Bob Lutz is Opining Again

[suwaneedad]

If Lutz were praising Tesla, his phone wouldn't ring as often from CNBC paying him to appear for another interview.

His bit the other day is the first time I've thought that he's going senile now...the part where he said 'deliveries' just mean Tesla has shipped vehicles to their stores, not sold the cars to the end customers. Tesla clearly defined a 'delivery' in its release, same as ever, as a sale to a customer with completed and correct paperwork. I think Lutz is confusing Tesla for his old Big Three model, where the mfrs jam the dealers with a bunch of metal that is considered 'sold' by the Big Three even though their poor dealers still have to figure out how to get rid of it.

 

[wdolson]

Bob Lutz was on a car chat YouTube show for over an hour recently and while he talked about a bunch of things he was able to talk about Tesla in more than just snippets. He did make the point he likes Tesla's cars, he just thinks the company is poorly run and is critical of their sales model. He thinks Tesla could do better as a division of another car company like Saturn was at GM.

While I believe Tesla is going to do better as a separate company, I do agree that Tesla has some issues with production other car companies solved a long time ago. He does have some valid criticism there.

His criticism of Tesla's sales model is based on an experiment BMW did with direct sales in the 70s or 80s. It failed then so he doesn't think it's viable. Amazon wouldn't have worked anywhere near as well before the internet either.

I do think CNBC does go to him to be the curmudgeon on everything Tesla so he can't say much good about the company there.

 

[AMPd]

Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code deals with municipal corporations, like the City of Detroit. Not sure why you consider yourself a municipal corporation.

Oops means chapter 11

 

[NeverFollow]

Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code deals with municipal corporations,
like the City of Detroit. Not sure why you consider yourself a municipal corporation.

What is Chapter 9 Bankruptcy?

Differences between Chapters 7, 11, 12, & 13

What Is Chapter 14 Bankruptcy?

 

[Nocturnal]

I like Lutz years back due to his passion and being a real car guy. His Tesla comments are just stupid and come across as sour grapes most of the time. Shame.

It is really nuts to crow about taking credit for sales to your dealers. Technically that is a sale you made, but if that car doesn't make it to a customer at a decent profit you are going to feel the pinch the next time you want to sell that car to the dealer.

 

[SO16]

Lutz needs to be reminded how GM lost a 3rd of its value and has to crawl to US taxpayers for a bailout during his tenure.

He conveniently “forgets” that fact.

 

[SO16]

None of the other car companies have moats against the other.

Tesla has the battery production and charging networks and Autopilot. Sure, CR rated supercruise better but for the wrong reason. Monitoring your face is pointless with FSD.

 

[Gingerbaker]

) Superchargers - CCS is touted as the next great thing, but the supercharger network exists today and it's very easy to use. Most current CCS chargers are not very high power, but higher power systems are promised soon. We'll see how well they work for long distance drivers. The other manufacturers are mostly just hoping the market will take care of the charging thing itself and they aren't really worried about it. VW is the only company directly involved in building chargers and that's only because of dieselgate. They wouldn't be doing it either if they didn't have to.

Agreed. The other thing about having your own Supercharger network is that you know they work because you make sure they work. Right now, if you don't have a Tesla, and live outside of California, and want to make a long trip in your BEV, it is a real crapshoot. Not only are there very few high-power chargers, but they often are broken/don't work as they should/work for 30 minutes then mysteriously stop/ are ICE'd in. If you don't own your network, you don't control the chargers your product requires.

 

[SO16]

Agreed. The other thing about having your own Supercharger network is that you know they work because you make sure they work. Right now, if you don't have a Tesla, and live outside of California, and want to make a long trip in your BEV, it is a real crapshoot. Not only are there very few high-power chargers, but they often are broken/don't work as they should/work for 30 minutes then mysteriously stop/ are ICE'd in. If you don't own your network, you don't control the chargers your product requires.

