’t she mean “grizzled veterans”? You know, like Fritz, LaNeve, on and on.
I love the openness of GM lately, though they of course show us what they want us to see just like ANY corporation would. @David Holzman, my friend might disagree with you about babes and the name Mel. My friend’s wife goes by Mel much of the time (shortened version of her full name) and she’s quite attractive.
Three spokesbabes? GM is capitulating. They know the Volt is a chick car.
One other thing. When Mel writes:My point here is that perhaps it’s via the time donated to affiliations and public offerings that real change can be fostered as i don’t see too much within corporate america that truly facilitates change (fundamental change, that is).”she seems to be insinuating that Change We Can Believe In doesn’t come from corporations, it comes from government (“public offerings”). Said another way, it’s a blessing that GM has been taken over by the government and a labor union. I hope Mel got a raise for allowing those words to come from her.
Do all engineers mangle written English that way?
I’ll be waiting for Mel’s blog post complaining that Maximum Bob keeps calling her “Toots”, grabs her butt every time she walks by, is always telling her to go make him a sandwich, and offers daily to give her a “mile high club” membership in his L39 plane.
ajla
Thank you, I almost fell off my chair laughing, cause that seems exactly like the kind of guy Lutz is.
She reuses paper towels?
What?
OK.
That thought itself is ugly, but why would such a treehugger even buy paper towels in the first place?
“Real babes don’t go around with names like Mel.”
Mel Harris?
Those babes who are called Mel: maybe it’s like the Boy Named Sue thing. This one is certainly gorgeous, and looks smart. @Redwood; I’m sure your friend’s wife is gorgeous too, but she should quit using a shortened version of her real name, which is probably much more feminine. The sister of one of my dearest friends, one Melissa, is called Mel, and I’ve told her she’d get married if only she’d go by Melissa instead of Mel. I’m beginning to think she really doesn’t want to get married. But “Mel” is incredibly unfeminine. Like “Sam.”
@Paulie: it’s normal for tree huggers to use paper towels. I know because I am one. And I do sometimes recycle them for my own use. But mainly, they get recycled with the newspapers. You don’t have to be an ascetic to be a tree hugger.
it’s melanie, not melissa, though few people actually refer to me by that name. perhaps it’s just me, but generalizing “mel” with a “male” seems to indicate that one is disconnected from the modern age. most melanie’s, melissa’s, melinda’s, who are near my age group go by “mel.” but you’re right – i really shouldn’t go by mel at all… i’d rather you refer to me as dr. fox, and not because i’m a “babe,” but because i have a phd in fuel science.
secondly, i have to wonder if any of you would actually have the courage to say these things to my face. seriously. while i absolutely embrace the internet as it allows everyone to have an outlet to voice their opinions, there is a clear difference between cynical madness and voicing one’s perspectives. given the magnitude of real problems that actually exist i’m surprised you have to create some in order to have something to “discuss.”
third: given your infinite wisdom, excellent business minds, open-minded perspectives and clear search for understanding the “truth,” perhaps this forum should provide GM some advice on how to run a global automotive corporation. oh, wait… that’s right, your time seems to be consumed by picking on young girls and divulging archaic perspectives about unsubstantiated suggestions on the internet all day, so you’re probably too busy. shame.
good day, gentlemen.
Let’s go back to square one;
She’s NOT a babe in my book.
^ What she said… (not what he said)
sourpuss
mkr127 (Dr. Fox),
It’s great that you came to TTAC to voice an opinion. But what you suggest in your third paragraph — that if we’re all so smart, why don’t we give advice to GM on how to get out of this mess — is exactly what Robert and the rest of us have tried to do for the last few years.
I encourage you to read all the back issues of the GM Deathwatch series, but to summarize a few more obvious points:
1. Be true to your brands. If Cadillac is the standard of the world, then don’t introduce the SRX with a lousy 3.0 engine which isn’t competitive. If GMC is about professional grade, then it should be more than a Chevy with extra chrome.
Define your brands, and ensure that every model is the living embodiment of that brand. Then work on every other touchpoint – the marketing campaign, dealership experience, even the key fob and ensure it is true to that brand.
2. Reduce the number of brands, models and dealerships. GM is finally tackling the brands and dealership issue, although 5+ years too late. SAAB, Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn needed to die — most of us remain unclear as to what the deal is with Buick, but hey, it’s a start.
