Chevrolet Volt May Be Swan Song for GM’s Lutz
December 12, 2007
DETROIT -- Robert Lutz, General Motors vice chairman for global product development, says he may
make the Chevrolet Volt his swan song.
The 75-year-old Lutz, who is credited with GM’s product renaissance, told reporters this week that he wants to retire GM after the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is introduced, around 2010.
Often heard ranting about the ridiculous of global warming and a pooh-pooher earlier on of hybrids like the Toyota Prius, Lutz has done somewhat of an about-face. He sees plug-in electric vehicles like the Volt as a paradigm shift in the auto industry.
After the success of the Prius, Lutz publicly admitted GM “missed the boat” on hybrids. But he sees electric vehicles like the Volt as a better, more economic solution to environmental issues than hybrids.
“My belief is that we are on the cusp of a real shift in automotive technology," he said in a speech last summer. "To meet ever more stringent fuel economy and emission requirements, conventional engines, including diesels, are going to get more and more and more expensive.’
Further, customers won't be willing to pay for what the new technology truly costs, Lutz said. "We're getting to the point of a paradigm shift where electric vehicles, like the Volt, are going to be a more economic, better solution for the ennvironment than petroleum-powered engines."
Lutz has been in the auto industry for more than four decades, including a GM stint in those early days. He held executive positions with Ford and BMW, including ones in Europe. He was vice chairman of Chrysler in the Lee Iacocca days, but left for battery maker Exide Technologies Inc., when Bob Eaton, who later negotiated the Daimler purchase of Chrysler, was promoted to chairman -- and Lutz was not.
Lutz was hired – again -- by GM in Sept. 2001 to breathe life into GM’s product design and engineering ranks. Product development had been running a distant second to marketing with Ron Zarrella, the ex Proter & Gamble marketer, in charge of GM’s North American operations. Zarrella left GM when Lutz came onboard.
Lutz has not set a retirement date, but told reporters he’ll stick around as long as his health holds up and GM CEO Rick Wagoner and the GM board will have him.
Photo by GM
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz unveils the Chevrolet Volt concept at the 2007 Detroit auto show.
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 6:02 AM under GM , Personalities | Comments (5) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
If Bob is going to retire when the Volt comes out I estimate he will be 82-84.
Posted by: Dennis | December 12, 2007 at 1:22 PM
That's pretty funny, Dennis.
But seriously, Bob Lutz has got to be the closest thing the auto industry has to Clive Davis. He has proven himself to be the ultimate taste maker, green-lighting many more hits than misses.
I'm not even going to mention the hits that helped revive the post-K car Chrysler (OK, I will: PT cruiser, the LH's, and Viper), let's just look at the cars and trucks that not-so-coincidentally appeared ~5-6 years after Bob started working for GM:
Malibu/Aura | CTS | Enclave/Acadia/Outlook | Escalade/Tahoe/Silverado/Sierra | G8 | Camaro
Every single new model GM has introduced represents a vast improvement in design and appeal over their predecessors. His record isn't just good. It's ridiculously good.
Bob Lutz's retirement from GM will leave a mark. He may leave a legacy of excellence, or his departure may prove fatal to GM. Only time will tell.
Posted by: ThriftyTechie | December 12, 2007 at 5:57 PM
Thrifty,
Let me start off by saying that i am a hourly employee at General Motors Fort Wayne IN. truck plant. There is a whole new attitude within the company, and has been there the last couple of years.
With the buy outs and a younger and more enthusiastic workforce we are building world class top quality cars and trucks. The company is designing better and more durable power trains.
That aside i was thrilled to learn of Bob Lutz coming over to GM, i had followed his career for many years, and knew he was a real "car guy" not a soap salesman like Ron Zerella who nearly brand managed GM to death
Bob Lutz knew he was no spring chicken when he went back to work for GM his stated goal was not only to change GM during his tenure but also change the entire culture of GM. The decision making process, getting the process working from the bottom up not just from the top down, so that the next generation of "car guys" and "girls" would take the reigns and keep GM on the cutting edge of automotive design and manufacturing long after his retirement. If present trends continue we will be alright.
Our biggest problem is the anti-American bias a lot of car buyers have about big 3 products.I am a Studebaker collector and historian they suffered a lot of self inflicted wounds in the 50's they overcame long odds and made it into the 60's and did some very good things with very little money, by that time people had given up on them, even though the cars were good and a good value.
GM and the rest of Detroit cannot let that happen to them, people buy their Toyota's and Honda's because that is the thing their neighbors expect them to do. All the while Toyota piles on the recalls and quality defects, and gets taken off CONSUMER REPORTS recommended list while more and more GM cars are added to the list. Wake up Mr. and Mrs. America! Cars are one of the few big ticket items still made here, we cannot maintain a high standard of living selling each other cheeseburgers, and welcoming each other to Wal-Mart to buy Chinese crap that is full of lead!!
We have seen the enemy....and it is us!!
Posted by: Sharky | December 13, 2007 at 12:06 AM
Note to Sharky: I don't mind buying American, but admittedly they are a day late and a dollar short. If Lutz can pull off the Volt and others follow, I will once again jump into the American market. Until then I will take my Japanese and Korean cars with any recall that may come. I am only saying that I will buy American when American makes what I want. I think they call that "supply and demand."
Posted by: knarf | December 13, 2007 at 7:53 AM
Hey Sharky.
You may just want to look at how GM vehicles scored in the CR report. Toy had only three under the average and most of the top scores.
GM? 5 of the worst 6 and over 50% below average. Their best score? The Vibe. Made by guess who. World class?
JDP VDS-over half the divisions scored below the average-some waaaaaaay below.
GM gets the Quality Schizophrenia award. Some good-many awful.
Hey, keep trying, but if others don't buy in please consider that there may be real reasons why we don't.
Posted by: Dennis | December 13, 2007 at 9:48 AM