Bob Lutz needs a vacation

Read his cranky email to a consumer

Posted by David Roberts at 4:26 PM on 30 Mar 2007

A reader wrote in to share this email exchange. This is the email she sent to GM -- as I understand, it's a form letter you can sign and send from the Plugin America website.

Dear Sir,

I am tired of being held by the throat by oil companies and I want to buy a car that uses cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity for even a part of its overall range. Saturn used to lease the most efficient vehicle ever built. Since GM destroyed all EV1s, GM has not shown progress on bringing a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle to market. Please give me the choice to drive on electricity.

This is the response she received:

From: bob.lutz@gm.com
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: Alternative Fueled Cars

Instead of just copying that same stupid message that I have received at least one thousand times in identical form (don't you folks have any creative drive?), why didn't you use your energy to research GM's announced major effort on the range-extended Chevrolet "Volt" EV, as well as our announcement of a plug-in hybrid version of the upcoming Saturn "Vue"? Some recognition of how much and how fast we are moving in these areas would be a lot more motivating than bombarding us with that hopelessly-outdated standard letter. Thank you for thinking of us!

Bob Lutz, you'll recall, is the CEO of GM North America. Who knew the company was so responsive? Or so cranky?

For story: Bob Lutz needs a vacation
7 Comments | Post a Comment

testy, testy!

It is good to have evidence that those already-written e-mail messages do indeed get under the skin of a recipient sometimes.

I generally try to "personalize" the Subject heading and a bit of the body, in the belief that that makes the message more likely to be read. But who knows?

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 3:33 AM on 31 Mar 2007

The Do's And The Say's

Bob Lutz should be cranky. It seems in this debate over global warming, there are the "Dos" and the "Says".

The "Says" are Al Gore, Bono and Richard Branson. These guys go around preaching without having any knowledge or clues about science or engineering. These are the Luddites who think that the 18th Century Little Ice Age was the peak of civilization.

Then there are the leaders of industry, engineers and real scientists (not the poli-scientists of the IPCC) who have been quietly working on fuel cells, sonofusion, hydrogen producing algae and so on. These are the Bob Lutzes of the world, the "Do's" the people who "do" things and are trying to bring the world kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.

by jabailo at 10:26 AM on 31 Mar 2007

The Haves and the Haves-not

Thanks jabailo. Thank goodness, eh, that we have leaders like GW Bush pushing 'Intelligent Design' onto unwilling biology teachers, and pushing real (but inconvenient) scientific data out of reports issued by the CDC, the EPA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dude. Talk about 'preaching without having any knowledge or clues about science' ...

Science, technology, and industry can and no doubt will contribute much toward helping wean us off of dwindling fossil fuels. But, unfortunately, with the global population skyrocketing past 6.5 billion on its way to 9 billion, and energy consumption habits globally showing a similar trend, man will not be saved by technology alone. Call me crazy, but I'm not gonna hold my breath that Bob Lutz will save me through the wisdom and compassion of his capitalistic little heart.

Ultimately, we have no choice but to reduce our numbers and scale down our consumptive habits. If we don't do it ourselves, believe me, nature will do it for us. The difference being that, in the latter case, the forcing will come on nature's own timetable, and in whatever nasty, brutish, and unsympathetic manner she chooses.

On the bright side, due to GW's ill-conceived and poorly-executed war in Iraq, I heard today that Baghdad citizens are getting only about 2 hours of electricity per day. Wow. Think of all the energy savings! Perhaps that is Bush's secret plan to slow global warming. Always thinking ahead, that George!

by GonzoDon at 3:58 PM on 31 Mar 2007

Lutz and the dirty hippies

Lutz is GM's version of Spiro Agnew -- the tough-talking guy they send out to beat up on dirty hippies. Lutz is always good for a colorful quote, but he's also remarkably neanderthal in his views. And, of course GM's P.R. department will invariably insist that Lutz emphasize coming attractions rather than explain away past sins. (You don't think Lutz wrote that email without "assistance," do you?)

All that said, Lutz is right about one thing: The auto industry has gone through quite a bit of change since GM pulled the plug on the EV1. I don't say that to endorse any of GM's promised "green" offerings, which strike me as too little, too late. However, it's too bad enviros don't spend more time reading up on auto industry news before unleashing their letter-writing campaigns, because a more carefully crafted message might have a greater impact.

by Steven T at 7:08 PM on 31 Mar 2007

Heh

"and are trying to bring the world kicking and screaming into the 21st Century."

Everyone wants progress, but nobody wants change.

:P

-David Ahlport

by GreyFlcn at 7:26 PM on 31 Mar 2007

You might remember

Gore was the driving force behind the Partnership for New Generation Vehicles. GM took the research money and did bupkis with the design that was developed (it was a diesel hybrid). Gore did GM talked.

by EliRabett at 10:20 AM on 01 Apr 2007

Bob

Bob has been bobbin' his head up and down gas guzzlin' for his homies in the oil biz for decades. Coulda had that EV1 be a serial plugin hybrid. Stead o' trashin' it.

Toyota took over number one.

So now he's frustrated? Guess the Saudis ain't coming to his parties OR bushy's lately. No you dihint! Snap.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 10:40 AM on 01 Apr 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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