Black Friday and the Media

As I have previously mentioned, I am still trying to understand the general media's reasons for wanting to cause more trouble with the economy, other than human suffering generates news. So far, I keep hearing about how things are going to get worse because people aren't out shopping and are holding back on purchases. Yet, all across the USA I have watched and tried to get anywhere near malls and stores for the past month.

This morning at 12:01am, stores opened following Thanksgiving. We were stuck at several exits returning to Old Saybrook due to lines on I-95 that stretched for miles as people exited into the Outlet malls that opened their sales at midnight. Local news reports discussed extremely long lines for people waiting to get into stores and, more importantly, very long lines at checkout counters.

We sat in traffic to get past the lines in the twin non-hybrid Tahoe and discovered that it cost us well over a gallon versus the less than gallon for sitting in traffic for 3.5 hours in the hybrid.

Send a message to the media about the spread of fear that is generating problems for our economy. Go to http://www.motordoc.com/boycott.htm and send others to the link. It is time for the general public to finally be heard concerning the negative messages coming from the general media.

The Connecticut Auto Show

We attended the Connecticut Auto show held at the Hartford Convention Center. While there we met Ken and George at the General Motor pavilion. Both are previous GM employees who now travel to the auto shows representing GM vehicles with both being very knowledgeable about the hybrid GM vehicles.

The show was held on two levels of the convention center, having grown from just one level, from November 21 to 23, 2008. While GM featured it's hybrid vehicles, most of the other manufacturers, other than a few of the foreign car manufacturers, did not feature their hybrids.

We did find some, such as the Mercury Milan. However, Chrysler and Ford tended to focus on other vehicles - Chrysler the Charger and other similar muscle cars and Ford focused on their 10 cylinder pickup truck.

I suspect that the focus was away from energy economy as the price of oil is dropping. Could it be that many people still focus on the muscle cars and power? The greatest lines to view the vehicles were in front of such cars as the Chargers, Corvettes, and GM trucks.

I will be posting a powerpoint of the remainder of the show in a later posting.

Connecticut Auto Show - Size Matters

The idea of improving fuel economy has also included the idea of 'size.' While some vehicles are very small and light to improve economy, is that really the only consideration?

We attended the Connecticut Auto Show with a focus on taking a look at a variety of hybrid vehicles. On of the things we tried to do was fit the boys (Nick and Matt) into a 'Smart Car' - who on earth is supposed to fit into one of these things anyway?

And then I tried fitting into a Prius - getting in and out was a bit of a challenge.

The Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade (available since January, 2008 in 2 and 4 wheel drive) and the 2009 Silverado (due out in February, 2009) have plenty of room.

I will cover more of the auto show in the next posting.

Fox News Host Buys Escalade Hybrid

Hannity of Hannity and Colmes on Fox News announced on his show at 9:35 EST in defense of GM during an interview with Senator Romney that he visited GM to see the Volt and purchased an Hybrid Escalade. He stated that he has already doubled his gas mileage.

They were listening!

December 8 2008 Media Boycott!

Media at its best?

OK, I have been trying to figure out how this whole economic collapse started and carried through in a manner of a couple of weeks and how it happened to occur right at a critical time of an election. Regardless of who you were cheering for, you have to admit that the crisis came at exactly the right time to change the direction of politics in the USA. So, I started to go back and reflect a little bit and I noticed a pattern. This year there was a definite increase in interest related to news on the election both through standard print and television media as well as internet media. I also noted that there was a sudden increase in opinion and ‘talking head’ editorials related to the condition of the economy spreading fear amongst many people who had not paid attention to the subject in the past and a rash of acidic blogging most of which was not based in reality on any side.

While several Wall Street firms became troubled a few months ago, based upon poor asset decisions, overall the economy was in good shape. People were buying items and generally doing the things that are required in a good economy while a relatively small handful were running into trouble with their mortgages. Let’s just say that there was a strong media push for months concerning how the housing bubble was going to collapse and a definite push that gasoline costs were going to continue to skyrocket. The general feel that I had been observing was that most of the costs and other issues were accelerated by media coverage. The pen mightier than the sword? Now add in television and the internet…

Now I watch the news and the very people on Wall Street that gave advice that led us into our present economic and unemployment condition are recommending that the big three automotive companies should declare bankruptcy in order to eliminate unions, EXISTING and future pensions, benefits, re-organize and/or be taken over by foreign companies that are somehow more innovative than US-based companies?!? When you start taking a close look at the reasons for all of this, one thing comes to mind – there is a 24 hour news cycle nowadays, and if you cannot find news that sells advertising – generate it.

