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Former GM Exec Bob Lutz Comments On ‘Colossal Mistake’ Of America’s EV Push

General Motors, like the rest of the auto industry, is betting big on electric vehicles, with plans to fully transition to an all-electric lineup by the 2035 timeframe. Of course, the shift isn’t without its critics, with former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz counted among them. According to Lutz, the EV transition is a “colossal mistake,” with the former vice chairman pointing to high pricing and slow charging as major hurdles to mass adoption.

Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz criticizes the EV transition.

Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz

In a recent interview with Fox Business, Lutz shared his seasoned insights into the burgeoning electric vehicle market. Unsurprisingly, his commentary was sharply critical of what he perceives as the auto industry’s overly ambitious push towards full electrification.

“The idea of EVs, gradually, adoption over time, with ever longer battery range, ever quicker recharge time, so that over the next couple of decades, EVs take a bigger and bigger slice of the pie, that’s fine,” Lutz said. “But trying to get it done overnight was a colossal mistake, and it just plain is not going to work.” Lutz also pointed out that the internal combustion engine has been perfected over 125 years, whereas modern electric vehicle technology has only been around for about 15 years.

Lutz also had a few complimentary remarks for EVs: “Electric vehicles are fun, they drive well, they’re silent, they’re fast.” Additionally, Lutz said that electric vehicles have fewer moving parts and that electric vehicle braking systems are, in general, more durable. Nevertheless, he questioned whether consumers would be eager to give up their ICE-based vehicles and everything associated with them.

“Tesla and many other electric vehicles nowadays, as far as design, road behavior and so forth, there is nothing wrong with it. It’s just that the American public is stubborn, and they happen to like gasoline engines. It’s just a question of convenience and infrastructure,” Lutz said.

Lutz also connected the broader cultural and political landscape to the adoption of EVs, observing that the electric vehicle debate is now “politically charged” and often aligns with broader political identities, likening the pushback on electric vehicles among conservatives to similar rhetoric regarding Second Amendment gun rights.

Broadly speaking, the auto industry does appear to be changing tack on the EV shift. Cadillac, for example, recently changed its strategy and announced revisions to its 2030 all-electric ambitions, and now aims to offer a mix of internal combustion and electric vehicles around the 2030 time frame, catering to diverse market demands and reflecting a more measured approach to electrification.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. 2 things are important here. One, the Lemming Effect, where one does something and all must follow (also applicable to a bunch of other automotive issues like design and fake supplier shortages), and two, Joe’s irrational push to EVs, are in play here.

    Reply
    1. Pay no attention to the world’s largest car market, China, or all those crazy Europeans. Just put your American head in the sand.

      Reply
      1. Or continue to shed massive amounts of market share in your home base of America….

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      2. I won’t because in an authoritarian country like China, what the one man at the top of the government says, goes. And the people better comply or else. If tomorrow they decide everyone should drive only red cars, you better start getting acquainted to the color red. That fortunately, doesn’t work in this country.

        Reply
        1. Norway, they are not Chinese and they live in the cold and drive AWD EVs.

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          1. Norway, like the rest of Europe, has a well developed public transit system and car ownership is more of a luxury than a necessity. Unlike the US, where the automobile is a necessity unless you live in NYC or Chicago. And not to mention, they, like China, incentivizes EV ownership while penalizing ICE ownership. So those wealthy Nords who can afford the EV buys them. The rest of the working class are forced to take public transit or ride their bicycles.

            Reply
        2. Does not work that way in China , or any sophisticated ” Autoritarian ” County.
          They must respond to people & businesses needs.
          Anyone think the powers running the West don’t impose themselves , through ” freedom “.
          But of course Trump isn’t above the law ?
          That’s ok .

          Reply
      3. As for the Europeans, don’t worry about them. The Chinese EVs will land up decimating their auto industry in no time with their dumping tactics. So those crazy Europeans better treat this seriously.

        Reply
  2. “The American public is stubborn, and they happen to like gasoline engines”

    We don’t happen to “like” gas/diesel, as much as we like to stick with proven things that work.

    I’ll drop ICE in a minute when something better establishes and proves itself. That something isn’t here yet. And in NO way will I accept being forced into something that isn’t ready.

    Reply
    1. Bob Lutz should speak for himself. Exactly how you said. I’m not stubborn. The replacement technology has to be better in every single way. I happily switched out all my incandescent lamps for LEDs because LED is better in every single way. Brighter, unlimited flexibility in colors, far more energy efficient, little to no waste heat, and last much longer for a higher price (although now you can get a nice 6 pack of 60W equivalents for $4 at Home Depot). Same with flat screen TVs when they replaced CRTs. But I am sorry to say, EVs are in no way better than ICEs in every single way other than 0-60 times and supposedly environmental impact which is at the bottom of most buyers lists. I am being told to spend more for less range, unproven durability of the batteries, a heavier car, longer to refuel, and, as per recent articles comparing the Lyriq and Blazer EVs to their ICE counterparts, apparently on par or higher cost of ownership. So until these cars get to a point where there is literally zero advantage to owning an ICE, I have zero interest in the new technology. New tech should be a step forward in how we live with them. Not a step backwards.