But the sheer quantity of models remains an issue, especially given how many are re-badges . Try to plan around real winners.
3. No moon shots. Sorry, but GM simply isn’t in a position to make the Volt into the kind of success the Prius is. You don’t have the financial capability — even with so much taxpayer money — let alone the development capability to pull it off. This is dual mode hybrid and EV1 rolled up into one, and reeks of failure.
You want to do good and reduce oil consumption? Take 800 pounds of flab out of the Camaro.
4. Finally, stop giving it away. For decades now, you’ve allowed yourself to be taken advantage of by mediocre overpaid management, by lazy unions, and greedy dealerships that don’t understand how uncompetitive they’ve made GM. It is time for GM to start rewarding shareholders by listening to customers and supplying what they have been begging you for all these years.
@mkr127:
Because you asked, some quick ideas to improve GM:
1. Fire Lutz.
2. Fire LaNeve.
3. Fire Docherty.
4. Ditch that absolutely wretched, thirsty, gutless, boat anchor of 3.0L DI V6 that GM has decided should go in all their new vehicles. GM Powertrain is the company’s last tower of glory and this is what they give customers after coming out of bankruptcy?
Dr Fox:
Get the Corvette team to dump that annoying manual transmission shift blocker thingy. It’s a performance car, fer cryin’ out loud!
/rant
OT, when (if ever) do you think
1) valve control will go electronic?
2) drive trains will get replace with electric drive motors (on each wheel)?
I hate to be an a$$ but, while using proper punctuation and clear sentence structure, ‘Mel’ never capitalized anything… Not one ‘I’, not a single start of a sentence, and not even her name!
PhD’s still require their thesis to be written properly, right? Or is that a writing style, picked up from college, that sacrifices grammar (is that a grammar rule?) for speed? I guess capitalization is a pet peeve of mine.
I’m not concerned about the Volt battery; it’s the utter silence from GM about the ICE that is troubling.
Maybe GM should spend less time excreting openness onto the web, and more time designing and building appealing cars.
Just sayin’, mel ;-)
I love the grammar nazi comments. samspamshir, do you have nothing to contribute to the conversation other than capitalization comments in a comment section of a blog?
What I see more obvious, and no one including Mel has pointed it out, is the seemingly blatant sexism of both the author and many of the ‘peanut gallery’. Had this been a young male saying the EXACT same thing, there would have been no comments regarding ‘babe card’, the name Mel, or Lutz ass smacking comments. It’s insulting that the author assumes that by showcasing Mel on ‘facesofgm’ that they did so based on her being, as in his words, a ‘babe’. God forbid they showcased her based on merit and work! Surely if they show a woman, it couldn’t have been performance related!
It’s sad that the woman has a PhD yet still it is assumed that they picked her because she’s a woman. You people should really think about what you say.
@gordonjs:
Had this been a young male saying the EXACT same thing, there would have been no comments regarding ‘babe card’, the name Mel, or Lutz ass smacking comments.
My comment about Lutz harassing Dr. Fox was a dig at Max Bob and his penchant for bragging about being an old-fashioned 1950s stereotype kind of guy. I wrote that she would be complaining about his behavior, meaning that she did not like it and didn’t take Bob up on his offers.
I’d love for you to explain how that’s “blatant sexism” on my part.
FWIW, if this post had been about GM using a young male on Faces of GM, my comment would have been about Susan Docherty making the unwanted advances. Would that have been sexist as well?
I’ve got nothing against female PhDs, even ones that work for GM. I do have a problem with GM’s senior management though.
____________________
God forbid they showcased her based on merit and work! Surely if they show a woman, it couldn’t have been performance related!
I’m very cynical about GM’s motives because they haven’t showcased or promoted anyone based on merit and work since about 1968. If anything they seem to reward failure by letting managers keep their jobs after they led an iconic American company into bankruptcy and now need federal money to stay out of liquidation.
It’s all about cronyism, no accountability, excuses, and blame the consumer or media if things don’t go your way.
_______________________
I hope that the next time Dr. Fox agrees to be “the Face of GM” she keeps in mind that the incompetence and short-sightedness of the company and people she writes so fondly about have ruined the lives of tens of thousands of retirees and employees over the last few years, and the only reason she gets to have so much fun at “the coolest job on the planet” building a $40K electric car is because of the generosity of the government.