In the world of the media FEAR sells. Right now I keep hearing about how terrible the Christmas (yes, I dare spell out the whole holiday name – I am not a ‘PC’ kinda guy) season is going to be for retailers, yet I can’t get anywhere near a mall right now anywhere that I travel. So, what is being reported does not appear to match what is going on the ground, as in the past, until people react and it goes the direction that the media sends us.

It did not help that Congress and the Senate acted on fear and against the wishes of their constituencies by voting for the $700B bailout package that triggered the spiraling stock market. It is quite interesting that the main purpose it was set up for has become quite muddy and it is now being used as a method to do so many other things that don’t appear to be in the interest of the very people it was supposed to help. I mean, give me $170B to have a few parties, I will be glad to send a thank you note.

So, here we are, the general media has managed to succeed in developing news and scare the hell out of the entire world at this point. So, what can we do? How do we respond?

I am calling for a boycott of the news media – all news media, including blogs – on December 8, 2008, for 24 hours EST (12:01am to 11:59pm). I wonder how many of us are so addicted to the media now that we cannot get away from it for 24 hours? I also am going to call for people to go out and spend at least $1 dollar on themselves or someone else (at least a cup of coffee!). I also ask that this message is forwarded to whoever you wish. (You can forward this message by selecting the mail icon below).

Now, before some of you jump on me for this call for boycott, I have not done a call like this in the 25 years that I have been in the public eye. I am just tired of watching my fellow humans being toyed with, to the benefit of one industry, so I am acting on it. I am tired of watching retirement incomes go away, pure negativism being spewed, companies collapsing, people losing their homes, etc. It is time for us to act whether you are in the USA or elsewhere.

Can we, a small group of maintenance and related professionals have an impact? Show me.

Sincerely,
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN
www.motordoc.com
howard@motordoc.com

Picking Prius' Out of My Truck's Grill

Sat down to watch a little TV last night and caught Jeff Dunham on the comedy channel talking about his powder blue Prius and how he would pick them out of the grill of his H1 Hummer.





Here is his skit on YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQcSOP2AzXU





Now, I just finished my drive up from Chicago to Detroit, hit a lake effect snow storm, kicked the Tahoe into 4-wheel drive and continued on my merry way. Noticed two Prius' in the ditch! Continued on by at about 65 (slowed down from 70 due to traffic, not the snowy road conditions - well, yeah, I know... should drive slower). Picked the rest out of my grill when I got here... haha.

What is the impact of hybrid vehicles on greenhouse gas emissions if they were to be used as emergency vehicles?

Several weeks ago I was trapped during a snow storm and accident just south of Ottawa, Ontario returning from Quebec City, Quebec, for 3.5 hours. I was driving a 4 wheel drive hybrid Tahoe. If the average vehicle in the long, long line was getting 20 miles/gallon, at an equivalent fuel consumption of 2 min per equivalent mile, it would use 5.25 gallons of gasoline to remain on and keep the occupants warm. That would be 102 lbs CO2 per vehicle. I was able to keep the heat on, plug into a 120V outlet with my laptop and broadband card, and watch a DVD with a total usage of less than 1 gallon of gas or <19.4 lbs CO2.

The national average for county vehicles is 7 hours idling per week, or 364 hours per year. If we assume the same average as above (generous as most emergency vehicles use larger powerplants with an average of 14 - 16 mpg) the idle time would be an equivalent of 546 gallons per vehicle, or 10,600 lbs CO2. The primary reasons for leaving most emergency vehicles operating idle is that on-board computerized equipment and hydraulics (police, ambulance and fire) require power.

The heavy hybrid vehicles produced by GM and Ford provide the ability to power such equipment while cycling the engine only to recharge the batteries. Using the experience cited above (3.5 hours/gallon), the reduction would be to 104 gallons, or 2,000 lbs CO2, a savings of 442 gallons ($972 in idling fuel costs at $2.20/gal) and 8,600 lbs of CO2 per vehicle per year in idling alone. The numbers I am using are rudementary, but you get the idea.

Thoughts?

Visit to the Hybrid Transmission Plant

I had the opportunity to visit the GM Powertrain Allison Transmission plant yesterday where they manufacture the 2-Mode hybrid transmission that is used in the Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade, and will be available in the GM hybrid pickup and work trucks early in 2009.

I was there as part of a group from GM Corporate related to servicing the transmissions and the GM transmission rebuild supplier, Dynamic. We had a chance to meet with Ron Vasold, the Manufacturing Engineer (and product launch manager) who gave us our tour along with Douglas Kadolph, the Quality Systems Manager, and Ed Tilley, the Quality Lead for Baltimore Transmission. The tour included watching the entire transmission being built from the components through to final testing before shipping out to the assembly plant.