      Reply
      1. <>
        The car is no heavier than a 3 or 5 series BMW. So erase that thought you were taught by someone that has a bone to pick with EV’s. Consumer reports just came out naming Tesla the lowest cost car to maintain on average. Better in everyway? My car and drive me home while I watch it do so. This comes in handy when its been a long day. Range, most can handle well over 200 miles without stopping some over 300 but I usually don’t need to go 300 before I stop. The sound is quiet and the car is quick and drives better than most since the center of gravity and weight is low and in the middle. No more nose diving when you turn.
        There are stats on EV range and how long batteries last but I am sure you checked into that already, they are good. It is a stop forward and NOT backwards. I am sure you love $5 gas when someone in the middle east sneezes because you think its forward. If your really worried about range get a Lucid. What a road tripper.

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        1. Get a Lucid if I want a highway car? Works great if I’ve got a $100k+ to spend on one. I can get better range from an Accord hybrid for $35k. I have no problems with people desiring and purchasing EVs. The zealots just need to understand that they aren’t for everyone.

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          1. The base model is 69k, they have a model in a price range for people who can afford to buy them.

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            1. For a lot of people $69k is out of their budget. As noted you can get a nice family car for $34k (not a stripper) that has a 500 mile highway range and more in town. Hard to duplicate in an EV.

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              1. So on one tank you can get 500 miles out of that Honda? ROFL.

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              2. Bolts don’t cost 35k

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              3. I said for people that can afford to buy them, gas cars operate the same way.

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                1. Lots of cheap used EV’s with low miles. Drive a new Tesla more than once. No hassle showroom. No hassle test drive. You take it out, test it out and see what you think. Used EV’s are very reasonable try one of those.

                  Reply
                  1. I agree.
                    A new model 3 is 38k minus the 7500 incentive.
                    New bolt 26-28k again minus the 7500.
                    Those are affordable and those are new.

                    Reply
            2. Why do we care what Lutz has to say? Wasn’t he one of the people in the driver’s seat leading to their bankruptcy?

              Reply
    2. I’ve been driving EVs for 8 years now. They are just better. Cheaper to operate, low maintenance, quiet, quick, convenient. Never have to deal with gas fumes at a dirty gas station, just quickly plug in when I get home.

      You should try one out.

      Reply
      1. I always tell people once you drive one you’ll always have 1

        Reply
        1. I’ve had several, some on one week tryouts. Still not in one.

          Reply
          1. Sure you have

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  3. Cost and charging is not an issue anymore. There are plenty of gas cars that are more expensive than electrics and most homes can charge for a low cost and overnight. As for those who have no garage, just charge where you would get gasoline.

    Electric cars are here to stay, and for ever!

    Reply
    1. Agreed

      Reply
    2. “just charge where you would get gasoline.”

      You prepared to spend hours at your local gas station?

      Reply
      1. It’s really “charge where you park” which is meant to portray that level 2 chargers should be available practically everywhere you drive (like parking lots in malls, home improvement stores, and work). So plugging in while you go about your business likely gets you more power than you used to get there.

        In larger localities, there are also hundreds, if not thousands, of locations where you can actually charge for free — and businesses are quickly installing infrastructure to attract customers with complimentary charging while you shop. I don’t recall any gas stations ever doing that.

        Reply
        1. Level 2 as a mass adoption strategy is a failing idea.
          Housing changes at a slow rate. All will never have garaging.
          Businesses parking is often too precious to encourage loitering with chargers.

          Reply
      2. Hours? Who spends hours charging? Maybe you own a GM product that takes forever. For most people its under 30 minutes at a fast DC charger. There is one in my Target parking lot or Meijer foods. You park plug in and before you get out your full or almost full. Hours is not a thing unless you are talking the Bolt which was horrible charging. Plus if you don’t drive over a 100 miles a day you should not need to charge that often so you can plan it out. Most people that drive under 40 a day should only be charging once a week.

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        1. Fast chargers help, but they aren’t always available because someone is charging their vehicle or the charger is out of service. Depending on where you are going finding an available/working fast charger can be a challenge. I don’t own an EV, but I have friends that do and they have started leaving the EV at home if they are going to be traveling any distance. Once again, great for around town and commuting, not much of a road car unless you have a large budget to start and can stand the depreciation on the back end. The depreciation curves may get better as people become more acquainted with the technology, but for now, it’s pretty brutal.

          Reply
          1. I remember normal days when all cars lost huge as soon as you left the show room floor. That said, i drive tesla across the country no charge issue at all. The broken charges are an EV America thing. Tesla has high up time. Worst issue I had was when the chargers were full once. Most of the time is pull up pluggin and charge.

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            1. Me 2 and it’s really that easy, people hear 1 thing jump on it and everybody repeats it, it’s actually weird that adults do that.

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          2. Must be where you live. I drive mine daily for years now anywhere I want and never ever have trouble finding a charger in the event I even need 1.

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    3. Almost completely agree with you.

      For the NON Home charging capability customers, way more suburban charging is most definitely needed.

