GM Asks The World: "What's Next?"

[thegriffon]

GM Asks The World: "What's Next?"

DETROIT - What should power the world's vehicles in 20 years? How can personal transportation become more sustainable in an age of increasing global competition for resources? What role will the automotive industry play in developing markets?

Decisions on issues like these will largely shape transportation in the 21st century. To speed the process, GM will mark its 100th anniversary by launching a global dialogue through an initiative called GMnext.

"We're starting our second century at a time of fundamental change in the auto industry," said GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner. "We'll use GMnext to introduce some of our ideas for addressing critical issues concerning energy, the environment and globalization. In the process, we also hope to spark a broader, global discussion on these important topics."

To initiate that dialogue, GMnext will spotlight GM's introduction of next-generation vehicles and technologies, including new applications of the E-Flex drive system and continued work on GM's line of Plug-In and Two-Mode hybrids.

The medium for the dialogue will be a dedicated Web site, GMnext.com. The site is designed to encourage feedback and interaction among participants. In addition to GM news, positions and commentary, it will feature opinions and insights from the general public, from industry observers outside GM, and from the global media, both traditional and social.

A series of GMnext-themed activities will be held, beginning in January, and capped by GMnext Days, a week-long global celebration in September of 2008 that will reflect on the company's first century and highlight plans and products that will begin to define its second century. Plans for GMnext Days will be announced in the near future.

[Drew Dowdell]

Plug in, alcohol burning, hybrids with variable displacement engines.

that was easy.

[siegen]

GM Asks The World: "What's Next?"

No need to ask the world. Ask Honda, they've already been there for the last 5 years.

[thegriffon]

Video is now up on Youtube:

[Robert Hall]

I'm sure if PCS gets his way, 'what's next' is that Chevy NA will be much the same as Chevy Europe--generic Korean FWD models.

[Drew Dowdell]

No need to ask the world. Ask Honda, they've already been there for the last 5 years.

Honda, so far, is a one trick pony.

[siegen]

Honda, so far, is a one trick pony.

If you consider having your hands in every single form of transportation, from rider mowers to jets, being a one trick pony, then yes absolutely. :AH-HA_wink:

[Robert Hall]

If you consider having your hands in every single form of transportation, from rider mowers to jets, being a one trick pony, then yes absolutely. :AH-HA_wink:

Yes, Honda is quite diverse... generators, lawn mowers, ATVs, boat engines, hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, family sedans, compact cars, subcompact cars, near-lux sedans, minivans, crossovers, pickups, etc...a little bit of everything.

Edited January 3, 2008 by moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

If you consider having your hands in every single form of transportation, from rider mowers to jets, being a one trick pony, then yes absolutely. :AH-HA_wink:

Gm = Marine engines, Locomotive engines <woah, honda missed one there>, Electric vehicles <actually release to the public>, flex fuel <honda fields a massive 0 vehicles that can burn E85>, diesel, cylinder deactivation, two types of hybrids, bus engines <Honda missed there too>, hybrid bus engines <no honda>, fuel cell technology, E-flex technology, the first SULEV V6, VVT that make's Honda's Vtec look like a computer controlled rube-goldberg machine

but of course you knew that you were refering to hybrids and the article was referring to the variety of fuels used to power the next generation of automobiles.

Honda has gasoline engines and gasoline hybrid engines <one style, only available in small cars>, and that's it. They're talking about doing a diesel, but it's not here yet. Making an engine isn't a trick, making a hybrid or alternative fuel engine for the next generation is...and Honda has one of them.

GM has 3 types of fuel available, 3 kinds of hybrids <Tall, Grande, Venti> that can be used in anything from a mid-sized family sedan to a full size SUV to a city bus and was doing cylinder deactivation before it was cool. In terms of automotive powertrain variety, GM is way ahead of Honda.

That's not to say I don't like Honda's hybrid, I actually greatly enjoy it. The Flexcar I use most is a Civic Hybrid and it does it's best to tempt me from GM every time I drive it.

[Camino LS6]

What's next?

If GME gets its way, the decline and fall of GM.

