Wall Street Journal caught up with GM vice chairman Bob Lutz in Frankfurt before the start of the Frankfurt Auto Show. Bob has some more battery trash talk for Toyota, saying that GM will beat Toyota to market with lithium-ion batteries by several months, maybe even a year! Toyota is having problems with their battery over heating, and Bob says "we are 100% confident we won't have heat issues" with their batteries. Oh, smack! I can't wait to hear what Toyota has to say about that one.
However, Bob adds, "Toyota will get this technology, too. ... Everybody will. ... If this stuff is going to work, everybody's going to have it." Couldn't get an exclusive contract, Bob? Anyway, Toyota has tried to downplay being the loser in the lithium-ion battery technology race. The delay of the lithium-ion Prius did not help Toyota's case for being battery technology leaders. Toyota senior vice president Don Esmond bet $100 that they will have the first lithium-ion vehicle on the market. Wow, times sure do change fast.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
However, Bob adds, "Toyota will get this technology, too. ... Everybody will. ... If this stuff is going to work, everybody's going to have it." Couldn't get an exclusive contract, Bob? Anyway, Toyota has tried to downplay being the loser in the lithium-ion battery technology race. The delay of the lithium-ion Prius did not help Toyota's case for being battery technology leaders. Toyota senior vice president Don Esmond bet $100 that they will have the first lithium-ion vehicle on the market. Wow, times sure do change fast.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
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