      Reply
    4. I haven’t seen that many gas stations with EV charging facilities. My daughter’s roommate made the mistake of purchasing a Tesla even though their apartment complex didn’t have any charging stations. So she got up early to join the line of EV owners charging before work. EVs are fine as long as you have a home charging system and you plan to use it primarily around town. Otherwise, IMHO, they have a ways to go.

      I see hybrids as a nice transition option.

      Reply
      1. The line? Where does she live NY or Ca? Lines don’t exist in IL and Tesla can even tell you where to go to avoid such stuff. How far does she drive daily? It matters because you can drive that car much farther than you need in a week. I charge while shopping for food. Its really no big deal.

        Reply
    5. Most existing gas stations don’t have the space for cars that take over an hour to refill, nor the facilities for customers during that time.

      Reply
      1. Again no one sits for an hour to charge. Why would you? It doesn’t take that long to charge.

        Reply
        1. Depends on the car and the charger. But in any event, it takes more than the 5 minutes it takes to fill up an ICE vehicle. I don’t even go to gas stations where the pumps runs too slow, so I’m not going to wait around for an EV to charge. When they finally make an EV I want to buy I’ll take another car if it is a trip out of a single charge range for my EV.

          Reply
  4. It’s insulting to say people are “stubborn” for not spending $50k on untested EVs. Car companies are stubborn for pushing them and not listening to the consumers who have gone through a Great Recession, a global pandemic, and heightened inflation. Give them a break and stop blaming people when your products don’t sell. I say this as someone who is willing to adopt an EV when the time is right.

    Reply
    1. Are they pushing them on you? Blazer, Equinox, Silverado, Sierra, Escalade all have ICE versions. Only the Lyriq is unique. Seems like they are giving you a choice.

      Reply
      1. While I agree with what you wrote, I think Richard P was also commenting on price (not to support his “untested” comment). For example, the upcoming Equinox EV will not be available in the base trim until later in the year. To the extent GM cannot meet initial demand, perhaps that is understandable.

        Reply
      2. Yes, they are. Those ICE versions are available now, but they are threatening to quit making them in the near future. So, the choice is there today, tomorrow may be a different story. Lutz and a lot of people here are correct. Let the market take care of it. As electric cars become better, they will earn a bigger share of the market, “earn” being the concept that makes sense. It may turn out that electric is a short term stop gap before the next step in technology. We’ll see.

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        1. I consider Hybrid to be a stopgap, and an unattractive one given you still have an ICE engine to service, and one that may not run enough to remain healthy (particularly for plug-in).

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      3. Of course Bob is right. The public has already decided. Some of the grey poupon toadies ion this site are not representative of actual customers. The only thing that will happen is the incentives will eventually fall off and the toadies will be left with a useless dead battery. Some of the folks commenting need to get a clue about reality. Nobody is buying these in a free market. China is not a free market. Coal fired power plants everywhere in China powering these EVs. Very green.

        Reply
        1. If “nobody is buying these in a free market” why is the Model Y the best selling car in the world?

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    2. The time will never be right if the fossil fuel industry has their way. And they have a lot of clout. They push for people like Lutz to influence consumers against EVs. When Ford and his contemporaries came out with ICE vehicles they didn’t say the infrastructure isn’t ready so will wait ten years. They pushed forward and it worked out. We can do the same here.

      Reply
      1. Fine. Not everyone wants to be an early adopter. Once again, let the market decide. People are smart, they will do what is best for them. Believe it or not, there are also plenty of people pushing folks to buy EVs and turning them against ICE cars.

        Reply
    3. 38K with the rebate for a long range Model Y. Nice car. Quick and no its not 50K. And yes its been tested. Millions of them out there.

      Reply
    4. My guy: Tesla EVs do sell. The Model Y is the best selling car in the world.
      Chevy EVs are mediocre. Ford EVs are better, but they lose multiple thousands on every sale because they don’t know how to build them. VW EVs have terrible software.
      Hyundai? Nice EVs! And they are starting to feel very well, than you very much.

      Bottom line? Good EVs sell. Crappy ones don’t. Not exactly shocking.

      Reply
  5. As someone who has owned eight cars including a diesel, hybrid, PHEV and pure EV, the pure EV is far and away the best to drive. It also costs next to nothing to run since I charge off solar fusion! This is an exciting future we’re already living in–embrace change now as it’s coming either way 🙂

    Reply
    1. Spot-on TimL. I would like to help change our planet for the better and ICE is a big part of this horrible mess we are in.
      Hell, even China is now leading with more EVs and solar energy, and we need the entire planet to care about our health.
      EVs – and perhaps hydrogen or other alternatives – will soon be cheaper to purchase and maintain. I can’t blame anyone for not spending the high cost to purchase them right now, but quit thinking ICE will be around long or that it is great for you or any of us.
      PS Oil is mostly gone by the end of the 2040s

      Reply
      1. PS Oil is mostly gone by the end of the 2040s

        That’s what they said in the 70s and the 80s. Turned out, not so much.

        I’m just a little curious about whether the EV folks want the oil industry to be gone or just want to stop burning fossil fuels in our vehicles.

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      2. Used price of EV’s make them a huge bargain. Costs next to nothing to fuel, nothing to maintain and go like the wind.

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        1. A huge bargain for everyone other than the original owner, I guess.