@ ajla I didn’t like your comment either,but its not for me to decide.
@mkr127 As an hourly retiree knowing that people like yourself are pulling the strings,helps me sleep better at night. You keep doing what your doing Dr Fox and ignore the critics.
Michael
i love that gm is so involved with social networking and sharing information about the employees at gm with the outside world.Gee, what an “open-minded” perspective. Dr. Fox seems to come from the Babbel Generation, where her every thought deserves to grace a website. While you’re busy networking your career around GM, Dr. Fox, try to remember that solving real problems involves more than carring water for a dysfunctional corporation that has been reduced to a propaganda machine. Were it not for public money, the building where you work might be empty soon.
I love the grammar nazi comments. samspamshir, do you have nothing to contribute to the conversation other than capitalization comments in a comment section of a blog?
The use of proper grammar represents one of the foundations of effective communication. Though seemingly a lost art, it still has value and really separates the wheat from the chaff. Shame on Dr. Fox for delivering such a poor impression, especially in light of her otherwise formidable intellect.
Since my wife is a Melanie and goes by Mel lets knock off the name jokes. I hope the Volt works out, I have a lot of doubts ( mostly the price) but I’ve got tax dollars invested with GM and most of you do to.
i’d rather you refer to me as dr. fox, and not because i’m a “babe,” but because i have a phd in fuel science.
I too have a PhD, but when I request people call me Dr Moran, I get variations on Dr Demento, Dr Moron etc. It took me YEARS to discover who the hell Dr Demento was and now I always tune in.
Or the other favourite is “Ah! Dr Moran, you can help me with the oozing from my …..”
BTW, we have some visiting PhD candidates at the moment who can’t spell and also can’t punctuate properly. They use the excuse that you “don’t have to these days” and it’s “all because of the internet”. Thank you Al Gore.
@ajla
I didn’t mean to insinuate that your comment was a sexist one, I was speaking more to the author for even bringing the sex card into this in the first place. I was more noting how your comment, as appropriate as it was with what the conversation had become (thanks to the author), shouldn’t have ever had a chance to be in context.
As for “GM hasn’t promoted anyone based on merit and work since about 1968.” While that’s a cute one-liner, does it hold truth? I’ve heard the ‘too many chiefs, not enough Indians’ joke regarding almost all large companies, so to say that GM is any better or worse than others, who knows, but I can assure you that they seem no different than any company I’ve ever known of that size.
But lets look at this bluntly. Sure, any skeptic would look at ‘faces of GM’ as a sympathy game from GM. And I won’t argue that it is most likely rooted in that cause. However, it also gives insight to a side of GM that isn’t seen as often as it should be. Management is always quick to take the praise for projects regardless of how much work they actually took part in. I for one think it’s wonderful to showcase an engineer, not a manager, that is actually doing the work, day in and day out. I’d much rather have that than some random marketing/PR person speaking about the vehicle. During all of this ‘bailout’ talk, all you heard about was the ‘golden parachute’ management or the unions, no one ever really talked about the people who were neither, such as the engineers….
As for the persistent replies from the grammar nazi peanut gallery, give it a rest. While I agree that improper grammer can make you out to look like a fool, I hardly think that not capitalizing a few words really is even worth mentioning given the context of the discussion. Someone who would bring it up just screams of the type that feels as if they need to be right about SOMETHING yet can’t actually contribute to the discussion intelligently, so they go after a few lower case letters instead. Go you!
The “grammer nazis” might have stumbled onto something, as it seems that Dr. Melanie Fox uses proper punctuation on her Faces of GM blog, even in quick replies in the comments section. It is somewhat suggestive of the possibility that mkr127 may not be the real Dr. Fox. It would be nice to think that someone at GM may be reading and not dismissing out of hand everything that is said here (much like Pelosi and Hoyer dismissing citizens protesting at town hall meetings as “un-American”).
Say what you will about GM, but Mel’s not bad at all. And the designer of the Solstice is smokin’ hot:
http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/attachments/f13/9441d1171317208-vicki-vlachakis-acclaimed-solstice-designer-vicklvlachakis.jpg
http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2007/02/medium_388111633_6c3a4c1458_o.jpg
Boy this isn’t the paranoid GM that I grew up with. Somehow, I don’t see Tom Murphy’s GM putting up a web page like that ( after all those bullies over at Ford might piece together something).
