Lawrence Burns visits Wilmington Assembly
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 32
Lawrence Burns visits Wilmington Assembly
GM executive visits to promote green technology
Delaware plant could be used to make more fuel-efficient cars
By LULADEY B. TADESSE, The News Journal
General Motors Corp. is building more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids, and making strides researching alternatives to gasoline, a company executive visiting the Newport plant said Friday.
Lawrence Burns, GM's vice president of research, development and strategic planning, came to Delaware to discuss the company's goals to build vehicles that use alternative fuels -- both hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
"The plant here in Wilmington is very important to GM and we think it's important to come and talk locally," Burns said.
GM's Newport plant, which makes the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opel, employs about 1,900 workers. Besides meeting officials at the plant, Burns lectured at the University of Delaware and met with state economic development officials.
"He provided us with a nice overview of GM's plans for the use of innovation and technology in the cars of the future," said Judy McKinney-Cherry, director of the state Economic Development Office. "We certainly saw a lot of synergies between what GM is doing and the state of Delaware's strengths."
McKinney-Cherry said there are many local companies, including DuPont and W.L. Gore, that are involved in fuel cell research and technology. The company would discuss the possibility of using its Delaware plant to make vehicles using this advanced technology, she added.
"We certainly see the next decade as a time people will experience electrically driven vehicles and fuel cells," Burns said.
GM has invested about $1 billion to develop fuel cell technology. It hopes to build vehicles that use fuel cells by 2010. It is uncertain if the fuel cell technology will be performed at the Newport plant.
Until recently, GM, like its domestic counterparts Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG, has lagged far behind Asian automakers when it comes to making hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles. GM only began selling hybrids three years ago, and it was primarily in buses.
Still, GM is making progress and plans to aggressively tackle the problems surrounding America's dependence on foreign oil.
Today, GM has 12 models that have a hybrid version, Burns said. In fall, the company will introduce the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, both equipped with hybrid technology that will provide 25 percent better fuel economy. This technology was developed by a collaboration with DaimlerChrysler and BMW. The same project resulted in the Dodge Durango hybrid built at the Chrysler plant in Newark.
To help it meet its technological goals, GM plans to hire 400 engineers in the coming months.
Contact Luladey B. Tadesse at 324-2789 or ltadesse@delawareonline.com.
Delaware plant could be used to make more fuel-efficient cars
By LULADEY B. TADESSE, The News Journal
General Motors Corp. is building more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids, and making strides researching alternatives to gasoline, a company executive visiting the Newport plant said Friday.
Lawrence Burns, GM's vice president of research, development and strategic planning, came to Delaware to discuss the company's goals to build vehicles that use alternative fuels -- both hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
"The plant here in Wilmington is very important to GM and we think it's important to come and talk locally," Burns said.
GM's Newport plant, which makes the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opel, employs about 1,900 workers. Besides meeting officials at the plant, Burns lectured at the University of Delaware and met with state economic development officials.
"He provided us with a nice overview of GM's plans for the use of innovation and technology in the cars of the future," said Judy McKinney-Cherry, director of the state Economic Development Office. "We certainly saw a lot of synergies between what GM is doing and the state of Delaware's strengths."
McKinney-Cherry said there are many local companies, including DuPont and W.L. Gore, that are involved in fuel cell research and technology. The company would discuss the possibility of using its Delaware plant to make vehicles using this advanced technology, she added.
"We certainly see the next decade as a time people will experience electrically driven vehicles and fuel cells," Burns said.
GM has invested about $1 billion to develop fuel cell technology. It hopes to build vehicles that use fuel cells by 2010. It is uncertain if the fuel cell technology will be performed at the Newport plant.
Until recently, GM, like its domestic counterparts Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG, has lagged far behind Asian automakers when it comes to making hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles. GM only began selling hybrids three years ago, and it was primarily in buses.
Still, GM is making progress and plans to aggressively tackle the problems surrounding America's dependence on foreign oil.
Today, GM has 12 models that have a hybrid version, Burns said. In fall, the company will introduce the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, both equipped with hybrid technology that will provide 25 percent better fuel economy. This technology was developed by a collaboration with DaimlerChrysler and BMW. The same project resulted in the Dodge Durango hybrid built at the Chrysler plant in Newark.
To help it meet its technological goals, GM plans to hire 400 engineers in the coming months.
Contact Luladey B. Tadesse at 324-2789 or ltadesse@delawareonline.com.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
PFYC
Supporting Vendor Group Purchases and Sales
0
Sep 18, 2015 03:46 PM
RX Speed Works
Supporting Vendor Group Purchases and Sales
1
Aug 20, 2015 03:40 PM