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          1. True, guys like me are taking the hit but if it makes the world a better place Im ok with it. Over the next 5 years they are going to be cheaper stil wiping out any reason for ICE.

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      3. “PS Oil is mostly gone by the end of the 2040s”

        Gasoline might be in sunset by the end of the 2040’s.
        Diesel fuel, jet fuel, and plastics aren’t going anywhere for at least the next century.

        Hydrogen by itself is too nasty and impractical to work with, esp. in consumer products which need to be foolproof. NASA and industry are one thing, a continent of personal vehicles are entirely another.

        Reply
        1. Aviation is going to SAF which is based on biofuels in the short term, and hybrid and batteries in the longer term as the battery tech gets better energy density. Long haul flights like over seas might always be hybrid. But not burning fossil fuels. This shift in aviation will mostly be done by 2050.

          Plastics can also be made from bio-sources. Although we really ought to get rid of single use plastic crap except for necessary things like medical care and critical industrial and infrastructure needs.

          The toughest one and one of dirtiest to address are the large shipping marine vessels.

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    2. How much did those solar fusion panels cost you?

      Reply
      1. What’s the ROI on an ICE car? Just buying something because it’s better or the right thing to do doesn’t have to have a monetary return.

        Reply
        1. “Better or right thing to do”? That’s an opinion and not part of an economic strategy. There isn’t much ROI on any form of transportation except for collector vehicles and work vehicles. But it’s not accurate to say I fuel my EV for free after $30k -$50k was invested in solar panels to make that possible. Unless you like in the southwest or somewhere with very expensive electricity, solar panels and battery systems rarely pay out.

          Reply
    3. For the most part they drive fine. They are expensive and time consuming to refuel. There is a lot of concern about resale value. Range is also an issue.

      For less than $35k you can purchase a Honda Accord Hybrid that gets around 50 mpg in town and around 40 on the highway, for a highway range of almost 500 miles. Should take less than 5 minutes to fill for another almost 500 miles. Nice car, handles and rides well, gets great mileage. Hard to find an electric car in that price range that will give you that level of range and comfort. Pretty much no range anxiety with this one.

      Reply
      1. There are hundreds of used EV’s at that price point and below for sale right now.

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        1. That’s due to low demand, I still see very few on the road in my 60 mile daily commute.

          Reply
          1. Depends on where you live. Lots of EVs around here.

            But due to plentiful hydropower (80%) wind and solar (10%) and nuclear ( ~10%) electricity is cheap. And we have some of the most expensive gas in the country (currently about $5/gal).

            I save about $2,000/yr in fuel cost.

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        2. Not new.

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      2. My Tesla was cheaper than your Accord by over $5000.00 and it came with 6 months of free supercharging. With that free charging I was able to take a trip that totaled over 2400 miles in a week of problem free driving and charging. The long distance charging problem isn’t one when you have a reliable charging network to rely on. At home it charges in my garage so every morning I have the equivalent of a full tank of fuel and I never have to touch a stinky pump and pay for expensive gasoline or diesel. It never ceases to amaze me how often people will argue to stick with something so overly complex and prone to failure as the internal combustion engine. Look I’m a gear head at heart, my Model 3 shares a garage with a motorcycle and a Miata and I maintain four other ICE family vehicles mostly myself with my own tools so I know my way around an engine bay. The fact is right now is a great time to get into an EV, yes some of them are expensive but not all of them are, especially when you consider how much the ICE manufacturers have jacked up their prices the past few years. I get it there are those that will want to stick with what they know and won’t be convinced otherwise. The Accord is a fine choice but that also doesn’t mean an EV isn’t a good alternative. If you do your homework and talk to actual EV owners you will find we aren’t all tree huggers trying to take away your ICE vehicles, we own those too for now. The fact is, while the ICE has come a long way in 125 years it’s still a relatively mediocre experience for the person maintaining and owning the vehicle.

        Reply
        1. Agreed. I’ll always own an EV, not even a hard decision.

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        2. It must be something of a hard decision for a lot of people, the cars are selling, just not nearly in the numbers that the manufacturers hoped they would. Not too easy to find a new Tesla with almost 500 miles highway range that will seat four people comfortably for $34k. They may be out there, I just haven’t seen them. I have no beef with EV owners, I just don’t want the cars rammed down my throat. I get rules from the Feds and evangelizing from the owner group, or would be owner group. EVs are fine if you want one. I don’t want one now, and until I see how the technology and charging systems grow, I’m not sure when that will happen.

          From what I read, it appears that the exclusive Tesla charging stations won’t remain that way for long. Which is kind of a bummer for the folks that bought in thinking they had an exclusive system.

          Reply
  6. I’ve been seeing a lot of Teslas on the side of the road lately. And I’m not just saying that. Not sure about the reliability aspect.

    I also don’t like the reliability in extreme cold as some who lives in a climate where it gets to below 0 degrees (F) on occasion in the winter.

    I also don’t like the road tripping aspect of having to find charging stations.

    However, I love the cleanliness compared to ICE cars driving everywhere. I also love that I can simply plug in at home overnight and never go to gas station, but this for now is only for local driving and daily commuting.