Unlike standard mass production, the highly skilled professionals that we watched on the assembly lines have greater responsibility and control over quality than in a standard assembly line. Don't get me wrong, the professionals that I deal with throughout GM are impressive, this was just different. The care and quality in the building of the transmissions was outstanding and the end of line testing was very stringent. The quality control processes and 'error-proofing' concepts used in the manufacturing process, developed internally, were exceptional.

When we left, I was truly impressed and even more comfortable in my vehicle purchase decision. It also just so happened that one of the VP's of Dynamic was contacted that his 2009 hybrid Tahoe was delivered and he would be able to pick it up once we returned to Chicago. I have found it very interesting the number of people who are exposed to the truck that either purchase right away or make definite plans to buy one in the near future.

Wake up GM marketing - you have a winner here.

GM Marketing? How many GM hybrids do you know?

OK, I have a complaint. As noted in my November 1 blog where I was interviewed on Fox Radio (see posting), the news media was unaware of GM's hybrid fleet! While many companies have one or two hybrids available, GM has over 8! And a number within a reasonable price range and several under the Toyota Prius - with more room, I might add!

So, here we go (2009's):

Model; Base Price; Mileage City/Highway

• GMC Yukon; $50,945; 20/21


• Chevy Tahoe (2008 Green Car of the Year); $51,405; 21/22


• Cadillac Escalade; $72,865; 20/21


• Saturn Vue; $26,270!; 25/32


• Saturn Aura; $26,685!; 24/32


• Chevy Malibu; $26,225!; 24/32

With the Siverado and Sierra coming in early 2009. This does not include the Volt - the first US Production Electric Vehicle, which will be out early 2010 or other hybrids under development and the pricing does not reflect any energy rebates, tax incentives, nor special deals.

Information: http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/hybrids.jsp

Personally, I want to see more USA vehicles on the road - supporting our big three and their hard work in developing leading edge hybrid, electric and alternative fuel vehicles.

Let me know what you think about GM marketing by clicking on the 'comments' word below (next to the number) and giving a response.

Howard Interviewed by Fox News

During the drive back on Wednesday, October 29, 2008, Brian and the Judge, a Fox News Radio station made statements about the UAW preventing GM from building hybrid vehicles and GM not building hybrid vehicles, or vehicles people want. I took objection to statements on both counts and called into the show. Originally, the intent from the show was to discuss both points with me, but I was the only discussion that did not have to do with the upcoming election and economy during the whole three hour show.

Attached is an MP3 file of the statement made that prompted my call (about 2 minutes) and the interview 20 minutes later (about 3 minutes).

THE INTERVIEW (BrianandtheJudge.mp3)

Folks, I see an awful lot of foreign hybrid vehicles when I am on the road - they are small, cramped, and the claimed mileage is higher than the actual. They are also NOT built in the USA, at this time. The eight GM models of hybrids ARE built in the USA and extend from the Malibu, under $30k, up through the Escalade (>$55k). Personally, I think we should be supporting USA businesses in these times.

I have just past the 9,000 mile mark on my hybrid Tahoe and have not had any reliability issues - and believe me, I am monitoring for them.

Support your fellow citizens and support my UAW brothers and sisters, buy American.

Howard

First Blizzard of the Year

I am back after several weeks on the road including putting 6200 miles on the Tahoe. The trip included travel to the Detroit area then over to Quebec City, Quebec for an IEEE electrical insulation research conference and the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (IEEE-DEIS) AdCom and standards groups meetings. I serve as the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE-DEIS website, presently under construction.

During the 13 hour drive back from Quebec City to Detroit on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, a snow storm started just outside of Montreal and worsened as I approached south of Ottawa. At that point, at 9:30pm, traffic on the highway was brought to a stop because of a major accident. The Tahoe, which handled exceptionally on the unclear highway, became an even better deal. As we were stuck there for close to 3.5 hours, the other vehicles around me shut down in order to conserve fuel and the passengers bundled up. As all of the systems in the hybrid are run electrically, I was able to keep everything on, put a DVD in the DVD player while spending a little time with my laptop plugged into the 120 volt outlet, all while I was relaxed and comfortable in my short sleeved shirt. The engine would occassionally come on to recharge the battery. The total fuel consumption was about a gallon with only the loss of 23 miles of average range (combined local and highway mileage) per the fuel range guage. The ability to spread out was also very nice.

I ended up finding a hotel and stopped for a few hours of sleep.

To be continued....