"Beyond Detroit" - Wired article

Anyone else read the Wired article called "Beyond Detroit"? Here is the link to the article. I thought it was pretty good. Remember my thread Would this work? - Saving the Auto Industry content? I am glad to see the idea of modularization is in the minds of others too.

What did you all think of the article?

The Article said: In 2000, GM inaugurated a new complex in southern Brazil. Rather than following the still-dominant Rouge model, the Gravataí factory consisted of 17 separate plants, 16 of which were occupied by suppliers, including Delphi, Goodyear, and Lear. Unlike elsewhere in the auto world, the Gravataí suppliers didn't just carry out GM's blueprints but took an active role in designing their subunits: fuel lines, rear axle, exhaust and cooling systems.

This Gravatai factory builds the Chevrolet Celta, a 1.0 liter subcompact.

But UAW's most recent agreement said: The Company (GM) will invest in a compact and small car assembly site in the US, utilizing an idled UAW-GM facility...The manufacturing strategies which will be employed when setting up the assembly operations for this product include...General Assembly VAA subassembly work performed in-house.

This UAW agreement also allows GM to buy back five plants from Delphi (as a GM subsidiary), which include:

Delphi Saginaw Steering; Delphi Thermal Systems; Delphi Powertrain; Delphi Powertrain Systems; and Delphi Electronics and Safety.

And the UAW agreement said: GM's subsidiary will employ all UAW-represented employees at these sites, including active and inactive...

Brazil's auto workers are unionized. However,their union obviously didn't prevent GM from doing business in an innovative, different and evidently favorable way.

The Article Sez: Transforming US auto manufacturing would be an enormous task. It would require the cooperation of the federal government to help create the conditions under which innovators can thrive—primarily by removing the energy and health care obstacles that now stand in their way.

Hmm. I wonder what is meant by energy and health care obstacles? I hope he doesn't consider employee health insurance an obstacle to be done away with. Or heavily subsidized by the government.

Also, 100 mpg fuel injectors? Really? Sounds like an old scam updated for the new millenium.

It's a decent article, but long on buzzwords and short on concrete ideas. The idea of building cars the way they now build computers sure intrigues me though.

Hmm, lessee here. I'll take the 2500 pound RWD coupe chassis with 2+2 seating and the "Classic" interior with bucket seats. On second thought make that a hatch. I think I'll take the Italian bodywork, manual transmission. Oooh! Lemme Biggie Size that to a 6 speed! Aaand, sure gimme the SLA front suspension, but I think I'll just go with the solid axle in the back. Oh, I know, but I'm just gonna wait until they come out with that new all aluminum Independent Rear Module next year, then I'll pop out the solid axle, throw it on Ebay, and pop in the new one.

Okay power, I think I'll just go with turbo Nissan 4banger for now. If I really need it later on I'll just snap in whatever V8 Chevy's got.

Hmm...color, color, color. Lessee (click) Red? naah (click) Yellow? ech (click) Silver? too plain (click) Emerald Racing Green ! Yes! Okay! That's it then. I'll just pick it up at WalMart for, um, what was it? Oh yeah, 15 grand. Done.

Yeah. I think I could live with that kind of auto industry.

But then watch, every five years I'd have to "upgrade" to a new operating system that would make my car so berkeleying bog slow I'd just end up getting a whole new one.

Findlay, I agree. The article was long on buzzwords and short on actual fixes. But it helps to stir the pot of ideas.

I am going to go out a little on a limb here. I can easily see how in the future where you car is completely modular. Few reasons why.

1) Most engines will be some form of electric. The engine and transmission will be designed to a complete and separate unit. Accessories (A/C, heat, etc) will be free from the engine and function off the power grid (ie batteries). With accessories removed, the difficulty of swapping an engine is as simple as unplugging the power/information cord and unbolting the engine mounts and axles.

2) With accessories removed from the engine the car can compartmentalize the accessories elsewhere in the car. This allows for additional modularization.

3) Batteries will also be designed to be modular. When your pack gets outdated you will be able to go to a station (formerly known as gas stations) and get a battery swap in minutes. This makes long distance drives possible too. Think propane refills where you bring in your cannister and exchange it for one already filled.

Yeah, the key to electrics isn't so much battery capacity as it is being able to swap out batteries in my car almost as fast as swapping batteries in my cordless screwdriver. Or an electric forklift.

Truth be told I was still kind of excited by the modular prospect. It would take a car somewhere between a kit-car and a traditional car to really make it all work. I really like the thought of the car chassis being the "motherboard" and the rest of the major systems-suspension, drivetrain, and all-being seperate things I can mix and match and upgrade as the need arises.

detroit is antiquated. I am not sure anything can save it.

That was another underlying theme. The idea is that from their failure will rise (phoenix from the ashes) a new smaller, more nimble auto industry. Accepting outside cooperation and technologies.

That article made me think of this.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hoaglund/microsft.html

Not sure I would want a car built like a computer.