    Reply
    1. EVs are highly reliable in cold weather. However, their range is reduced, just like that of ICE vehicles. The main issue with EVs in the winter is that since they don’t produce that much heat (unlike ICE), they have to make heat, which takes energy from the battery, thus reducing their range. For an ICE vehicle, heat is just a byproduct of its inefficiency.

      You can reduce energy loss by keeping your vehicle plugged in and preheating it while it is plugged in. Granted, that assumes you have the ability to charge it at home.

      Reply
    2. I’ve had zero issues in cold weather and the charging stations are built into the app, you don’t have to “find” a charger. Tesla on the side of the road… can’t text and drive.

      Reply
      1. Well, saw a lot of them in, I believe, Chicago a few months ago sitting in a snow filled parking lot being pushed around by cold people hoping that the batteries would be warm enough to take a charge. Didn’t look like much fun to me.

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    3. Nice anecdote. I see a bunch of old junker ICE vehicles on the side of the road too.

      I’ve even helped a stranded motorist that ran out of gas by giving them a ride in my EV to the gas station.

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  7. I would say that time has passed Mr. Lutz by. He was the GOAT during his tenure at multiple stops but cannot understand what is happening currently.

    Just like he went on any show that would have him on and state how Tesla will never be successful, I fear he cannot grasp the monumental shift happening in the Auto Industry around the World.

    I would say probably like 70% of drivers have no idea nor do they care about what kind of power-train their vehicle has.
    They only care about the size, the room, efficiency, dependability and most importantly price.

    For those that say slow it down, then enjoy China owning the majority of the World auto Industry in the future….because they are not slowing down!!!

    This is an all out race to save the European and most importantly the American Auto Industry. Very few understand this unfortunately.

    Reply
    1. Agree, but the Chinese EV’s (not that there’s anything wrong with that) are already being imported to the US in the form of Volvo and Polestar vehicles (and that doesn’t count the battery materials in other EV’s that are way more advanced coming from China).

      Reply
      1. @Shaft
        Yes but those are smaller players.
        Once BYD, Geely, and Chery, and maybe the upcoming Onvo brands flood the markets in the USA with much cheaper options, it will be like an avalanche.
        What Toyota and Honda accomplished in 40 years might take Chinese companies 10/15

        Reply
        1. Yes, but my point was that it’s not an “if” — it is already happening. Polestar has sold over 100,000 of those “cars that nobody want’s” (according to some).

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          1. Yep, Polestar and Volvo (as well as ownership in about 100 other brands) are owned by Geely so there’s already a path into the US for their vehicles. All the tariffs and limitations for Chinese-branded vehicles pretty much ignores that, but it’s not like 3/4 of everything else purchased in the US is made anywhere else. Ever bought anything from Amazon?

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            1. Polestar and Volvo cars made in China do have to pay the import tariffs. However, since Volvo has a US factory and they export some cars from there outside the US, they get a tax break that mostly balances out, or so I’ve read.

              Polestar will also soon be building some of their vehicles in the US at the Volvo factory.

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          2. Polestar seems to be slowly growing. Out of approximately 75.3 million cars sold globally in 2023 they sold about 53,000.

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    2. The problem is if they go all EV now, they risk sales going for a dive and potentially lose more customers to the Japanese and Koreans. (And I have long said, once someone ditches GM or Ford for Toyota or Hyundai, they are NEVER coming back). Right now they are trying to not make the mistake they made in 2008 where they only had heavy gas guzzlers while the rest had variety. The bigger and starker trend is that even the Japanese, who I usually see as forward thinkers, are also pacing themselves with this EV transition. I think as long as GM is still investing in the R&D and leaving themselves in a position where they can transition smoothly when ready, they should be ok.

      As for China, you can’t compare their market to ours. What the government says, goes there. The people will quietly comply whether they like it or not. That’s not the case here. And you can see it in Tesla having to slash prices and Lucid and Fisker on the verge of going belly up. They have no ICEs to fall back on.

      Reply
  8. I’ve been wanting to buy an EV for five years, but the products offered have not been at all to my liking. I tend to be picky when it comes to cars, not buying based on body styling, so there are relatively few ICE vehicles I would buy. Shockingly the Bolt was near the top of the list five years ago and a year ago, showing little advancement in the EV offerings over a significant period of time. Price and range are the main concerns for me, along with not having a lot of needlessly annoying tech.

    But I own a home with a garage. If I didn’t, there’s no way would I consider an EV. The charging times are too long to do out of the house. And people without a garage are a huge segment of the buying population.

    Reply
    1. Not sure what you consider too long or why that would stop some. Most people don’t drive far. So a single charge can get them through the week. I drive far so I have to charge and am lucky to be able to at home. I currently have a Tesla and honestly would never ever go back. I had a bolt but it was VERY slow to charge and I hated the seats. So I am enjoying my Tesla and wait for GM to catch up or at least make something decent. The prices before production they announced about the blazer and the equinox I thought were great. Now they are over 10K more and the reviews have been luke warm. Still having issues. Making EV’s is not easy but Tesla sure seems to make it look easy. Their FSD I have been testing is very interesting.

      Reply
      1. The too long comment was about people who can’t charge at home (or work) and have to sit around and wait for it to charge. Personally I consider 10 minutes too long.

