gm

Chevy Volt misses first-year sales target

General Motors reported solid growth in vehicle sales this year, but its high-profile electric Chevy Volt fell short of targets.

The company reported today that it sold 7,671 Chevy Volts in 2011, fewer than the 10,000 it had expected to sell. There were more than 1,500 Volts sold in December, the best month since the car was launched in late 2010.

Sales of the Volt have been closely watched as a barometer both for uptake of electric vehicles and GM's financial health.

Buyers receive a $7,500 federal tax credit for buying an electric car with … Read more

OnStar to demo cloud-based entertainment, is Siri next?

GM's OnStar seems to have a few aces up its sleeve, and will finally show its cards at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January.

In addition to showing off the new Cadillac CUE infotainment system and the Chevrolet Volt's smart grid, home connectivity, and energy management applications, GM appears to be doubling down on the telematics and infotainment space. In a Volt research vehicle kitted out with Verizon 4G LTE connectivity, OnStar will demonstrate some upcoming prototype cloud-based streaming technologies.

The telematics company demonstrated video chat using 4G LTE connectivity at last year's show, but this … Read more

GM to complete China Advanced Technical Center in 2012

General Motors announced that the second phase of its China Advanced Technical Center (ATC) will open in 2012.

According to GM, this is the most-comprehensive advanced automotive technology development center in China, and it will focus on advanced design, vehicle engineering, advanced power-train development, urban mobility, and manufacturing processes.

The 65,000-square-meter facility, located next to GM China International Operations and GM China Headquarters in Shanghai, will house 62 test labs and nine research labs, and will employ more than 300 engineers, designers, researchers, and technicians.

"The establishment of the ATC is proof of GM's commitment to advanced … Read more

Saab: Killing it softly

Saab's struggle for survival ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper, as a final deal to save it is blocked by GM.

The company, founded in 1947 and owned by GM since 2000, was due to be shut down in 2009 as GM consolidated its brands. Victor Muller, former CEO of Spyker Cars, threw Saab a lifeline, taking over the company and attempting to arrange financing.

Most recently, Chinese automaker Youngman Automobile Group was set to purchase Saab. But GM, which still owns Saab technology licenses, spiked the deal by refusing to extend the licensing to Youngman. … Read more

BMW, GM to collaborate on fuel cells

This decade will bring a lot of changes to the fuel cell market, the latest being a partnership between General Motors and BMW.

The two automotive manufacturers will sign a cooperation agreement that gives BMW access to GM's existing fuel cell technology in exchange for research funding supplied by the German auto maker, according to reports in German weekly business magazine WirtschaftsWoche.

Both manufacturers have been developing and testing hydrogen-powered vehicles for more than two decades. After clocking more than 2 million miles during Project Driveway, GM is fleet and consumer testing its Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles in … Read more

Coolant likely cause of Volt fires, says AP source

GM is strengthening the Volt's battery pack to prevent coolant leaks in accidents.

Ironically, the liquid coolant that keeps the Volt's lithium-ion battery from overheating on the road is likely what caused it to catch fire three weeks after a crash test. But Volt drivers don't have to worry about coolant catching flame in the same way they might worry about gasoline spills. A source briefed on the Volt's investigation told the Associated Press that crystallized coolant resulted in an electrical short, causing the battery to catch fire.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has been … Read more

GM's Lansing, Mich., plant meets Energy Star standards

General Motors isn't just interested in building energy-efficient vehicles; the company now says its Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant is the company's first U.S. facility to become Energy Star certified. This means the plant has met strict energy performance levels set by the EPA from 2010 to 2011.

The Michigan plant, which builds the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse, was designed to meet the optimum energy efficiency in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning without using steam, the company said in a press release.

The plant, which opened in 2006, has energy and water conservation features … Read more

So far most Volt owners passing on GM's buy-back, loaner offer

It's going to take more than a couple of battery fires to shake the confidence of most current Volt owners--so far only 24 people have taken General Motors up on its offer to buy back their extended range electric vehicles.

The Volt is being investigated by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration because of fires that started in the liquid cooled lithium-ion battery three weeks after side-impact crash tests were performed by the organization. Proper post-crash safety protocols were not followed by NHTSA engineers, which requires the Volt's battery to be drained of power until repairs are … Read more

Why Chevy Volt sales matter less than you think

commentary If anyone thought the Chevy Volt would "save" General Motors, take a look at the first-year sales figures.

The auto giant yesterday reported that it sold 1,139 Chevy Volts in November, bringing its total to date to 6,142. That means, barring a massive purchase by a fleet owner, GM will miss its first-year goal of selling 10,000 electrically driven Volts, a target the company now expects to hit early next year. (Nissan has sold 8,720 all-electric Leafs.)

Detractors will no doubt say first-year Volt sales prove that electric vehicles are not ready for … Read more

GM willing to buy back Volts from worried owners

Volt owners can get a loaner while NHTSA investigations are under way, or GM will take the vehicle off their hands entirely.

Little known fact: OnStar is alerted whenever a Volt is involved in an accident, and within 48 hours GM dispatches a team of technicians to drain the vehicle's battery, which is the proper safety protocol for the vehicle, until it is fully repaired.

But that EV safety protocol may not be good enough for the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association, and it may be cold comfort for worried drivers reading headlines about Volts catching fire three … Read more