Is it out of the ordinary to have a corporate page link to what is apparently an employee’s personal blog? I’m not really into blogging but I would think that is not very common.
@gordonjs:
I’ve heard the ‘too many chiefs, not enough Indians’ joke regarding almost all large companies, so to say that GM is any better or worse than others, who knows, but I can assure you that they seem no different than any company I’ve ever known of that size.
I would say GM was absolutely managed worse than most other large companies. As evidence, I point to the fact that they went Chapter 11, it was the fourth largest bankruptcy filing in US history, and the only reason they weren’t liquidated was because of the government.
Not to mention the same inept, wayward crew that led them into C11 in the first place was left in charge, gets a steady paycheck, and is being allowed to screw up all over again.
Once Coca-Cola, Ford, Sony, BNSF, and other corporations start declaring bankruptcy, I’ll give GM back the benefit of the doubt. As of right now, they are one of the worst managed large companies in history.
Management is always quick to take the praise for projects regardless of how much work they actually took part in. I for one think it’s wonderful to showcase an engineer, not a manager, that is actually doing the work, day in and day out.
I like it too. Maybe they could go and do a “Faces of GM” video over with a worker at Wilimington Assembly or Willow Run. Oh, wait. That’s right- never mind.
It’s not really out of the ordinary because it IS apparently an employee’s personal blog.
It is a very real blog, I can assure you. And I can assure you that the Mel that is posting is the Mel referred to in this video.
@ajla
Ford wasn’t far from it, and while I’m playing somewhat of devil’s advocate here (I fully agree that GM didn’t help itself much over the last 20 years or so) I also believe that the market just MAY have had something to do with it? Just maybe? I don’t think it’s coincidence that GM files the same year that toyota records it’s first annual loss in the history of the company. Sure, GM was already on thin ice and this was the straw that broke the camels back, but the car companies (all of them) haven’t had it easy the last few years due to a rapidly changing market, much more rapidly changing than a design cycle of a vehicle. As having done work for GE in the past, I can assure you of the same level of mismanagement. Same with Boeing.
And I’m still not sure what ‘upper level management’ has ANYTHING to do with this blog piece, for that matter. Why does every conversation about GM turn into the inevitable ‘upper level mismanagement’ comment? As if this engineer is going to be able to change that. Do what you can with what you have, right? I’d like to see, for once, an intelligent comment regarding something related to GM without either A) A statement about ‘the management’ or B) Complaints about the unions. I’m neither, for the record, and will keep to myself my personal feelings of BOTH of those topics, HOWEVER, there IS more to GM than management and unions.
As for the Wilmington Assembly, I think that the unions have plenty of representation and exposure…
@gordonjs:
You’re point about not contributing anything substantive is good one. However, I would have made the same comment if Mel was a guy.
While a few words not capitalized isn’t really a big deal, especially on the Internet, she didn’t capitalize a SINGLE word that requires it. A distinct writing style for sure, perhaps more along the line of posting on social network sites. But every time I saw an ‘i’ not capitalized, I was waiting to see ‘lol’ at the end of the sentence.
But you’re right about being a “grammar Nazi” so this will be the last time I’ll bring it up. But this makes me wonder, perhaps the whole point of poor grammar was to distract some of the public just enough (like me apparently) to pay less attention on a more critical issue… Would the volt be worth it to me when my 1997 Prizm dies?
Aww heck, Mel’s got a cooler job than mine, so I wish her well.
At least she’s consistent. :)
The questions of the Volt would obviously be bias from me, as I am involved with the program as well. From a business perspective, I questions the decision myself. It’s much easier to change some body work, update some stuff here and there, and place a car on the showroom floor and sell it. Cars haven’t made leaps much in the last 50 years. Sure, they get better here and there, but for the most part they are just 4 wheels, an engine with some pistons, and a transmission. Little tweak here, little tweak there, new model year car! This isn’t just GM, mind you, it’s ALL auto manufacturers.