        If you charge at home, many people use their car so seldom and for such a short distance, they could slow charge with a 110 volt outlet.

        Reply
        1. Guess my point was most folks only need to charge once a week since you can drive all week on a charge. While charging there is no need to sit, you could go shopping for food at Walmart and charge your car while you ramble around the aisles even if you don’t have the ability to charge at home.
          No need to sit in the car.

          Reply
          1. I’m never at Walmart for anywhere near an hour and only go there maybe 4x a year. So not a solution (ignoring the fact that shopping while you charge costs money).

            Reply
    2. ~2/3 of US households are detached single family homes. And ~2/3 of US households have 2 or more cars. That’s roughly 60 million homes that could easily add at least one EV to their “fleet” without any inconvenience.

      But yeah, lot of people are either misinformed, or just don’t know about EVs, or are waiting for more affordable options or a vehicle in their desired form factor/body style.

      Reply
  9. I don’t think the planet can wait a couple of decades till everything is lined up perfectly. These car guys, like Lutz, are hooked on ICE because, hey there way more fun. But we can’t burn fossil fuels till there exhausted then magically switch over. When ICE vehicles first came along many consumers dismissed them as noisy and unreliable. And the roads weren’t ready. They had gotten used to manure being all over the streets and carrying into their homes on the soles of their feet. The fossil fuel industry is trying to make EVs seem unpalatable as possible so people won’t change.

    Reply
  10. Lutz is a “Car Guy”. Not some low T snowflake Greta-wannabe.
    And it shows .

    Reply
    1. You realize his comments basically support that EVs are the future and superior to ICE, but questions only how fast the transition will be. And his main argument is that it’s a cultural issue that is slowing it down. Not a technological problem.

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  11. Lutz is a luddite. He should start the car with the garage door closed and enjoy his contribution to the world. They should of get him out before he dies. The idea that gas making explosions at an efficiency of less than 30% is the way forward shows how messed up the internals of GM is. Move over and lets move forward. Better batteries are coming and some are already here. The air we and our children breath, let alone the pollution we rain on the crops, lessens dramatically with the elimination of these gas/diesel burning machines. Dump the coal and go nuclear or solar or whatever works best and we will have a much cleaner place for our kids to live. Maybe the fish will be safer to eat with less crap flying in the air into the lakes.

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    1. He basically said ICE has been perfected. So admitting there is no more room for significant improvement in that dying technology. And that EVs are the future. But that unfortunately (probably due to FF industry propaganda and bribing politicians) the transition is going slowly due to “stubbornness” and culture wars.

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  12. Gasoline is obviously way too cheap in the USA. We pay only for the processing, not the creation (from 300 million years ago and they are not making any more on 100 year time scales) nor the pollution. If gas (and all embodied Carbon content) was $7/ gallon via a Carbon fee and dividend, as it is in many other OECD countries, EVs would be much more popular. Save some for later. They are going to need it to grow and distribute food for 11 billion people.

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    1. I guess gold, silver, iron, aluminum, etc., would be way too cheap in the USA as well since we are only paying for the processing not the creation. Together we could probably think of a lot of stuff like that.

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  13. As a retiree, and former automotive engineer, I vividly recall early on in my married life having to make do with a single, but well-maintained and affordable vehicle. I shudder at trying to do that today if the market actually does make the EV transition as my performance expectation was a 400 mile range and a 5-6 minute maximum refueling duration (so we didn’t have to waste our time or our limited funds refueling quite so often). Advise if possible, but does any EV reach that performance standard today, affordability notwithstanding? Of course, we all see the lack of free market acceptability being overwhelmed by the coming governmental mandate.

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    1. Pretty sure if millions of other people can “make do” with the broad range of EV’s available then you probably could too. “Expectations” are a mixed bag of what’s convenient at the time and fueled by limited knowledge of what it is like to live with an EV versus an ICE car. Most people have 2 cars and making 1 an EV will go along way to both helping the planet and advancing (as well as paying for) the technological evolution that will make your expectations a reality. Almost every issue with EV’s stems from battery (or energy storage) technology and it is continually advancing at a rate much higher than any previous timeline of engine development.

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      1. Bob Lutz is part of the head-in-the-sand mentality that is currently in the midst of killing GM. He acknowledges only the bare minimum of EVs’ obvious superiority, just enough to not be pilloried by the press as a curmudgeon.
        Example: In 2019, he said the Tesla Model Y would be a massive failure, and the few sales it would get would be from cannibalizing Model 3 sales. Funny, haven’t heard a word about that from him now that it’s the world’s best selling vehicle.

        Bottom line? He’s one of the last people anyone should consult about the future of the automotive industry.

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    2. Not sure what “free market” you’re talking about. The subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry for decades, and continuing even today dwarf the meager subsidies offered for EV’s. If you care to talk apples to apples, you’re not going to win that argument.

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      1. What oil company subsidies? I guess I missed something. Perhaps you could explain them to me.

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        1. Subsidization of the fossil fuel industry started over a century ago. Some subsidies, like the deduction of Intangible Drilling Costs, were originally put in place in 1916.

