Adam: Tesla is kicking Detroit's ass
Bob: It hasn't delivered on the Model S yet and even if it does, it's still a small volume luxury car maker.
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Adam: Tesla is kicking Detroit's ass
Bob: It hasn't delivered on the Model S yet and even if it does, it's still a small volume luxury car maker.
I really wish this forum software would have a simply "Like button" without having to use the oft seen +1.
But +1 anyway.
Indeed, he joined the board of plug-in hybrid truck company VIA Motors. Their sales are also insignificant compared to GM (once they start shipping). Yet there he is!
Now I am confused. VIA Motors? Are they part of Chevy as the picture here
VIA Executives Launch VIA Volt Fleet | VIA Motors
suggests it is.
$70,000 for a truck? That's a "Volt"? Did I miss something?
VIA Executives Launch VIA Volt Fleet | VIA Motors
suggests it is.
$70,000 for a truck? That's a "Volt"? Did I miss something?
Well as the old saying goes, They can say anything they want as long as they spell the name right. Tesla and EVs in general are a threat to the old ways. As long as they keep talking about Tesla the attention can only help. I am amazed, not by the attention that my roadster gets, but about how much the people who approach me to comment on it know about the company and the wide range of that demographic.
VIA has a deal where they buy GM trucks directly from GM, remove the transmission, and replace it with a generator and a 400 HP electric motor. The transmission (painted red so it never leaks out to a customer) is shipped back to GM and reused for another VIA truck (they need the transmission installed at GM so they can test the vehicle).
At VIA the gas tank is shrunk and mostly replaced with a large A123 battery pack. Much of the vehicle's electronics and the full dashboard is replaced as well. The user interface is literally an iPad built into the dash.
What you end up with is a plug-in hybrid with significant electric range and the full capability of the original truck, but much higher fuel economy.
Basically, yes, this is a "Volt" version of a truck. They are aiming at fleet operators as their main customers.
Thanks, Doug, for the explanation.
Is it part owned by GM?
You would never get the description you gave me from their web site.
Is it part owned by GM?
You would never get the description you gave me from their web site.
dhrivnak
Active Member
Why the GM bashing??? I have a 2001 Prizm that I passed on to my son and it has passed 140,000 miles and has yet to be back to the dealer. It still has the original brakes. I paid $15,000 for it and it is going strong. Or my 2004 Avalanche with 95,000 miles that has has 1 repair to replace a door in the HVAC system. $65 in repair parts over 8 years.
Both these cars together cost less than a base Model S and have given over 200,000 trouble free miles.
My Roadster costs $1000/year for servicing, (more than I have spent on both GM cars in repairs) and they had to replace broken door sills, headrests that have popped out, a repair on the lumbar support. Again more problems than I have had with BOTH GM cars.
Now I have been happy with Tesla's responsiveness and I give them a pass for bringing VERY innovative technology to market, but to say Tesla is quality and GM builds expensive crap is not looking at the data.
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not looking at your data perhaps.
By objective measures, GM quality was abysmal up until 5 years ago or so. Then it started to improve, but they have to continue to work hard to prove it to people.
I had a Saturn that was being fixed in the shop far more than my Roadster.
And how in the heck did you get 140,000 miles out of any vehicle on one set of brakes? I am seriously impressed if you aren't just pulling our legs.
dhrivnak
Active Member
My Avalanche is also still on its original brakes with 95,000 miles. Now it helps that I live in a small city with little stop and go traffic. Since I live 2 miles from work and often ride my bicycle the miles are mostly highway miles. I finally had to put brakes on my Caravan at 105,000 miles so we are easy on them as a family.
My second son had a 85 Buick and I was not impressed with the quality on that car. But the Prizm and Avalanche I have been very pleased with. Now I have maintained the cars with oil changes every 5000 miles or so nad transmission fluid and filter at 30,000 but doing that myself it is not much cost or time.
My second son had a 85 Buick and I was not impressed with the quality on that car. But the Prizm and Avalanche I have been very pleased with. Now I have maintained the cars with oil changes every 5000 miles or so nad transmission fluid and filter at 30,000 but doing that myself it is not much cost or time.
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Was it the Saturn wagon? If so, that was built in Delaware, the plant that Fisker bought. Maybe it's jinxed. :tongue:
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bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
Maybe the grammar forum?
You HAVE to look the other way ... 1) you'll go crazy trying to correct everything, and/or, 2) 50% or better of the forum will be filled with posts from people correcting others.
Neither outcome is good.
You HAVE to look the other way ... 1) you'll go crazy trying to correct everything, and/or, 2) 50% or better of the forum will be filled with posts from people correcting others.
Neither outcome is good.
I've given up on the loose vs. lose thing, but since brakes are automotive related and this is an automotive related forum it seemed reasonable. We have people going to great lengths to distinguish other automotive terminology (chargers, inverters, batteries vs. cells vs. packs, etc). Hell, someone spent a bunch of posts trying to convince me of a nuance on "degrade" vs "damage".
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
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