Douglas Korthof

Battery Wars

GM could make an Electric car right now, and could have made one at any time in the last 30 years.

Sure, GM colluded with Standard Oil of California (Chevron) to suppress Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries; but if GM were FORCED to produce a plug-in car, it would find a way to do so.

GM and the ghost of Chrysler will submit a "survival plan" to the gummint which is supposed to convince somebody.

But GM, and the gummint, is going about it ALL WRONG.

They are not only doomed to failure, they will miss a great opportunity.

Cost-cutting by closing plants and firing line workers has the BAD effect of destroying our manufacturing base. Instead of continuing the process of dismantling itself, GM should be doing a GENUINE restucturing and reorganization, to RETAIN and EXPAND that base, which contains the best workers in the world (contrary to GM's attempt to slander and blame their own workers).

What would that be like?

Well, GM has
too many of the WRONG dealers,
too many of the WRONG white-collar workers,
too many of the WRONG engineers, and
too little accountability.

Because GM has no effective oversight it is running wild (the Board of Directors is dominated by Wagoner, don't care if the stock goes to zero).

GM, and the gummint, must recognize the main problem:

GM IS MAKING THE WRONG CARS.

The solution is obvious, once you recognize the problem: remove the management that committed to making the wrong cars, remove the
engineers who can't build better cars, and start from scratch with new management which has a real interest in making cars that people
can't wait to buy.

Instead of FIRING, GM should be HIRING!!

GM should be retooling for world-class cars, cars that get more than 50 mpg, that are well-engineered, and that last longer than 10 years, cars that have features such as electric motor drivetrain, climate-controlled cabin, a goal of no emissions, and real efforts to PRODUCE such cars.

Instead of what GM's whining, simpering and pouting about all the things that it CAN'T do, it should start doing some of the things that need to be done! Get rid of failures and disgraces like Wagoner, Lutz and the rest of the overpaid, failed execs and bonehead, arrogant managers.

Don't fall into the trap of letting GM continue its "Wagoner-Lutz road to failure".

Require that GM STOP making gas-guzzlers.

STOP paying for for production of the WRONG CARS.

GM must be FORCED to make cars that are in the public interest; they would find out, if they did, that they could make money doing so.

Auto makers should not receive our money unless they make cars that are in the public interest. GM has produced a plug-in car in the
past, but now is stalling and refusing to make plug-in EVs.

Toyota's RAV4-EV is still on the road, last sold in Nov., 2002, and running fine on the same set of batteries for the last 7 years.

GM, and the rest of the Auto Alliance, must be required to make and SELL a plug-in car if they want to do business in America.