The Volt is a giant departure,for better or worse, from that stable (albeit archaic) platform with incremental changes. GM must have known that it was going to be a rocky road, and it is. I actually commend GM for taking the risk. It’s almost as if GM said “we can sit here and sell cars all day, but lets try something new and innovative”. Yes, I see the irony in the statement I just made since they obviously had issues with selling ‘cars all day’, but lets look past that for a minute. I don’t know, I feel as if GM took a risk. Was it the best choice for the company? I can’t answer that, and anyone that claims to be able to over a year BEFORE the car is released is a fool, but I think SOMEONE needed to take the leap.
If I went to boeing.com and poked around enough, it would not out of the ordinary to find a link to Rosie the Riveter’s personal blog? Right from the corporate Mother Ship. Wow.
I don’t see my employer doing such a thing. If they did the poor blogger would have to submit each post to legal and information development for review. For sure corporate cultures are different but it still suprises me that this practice would commonly occur.
Of course this has nothing to do about automobile’s so I’ll drop it from here.
@gordonjs:
And I’m still not sure what ‘upper level management’ has ANYTHING to do with this blog piece, for that matter.
It was Dr. Fox that opened this door.
First, she is quoted as writing the following: “i have been very lucky to develop good relationships with new people and seasoned veterans, and to be able to learn from and work together them in this very exciting industry!!” I took the term “seasoned veterans” to mean the GM bigwigs. If she didn’t mean it that way, then my mistake.
Second, Dr. Fox wrote: “perhaps this forum should provide GM some advice on how to run a global automotive corporation.” Now, I’m sure she didn’t actually care to here from us (after all I was just a lifelong Pontiac loyalist and GM customer until April 27, 2009, who cares what I think?). Still, I decided to humor her request anyway. Because I think Lutz (whom I’ve had the misfortune of meeting), LaNeve, and Docherty are all bad at their job and firing them would help GM, I brought them up.
As for the Wilmington Assembly, I think that the unions have plenty of representation and exposure…
Wilmington closed because GM couldn’t build a roadster that had a useable trunk, good transmission, and an easy to use top. Everyone there lost their job. It’s a sad situation.
And, before someone else says it, I’ll guess that someone will bring the tax dollar aspect into this, questioning why GM is taking a risk such as the Volt with possibly no fiscal gain.
Since when did we expect our tax dollars to go towards things that would be fiscally profitable?!
Don’t misconstrue me, I am not taking a sideswipe at government spending. I’m simply suggesting that our tax dollars go towards many things such as healthcare, education, defense, etc, that aren’t designed to turn a profit. They are designed to help the citizens and to benefit the overall image and welfare of the nation.
So, with that in mind, does spending tax money to build libraries turn a profit? No, of course not. Does spending tax money on the coast guard turn a profit? No, of course not. So why do we all of a sudden feel as if all the vehicles that GM makes (now that it’s being funded partially by tax dollars) need to turn a profit? Is a vehicle that has some technological and environmental gain not enough? I guess it depends on how you measure the value of your tax dollar. There is no right answer.
Yes, GM is taking a risk. But they’ve been willing to do before. The EV1 cost them 2 billion, correct? I’m curious to know how much of the knowledge of the EV1 has helped them now? Perhaps that’s what made them believe that it was a risk worth taking.
@ajla
I do understand your viewpoint. Seasoned veterans don’t necessarily mean upper level management. (I’d even go as far as to make the joke that they usually aren’t)
As for the wilmington plant, I now understand the context of your original comment. (I missed it by a long shot first time around!) It is unfortunate, and it’s not just the plants being effected. There are plenty of engineers and other white collar workers that have been laid off as well. Times are very different and one can only hope that lessons are learned from mistakes made. I’m sure anyone could be quick to say that WON’T happen, but there are enough young and innovative people I see on a daily basis to give hope.
@gordonjs:
I don’t care if GM never makes a dime on the Volt. Hell, I wanted the G8 to stick around and that was a sure money loser.
However, I do care that GM the Company has at least plans to make some type of profit at some point. It can be on Volts, Tahoes, Corvettes, or whatever.
Wagoner and Fritz didn’t go begging for tax money by claiming they’d be a government ward forever.
_________________________________
Anyway, I think I’ve exhausted my enthusiasm for this topic.
Best of luck to you and Dr. Fox on the Volt project. If she’s pissed, let her know I didn’t mean anything personally with my sexual harassment comment- I just don’t like Lutz. I’m personally done with new GM vehicles for good, but if you folks do a good job on the Volt it should keep lots of people employed.