[Chris_Doane]

They're talking about doing a diesel

That's not really true. Honda is way past the "talking about it" phase. Their diesel will be here pretty soon.

[siegen]

Gm = Marine engines, Locomotive engines <woah, honda missed one there>, Electric vehicles <actually release to the public>, flex fuel <honda fields a massive 0 vehicles that can burn E85>, diesel, cylinder deactivation, two types of hybrids, bus engines <Honda missed there too>, hybrid bus engines <no honda>, fuel cell technology, E-flex technology, the first SULEV V6, VVT that make's Honda's Vtec look like a computer controlled rube-goldberg machine

but of course you knew that you were refering to hybrids and the article was referring to the variety of fuels used to power the next generation of automobiles.

Honda has gasoline engines and gasoline hybrid engines <one style, only available in small cars>, and that's it. They're talking about doing a diesel, but it's not here yet. Making an engine isn't a trick, making a hybrid or alternative fuel engine for the next generation is...and Honda has one of them.

GM has 3 types of fuel available, 3 kinds of hybrids <Tall, Grande, Venti> that can be used in anything from a mid-sized family sedan to a full size SUV to a city bus and was doing cylinder deactivation before it was cool. In terms of automotive powertrain variety, GM is way ahead of Honda.

That's not to say I don't like Honda's hybrid, I actually greatly enjoy it. The Flexcar I use most is a Civic Hybrid and it does it's best to tempt me from GM every time I drive it.

I don't mean to go off topic here too much. I was referring mainly to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In terms of What's Next for the future of transportation, that's it as far as I'm concerned. Honda does have E85 and E100 vehicles, just not here (search Honda Brazil). They do have diesels, just not here. Their diesel V6 is supposed to make its intro in the Ridgeline MMC this year and the diesel 4cyl should be here as well. I have doubts about the diesel V6 this year, since I haven't heard about it recently. Like stated it's no longer in the talk phase, it is right around the corner. They have also had a natural gas vehicle for quite a while now, which gives express lane privilege and tax deductions (not to mention home-refueling with "Phill"). Burning natural gas is cleaner than gas-electric hybrids. Honda hasn't invested a lot into hybrids, because they believe that they are not worth the investment for the future.

Vtec is not comparable to any VVT system GM currently uses, because it is not a VVT system per say. It varies valve lift, duration, and timing in two steps. It is used in economy applications to close one intake valve during low-load. It is used in hybrids to completely close valves and eliminate pumping losses (allowing the gas engine to shut-down). It is used in performance applications to increase lift/duration of intake and exhaust valve under high load. Honda's VTC is comparable to most VVT systems automakers use, and varies valve timing/phasing continuously. i-Vtec is a combination of traditional Vtec and VTC. Honda is supposed to intro their A-Vtec soon, which varies valve lift, duration, and timing continuously. Most people thought it would make its intro on the 2008 Accord 2.4L, but it didn't. BMW has a system that does this already, but it is fairly complex and not for use in high RPM applications (apparently).

[pow]

Gawd, what a stiff, corporate, generic, and PSA-esque site. The idea has real potential if executed better.

Why do they always show people using Windows 98-running, CRT-monitored, Pentium 3s in these types of films?

[RJB]

That's not really true. Honda is way past the "talking about it" phase. Their diesel will be here pretty soon.

That is correct. The fact is, Honda has been running diesels in cars/suvs in Europe for quite some time already. They are ahead of the game when it comes down to refining them and meeting the stringent emissions laws here. I hate to say this but... GM is behind on small diesel engines - here.

Edited January 9, 2008 by RJB

[thegriffon]

i-VTEC does not vary valve timing continuously. Like standard VTEC systems it switches between different cam lobes. The difference between VTEC and i-VTEC is purely nominal. i-VTEC may include cylinder de-activation, or a higher-performance cam profile, whatever Honda decides is more advanced and worthy of being called i-VTEC. It is not always two-stage, but can also be three-stage, whether the third stage is an engine idle mode or cylinder deactivation etc.. Most Ford/Mazda 4-cylinder engines use an essentially similar system, which Mazda calls S-VT (Sequential valve timing). Audi uses a similar cam-switching system to add variable valve lift to the standard cam-phasing on some of its newer engines.

