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Bob Lutz reportedly to stay on at General Motors

Bob Lutz, General Motors vice chairman and internationally renowned product guru, has reversed his retirement plans and is expected to stay with the remade car company as it charts a new path out of bankruptcy. Multiple media outlets are reporting Lutz, 77, has changed course and will not retire from GM at the end of the year as he had planned. Automotive News, citing anonymous sources, says the veteran industry leader will stay on at the company, possibly in a marketing or communications role--and could have product input.

Gumpert Insolvent

German supercar maker Gumpert has filed for insolvency after a foray in to China failed to realise the expected sales. We’re beginning to wonder if the only garden shed supercar makers actually able to make a go of things are British? Gumpert – German maker of extreme supercars – has instigated insolvency proceedings after its plan to make the newly wealthy Chinese fall in love with its bonkers cars floundered.

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.