If the new blood at GM is a bright and innovative as you say they are, hopefully they can one day take the company back from the useless lifers that currently run the show.
@samspamshir
From what I understand (and I am no expert on this by any means) the EV1 was less of a risk and more of a need. California (CARB) was requiring all auto manufacturers to make Zero emissions vehicles. So while I’d love to say that GM went out on a limb for the EV1, I can’t. I think it was purely to meet legislative requirements. When the requirements were ultimately dropped, so was the EV1. Seems logical to me, the technology just wasn’t there yet to make it cost effective. GM is banking on the idea that it is now.
That’s the part that unfortunately gets overlooked in most of this. My previous employment was regarding environmental emissions testing and requirements (not for an auto manufacturer). Honestly, without being too politically incorrect, I find it hard to believe that ANY car manufacturer can keep up and comply with the ever changing requirements that come from CARB….
My four cents:
1. I have no idea if “MKR” was actually Dr. Fox. I suspect not. Call it a hunch.
2. I can forgive an occasional misspelling or typo or cutsey use of lowercase. We’re all human! But ongoing and repeated errors make it difficult to read and understand the author’s thoughts. That’s annoying, so in my book it’s okay to complain about this!
3. When the author supposedly has an advanced degree, I have a little higher expectation of them. After all, they have supposedly “been through the mill,” having learned proper fact-checking and presentation. We can all make the world a better place if we bookmark (and use) http://www.dictionary.com!
4. It’s also annoying for somebody to yell “grammar nazi” or “spelling nazi” in a crowded forum, especially if the person who made the observation was reasonable (see my above comment regarding “ongoing and repeated errors”). While good grammar offers no assurance of honesty or forthrightness, I think it’s reasonable to suspect that bad grammar came from somebody who is not what they claim to be.
P.S. “Mel” is good looking.
P.P.S If she is indeed an engineer for GM, I hope for her sake that the batteries are successful.
But I doubt they will be; though not necessarily through any fault of hers. The GM corporate bureacracy will guarantee failure, but won’t pay the price for that failure. That’s why they have engineers…
Zoom Zoom, again I can assure you that it is the real Mel. Why she didn’t capitalize the letters, I don’t know, but is that honestly what we’re going to discuss in length here? It’s a bit childish, don’t you think? Not to mention a little late in the discussion at this point.
And why do you doubt the batteries will be successful? Jumping on the upper management bandwagon as so many of your constituents have done? Well played, but not very original.
As long as remnants of the old-guard management remains in place, the following statement shall continue to apply:
“Nobody dishes the excrement propaganda like GM”
GM still thinks that someone, somewhere, will spend $40,000 to save money on gas.
I feel sorry for Mel – she seems genuinely convinced that the Volt will be successful.
If Toyota makes the Prius plug-in capable (as the enthusiasts already have done), then it’s game over for the Volt.
It appears that Toyota is working on it:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4227944.html
-ted
I feel sorry for you, Ted, that you feel as if you can predict the success or failure of a vehicle over 12 months before it is released.
I don’t think that GM will have a problem selling the production numbers of the Volt. While it may be a somewhat niche market, there are enough trend setting early adapters that will be up for it.
As for the Prius plug-in, while it is a very cool vehicle as well, it’s very different than the Volt. If I remember correctly (and I could be wrong) the Prius plugin will still use an ICE intermittently throughout the drive cycle (highway speeds, acceleration, etc) and has a MUCH smaller battery capacity (5-10 miles all electric) In your OBVIOUS expert opinion, I fail to see how that would indicate ‘game over’ as you say, for the Volt. To make the assumption that anything toyota sells in this market will be instantly a hit, and anything that GM sells (even with, in this case, much better specs) will fail is baffling.
Ms. Fox is definitely quite good looking and apparently quite brainy as well. She is a very good spokeperson for GM.
Of course the underlying reason she is in the video is to find someone who looks like the market GM would like to get back: Young, white, educated, upwardly affluent, eco-concerned. Those people buy Prius or Civic.
My opinion is that the Volt technology may price itself out of the market in the short-medium term. GM doesn’t have a great history of execution and I’m not convinced that being financially unstable will bring out the best in them.