Honda is running one diesel in Europe, and before that bought engines from … ahem … GM. That current Honda diesel is oversized and underpowered. Even Tata (there's a name to provoke schoolboy laughter "let's see your Tatas") can build a 2.2 L 140 hp engine. Is Honda ahead of the game in emissions? Well, they have an engine in development, but other companies already have Euro5 engines and even a few Euro6 and US-spec engines. VW's US-spec diesels will have a NOx-scrubbing catalyst (like that announced but not yet offered by Honda) for 4-cylinder engines, and urea additive system for larger engines. What does GM have coming? a 4.5 L V8, a 4-cylinder truck engine for the H3, a 2.9 L V6 and apparently a 1.0 L 3-cylinder for the Beat/Matiz.

[siegen]

i-VTEC does not vary valve timing continuously. Like standard VTEC systems it switches between different cam lobes. The difference between VTEC and i-VTEC is purely nominal. i-VTEC may include cylinder de-activation, or a higher-performance cam profile, whatever Honda decides is more advanced and worthy of being called i-VTEC. It is not always two-stage, but can also be three-stage, whether the third stage is an engine idle mode or cylinder deactivation etc.. Most Ford/Mazda 4-cylinder engines use an essentially similar system, which Mazda calls S-VT (Sequential valve timing). Audi uses a similar cam-switching system to add variable valve lift to the standard cam-phasing on some of its newer engines.

You seem to be a little confused as to the application of vtec in different motors. It is confusing, as Honda sometimes uses the same name with different functionalities depending on the engine series. Vtec is used differently in R and K-series 4cyl motors, and J-series V6 motors (there is also the L-series used solely in the Fit). In K-series motors, i-vtec designates the combination of DOHC vtec and VTC. VTC varies timing or phasing continuously up to 50° (depending on application). There are both economy and performance versions of K-series, however both have VTC. You are right that i-vtec does not vary timing continuously in J-series engines, nor does it do that in R-series engines. This is where the naming gets confusing. J-series and R-series motors do not have VTC, while K-series do. K-series engines are used in the Civic Si, Accord 2.4L, CR-V, Element, TSX, and RDX (as well as the discontinued RSX) here in the USA. The F-series used in the S2000 is a predecessor to the K-series, and does not have VTC (it is only used in the S2000).

I'm sorry I should have specified that I was referring to i-vtec in K-series 4cyl engines only, in response to Oldsmoboi's post about GM VVT. Honda was late to the game in introducing a continuously variable timing system, and even now it only continuously varies timing on the intake side in K-series engines. The variable lift and duration of vtec makes a significantly larger difference than VVT does, which is why Honda has always focused on that, and only in the 2001 MY did they incorporate a VVT system.

Honda is running one diesel in Europe, and before that bought engines from … ahem … GM. That current Honda diesel is oversized and underpowered. Even Tata (there's a name to provoke schoolboy laughter "let's see your Tatas") can build a 2.2 L 140 hp engine. Is Honda ahead of the game in emissions? Well, they have an engine in development, but other companies already have Euro5 engines and even a few Euro6 and US-spec engines. VW's US-spec diesels will have a NOx-scrubbing catalyst (like that announced but not yet offered by Honda) for 4-cylinder engines, and urea additive system for larger engines. What does GM have coming? a 4.5 L V8, a 4-cylinder truck engine for the H3, a 2.9 L V6 and apparently a 1.0 L 3-cylinder for the Beat/Matiz.

The single diesel which is used in a few different applications (CR-V, Civic that I can remember off the top of my head) has gotten very good reviews, and is praised for being unusually quite and refined for a diesel. The version we are getting is the next generation of that, and from initial reviews it has improved torque and a larger powerband compared to the previous. You know as well as I do that peak hp numbers mean very little in diesel engines. Do any other automakers currently have a Tier 2 Bin 5 diesel available that doesn't use any additives?

[regfootball]

NOs scrubbing?