          The United States subsidizes the fossil fuel industry with taxpayer dollars. It’s not just the US: according to the International Energy Agency, fossil fuel handouts hit a global high of $1 trillion in 2022 – the same year Big Oil pulled in a record $4 trillion of income.

          US taxpayers pay about $20 billion dollars every year to the fossil fuel industry.

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          1. Fossil fuel companies get pretty much the same deal as any other extractive industry, mining for instance. Depletion is a part of that. It would be pretty much the same rules for lithium and rare earths if we chose to produce them here. Then you could bring to our attention that the EV battery makers are getting subsidized by the government. They get tax deductions just like pretty much any company in America. If you consider that tax deductions are “subsidies”, then every company is America is being subsidized.

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            1. No it’s not. Your premise is we would continue to mine lithium forever except you can recycle it so the need wanes and the cost reduces over time. CATL just announced a 500Wh/kg battery in production with 4C charging.. Thid changes everything. Reduces weight number of cells etc. Don’t have sll the facts but if true ICE is dead in less than 5 years.

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  14. Bob Lutz is so right the cost and unknown of EV’s will drain dollars! The only problem is Mary runs the company for now and loves EV’s! She won’t listen to a retiree.

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    1. There are too many guys who will never retire and thinking that they know what’s the best for the future. Most of them are set for the rest of their lives but they still think that they are irreplaceable as leaders or influencers.

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  15. William so you honestly drive 400 miles a day?
    Are you a truck driver? You can easily drive 200 go home pluggin and and be ready to go again in the morning and save $20 as well. I’ve driven hundreds of miles in my Tesla in a single day. You do stop for lunch? It’s not as perfect as gas but it’s not as polluting either.

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    1. You EV people for that most, if not all the processes of obtaining materials and manufacturing that eventually into parts for your EV , creates a pretty significant amount of pollution. Therefore, they don’t even come close to being green, until someone is driving them!

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      1. The differnce it can be recycled. Can’t recycle gas.

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      2. And what’s the main purpose of a car?? To drive it, it’ll pay for itself in not time.

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      3. Yes and lots of extra fossil fuels are burned to charge those EV’s.

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        1. My electric in IL is nuclear so those smoke stacks only let out nothing but steam. Some places like California are starting to use more and more solar and huge battery banks. Wind is also moving forward. None of these are perfect but beter than coal fired plants

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          1. I’m a nuke fan as well, but the problem is that many of the plants are nearing the end of their design age and it’s almost impossible to get a new permit. The ironic part of that to me is that it appears that the many of the folks that are demanding EVs are also firmly against nuclear power.

            Wind is great as long as it’s blowing. The problem is that wind power is non-dispatchable.

            I agree that coal plants as currently designed are too dirty. It might be that energy costs go up enough that we can afford to really clean-up coal, or perhaps will see some new technology in that area. We have a bunch of it.

            I’d like to see the battery that could run North Texas for 15 minutes on a hot summer’s day in July. They might help in the short term for specific high value locations like hospitals, etc., in case of a brown/black out, but otherwise I have my doubts about that.

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      4. EV s will never be a vehicle that the guys stand around and want to talk about and maybe have a beer. Why EV s are just simply boring , there is no craftsmanship. Help my EV isn’t keeping a charge like it use too,oh just scrap it, isn’t worth keeping. It is your choice ,l hope so

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        1. I don’t want to stand around any vehicle with a beer and just stare at it and people say a car is boring, is it supposed to entertain you haha. A battery dying is the exception not the norm, my ev has 122k on it and still has 97% battery capacity.

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  16. Now, had he said this BEFORE everyone chose to slow the push to EV’s, Bob would have looked like the smartest guy in the room, saying it after the fact makes him seem late to the show, possibly angry that his baby, the Volt, is gone. Not sure why everyone thinks the sun rises and sets in Lutz’ crack. A broken clock is right twice a day.

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  17. It’s ICE vs EVil

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    1. Its forward with a vastly quicker and more efficient electric drive train or backwards to 70% energy loss with gears and explosions that cause smog and pollution.

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  18. 75 years old. , conservative etc. on my second EV. Won’t ever have another ice vehicle. However they are not for everyone or very use scenario govt forcing EVs on us is not working and shouldn’t. The market should determine what we drive charging at home elongated all of that crap folks yell about. Maybe once every three months we take a trip that requires charging on the road which can be problematic but for most it’s doable. It will take years before public charging is as ubiquitous as gas stations

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    1. Currently EV charging is about 15 to 1 ratio. Tesla has such a fantastic network I am going all over with it and not worried at all. I am sure there are places out west where charging gets to far apart but going from Chicago to Upper Wisconsin or down to Nashville or east to Philadelphia I have not seen an issue.

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  19. I agree with Lutz. GM in particular with Voltec and also Ford’s Energi were very good hybrid technologies and they didn’t continue to develop them. Toyota on the other hand did not see any reason to kow tow to this administrations push for ‘green’ energy and stuck to their guns, why follow the American fools anyway? I still remember that fateful decision GM made to become lower case milquetoast gm and go full speed ahead with EVs. I was one of those criticizing that decision on this platform, and warned that it may cost gm a lot if they dropped Voltec. Don’t get me wrong though, I am also for EVs, but introducing EVs must be done properly as the market dictates, and not according to the whims of the government. I for one would love a gm PHEV or hybrid vehicle using the Ultium battery system, I just need that ICE range extender and I bet many other people would so desire. Good thing is that gm has learned a lot from their EV tech developments, and can leverage their Voltec system knowledge to great effect in a shorter time frame than expected.