And it sure is nice just plugging in to the supercharger without having to look at a screen on the charger or fiddle with your phone/card to pay when it’s freezing/raining outside.

 

[Fobble]

Lutz reminds me of some retired NFL coaches: they were great in their day but the game changed and they didn’t.

Not sure about the "great in their day" part. He ran GM to the ground.

 

[Electroman]

I do agree that Tesla has some issues with production other car companies solved a long time ago

Really? GM and Audi and BMW produce 20GwH of battery cells? They are mass producing batteries for 300k cars/per year?

Oh, you mean assembling the body during mass manufacturing, the other companies are better? BIG DEAL? It is only a matter of time, maybe by this time next year, Model 3 assembly will be just as smooth as any other auto company.

Can you say that about mass manufacturing of batteries for those dinosaurs ?

 

[mos6507]

Oh, you mean assembling the body during mass manufacturing, the other companies are better? BIG DEAL?

Big deal? People don't like taking ownership of cars with cruddy paint-jobs or having their bumpers fall off in the rain.

 

[Electroman]

It was raining all day yesterday. I was worried after I read your note and so I ran and checked my Model 3. No issues with paint and the bumper is still there. Phew !!

Can you check and tell me how is the battery pack in your BMW M5? Is it holding good?

 

[mos6507]

Lutz needs to be reminded how GM lost a 3rd of its value and has to crawl to US taxpayers for a bailout during his tenure.

He conveniently “forgets” that fact.

Tesla has been close to death as well, and may be inching closer to its own death. So sure, pot calling the kettle black and all, but that doesn't mean Tesla's situation is hunky dory. All it means is you know how to execute an ad hominem/messenger-shooting fallacy.

 

[SO16]

Tesla has been close to death as well, and may be inching closer to its own death. So sure, pot calling the kettle black and all, but that doesn't mean Tesla's situation is hunky dory. All it means is you know how to execute an ad hominem/messenger-shooting fallacy.

Last I checked, Tesla hasn’t filed for bankruptcy.

Your “May this” and “may that” is just speculative. All it means is that you KNOW little.

 

[mos6507]

Last I checked, Tesla hasn’t filed for bankruptcy.
Your “May this” and “may that” is just speculative. All it means is that you KNOW little.

So? People here are crapping on Lutz for laying down one prediction while fanbois offer their own. What's the difference? It might as well be a lot of people arguing over who will win the world series.

 

[SO16]

So? People here are crapping on Lutz for laying down one prediction while fanbois offer their own. What's the difference? It might as well be a lot of people arguing over who will win the world series.

The difference is that Lutz is portrayed as an expert constantly on TV coming from a point of view that he is all knowing. But he has some major skeletons that people let slide.

Anyway, done conversing with you. At least on this site I can easily block you without running a plugin like on the Tesla forums.

 

[outdoors]

Here Bob goes again. Link I can't get, but on CNBC about an hour ago.

"I doubt 500,000 of anything could be sold globally or nationally. For sedan's these days. I would take that with a grain of salt."

"Franchise dealers have been the rule around the world. Nothing works except franchise dealers."

These comments will keep me buying Tesla's till the cows come home.

Mr. Lutz Please stop tarnishing the fine graduates and students at the University of Michigan while you do your CNBC interviews. The interview background makes me cringe everytime I see it.

Nothing more than an:

 

[Barklikeadog]

In a world where almost all the cars they produce are pre-sold, they get their money the same time frame another car maker would, and they are able to make more per car by eliminating the middle man. When demand gets soft (in the distant future when the demand is filled or an economic downturn), Tesla's model becomes more shaky because they don't have the buffer of dealerships other companies have.

Is there really a difference? dealerships buy the vehicles at a small discount, pay interest to ford/gm/etc. the dealer also foots the bill for rent, employees, keeping the lights on, etc etc

 

[NeverFollow]

Here Bob goes again.....

You mean “put out to pasture”...