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  20. The execs from the big car companies would like nothing more than to keep building the same ICE vehicles every year while spending a minimum amount on updating the looks to attract new customers. Lutz is very much part of this group even though he is retired. Back when he was working he did many interviews praising the Chevy Volt for it’s low cost to operate and now that competition from other manufacturers has resulted in much better options than the Volt for consumers while his former employer, GM, has struggled to bring out EVs that work correctly it’s all about the bottom line. Lutz doesn’t want to see GM fall behind so what else is he going to say? My Tesla works terrific, long distance travel is easy thanks to a charging network that works. I’m not going back to old technology that’s more expensive to operate and maintain.

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  21. Dealers have no incentive to sell EVs… they make a ton of money in their service departments fixing ICE vehicles, and they’re not going to give up that revenue without a fight. It’s easier and more profitable to just badmouth EVs and keep selling the stuff they know they can make a lot more money by servicing them.

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    1. That’s 100% right. Dealers don’t do anything that might cost them money. Selling EV’s that don’t need oil changes or plugs or exhausts or alternators or belts or water pumps etc. etc. etc. reduces their maintenance biggest money maker.

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  22. When the ICE automobile was being pushed to people in the 1890’s and 1900’s the government did not quadruple the price of hay to make people shoot their horses. FJB and BHO did and are doing that with all fossil fuel.

    Reply
    1. When oil companies get all kinds of incentives to take the risk of of drilling a well do you complain? Google search for “oil company government subsidies” returns It’s not just the US: according to the International Energy Agency, fossil fuel handouts hit a global high of $1 trillion in 2022 – the same year Big Oil pulled in a record $4 trillion of income. In the United States, by some estimates taxpayers pay about $20 billion dollars every year to the fossil fuel industry. Is that enough of a hay for you?

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  23. So basically he agrees that EVs are technically superior but too many Americans have fallen for the culture wars and anti-EV FUD spread by fossil fuel interests and bought and paid for right-leaning politicians.

    Reply
    1. Too many have fallen for The Great Green Scam. Where are the results?

      Reply
      1. Whats the scam? You mean having cleaner air and water is a scam? You remember pollution and such.
        Increased EV adoption in China and the United States is slowing global gasoline demand growth.
        This means cleaner air. It’s taking some time but EV’s just keep getting better and better.

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  24. This makes no sense.

    He agrees the transition is inevitable over a couple decades as a slow transition and that it’s been 15 years already. 2035 means a period of more than 25 years for the transition which is more than decades. So it’s not some kind of fast overnight push.

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  25. I am a car Guy. I have had over 100 vehicles and the last 5 have been EV’s. When I get in an ICE car I miss being in an EV. I have taken a 3500 mile trip with little problems. Current EV has run up 20,000+ miles in a little over a year. I do use level 2 charging at home meaning that I never have to waste time standing out in the cold and rain at a gas station.

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  26. Some of the automakers’ decisons to walk back their EV plans is pure BS. Who cares that the EV demand has slowed? People who are shopping for a vehicle should and must buy EVs if they want to reduce climate change and if everyone had been buying EVs like crazy then the EV demand wouldn’t have slowed down and there’s no such thing as a EV push being some sort of mistake. Automakers continuously making ICE vehicles because of the slow EV demand resulting in them to walk back their EV plans will only make climate change worse and worse. It seems like they pretend that climate change isn’t a big deal or that it doesn’t exist when they decided to walk back their EV plans😡😡😡

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    1. But so many have purchased EVs, shouldnt we have seen SOME climate improvement by now? Maybe a percentage equal to the amount sold. But we see no improvement at all. Why?

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  27. >>Keep seeing “used EVs are a bargain right now.” For good reason as nobody wants them.<<
    I will say some early EV's are not as good as later ones but many are very decent cars. Depends on your needs or level of fear. Lot of people are afraid of EV's because of the propaganda meant to make people afraid of EV's, much of which is just not true. Are you against cleaner air? How about water? The green scam you call it is just using alternative tech to make a cleaner futures. The brown haze that floats about LA or the Valley to the north can't be good for anyone's health so stop thinking things are a scam. "I see lines at charging stations when Im on road trips. Every person I know who purchased an EV went back to ICE "
    Both so not true. I drive all the time and never ever had this issue. Also the statistics about people who buy EV's make your fact ICE false. More than 70% of Tesla owners who bought another car bought another Tesla.
    Maybe some EV's your friends bought are not very good and impact their judgement.

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  28. Interesting that a poll just out today reported that 46% of EV owners in the U.S. are likely to go back to an ICE vehicle with their next vehicle purchase….

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    1. That seems highly suspicious

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    2. What publication wa that in? I’d like to read it myself.

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      1. The article was published in GM Authority

        Reply
  29. Thanks

    Reply

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