June 8, 2008
Video: Bob Lutz on the Volt Test Mule
By Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman
This week we announced that the GM Board has approved the Chevrolet Volt program. Yes, development work has been going on in earnest, but now it’s official. In fact, recently, at GM’s Milford Proving Ground, I drove an official “engineering development vehicle” with the 16-kwh lithium-ion battery pack we’ve been testing for our E-Flex System and I have to say – pun half-intended – it was electrifying.
Continue reading"Video: Bob Lutz on the Volt Test Mule"
Posted by Frank at 1:16 PM
| Filed under 5th Wheel
| Alternative Fuels
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| Electric
| GM
| Video
Chevy to award five lucky high school grads with new cars
Nashville, Tenn. – During Fall 2008, high school seniors at more than 200 schools in 26 Tennessee counties learned that having perfect attendance would make them eligible to win a new 2008 Chevy Cobalt sedan this June. Close to 500 students faithfully attended all 180 days during the school year.
Five of these students will be awarded new Chevy Cobalts in a drawing held at the Sommet Center on 501 Broadway in Nashville on June 13, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Continue reading"Chevy to award five lucky high school grads with new cars"
Posted by Frank at 12:18 PM
| Filed under 5th Wheel
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Chevrolet
| GM
June 6, 2008
GM looks beyond improved quality scores
By Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President, Quality
There are many gate-checks, so to speak, here at GM when it comes to quality. However, the ones that matter most to you, the customer, the driver, are the external measures that tell you if we’re all wet or if we’re running hard and clean. J.D. Power & Associates has announced its Initial Quality Survey results. I won’t re-iterate the content of the press release.
Continue reading"GM looks beyond improved quality scores"
Posted by Frank at 4:31 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Buick
| Cadillac
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| GM
| Pontiac
Winners Unveiled at Auto Interiors Show
DETROIT -- For the first time in several years, foreign nameplates outshined domestic competitors for top honors in the 2008 Ward's "Interior of the Year" Awards. And unlike previous years, no brand won more than a single award.
Chosen by the editors of Ward's Automotive Group, the prestigious awards were presented today to executives of the automakers at a special program held on the floor of the Ward's Auto Interiors Show at Detroit's Cobo Center.
Continue reading"Winners Unveiled at Auto Interiors Show"
Posted by Frank at 12:19 AM
| Filed under Audi
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Chrysler
| GM
| Jaguar
| Mazda
June 5, 2008
Best Selling Pickups in the United States for May 2008
Pickup truck sales dropped 36.1% in the U.S. in May, and as they say, that's gonna' leave a mark.
For the year to date pickup sales are down 21%, with only the Toyota Tundra selling more than last year [8.5%].
Even with plant idlings and closings, it's becoming pretty obvious there is overcapacity in the market, and we wouldn't be surprised if one of the manufacturers pulls out or shuts down pickup truck production altogether.
Best selling pickups trucks for May 2008:
Continue reading"Best Selling Pickups in the United States for May 2008"
Posted by Frank at 12:58 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Chrysler
| Dodge
| Ford
| GM
| Industry Statistics
| Nissan
| Toyota
Top Selling Minivans in the Unites States for May 2008
The minivan segment saw sales drop 16.6% in May, with Chrysler holding on to two of the top three spots, thanks in part to their gas rebate plan.
Of particular note was the 80% drop in Hyundai Entourage sales, that one can only hope was due to a supply problem -- point being, this is a bad time to be getting into the minivan business, as Volkswagen is about to find out.
The top 8 best selling minivans in the United States for May 2008:
Continue reading"Top Selling Minivans in the Unites States for May 2008"
Posted by Frank at 12:06 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Chrysler
| Dodge
| Honda
| Hyundai
| Industry Statistics
| Kia
| Nissan
| Toyota
June 4, 2008
Top Selling Crossovers in the United States for May 2008
With total SUV sales down 19.5% in May, not even the crossover segment was able to escape unscathed -- the smaller ute/station wagon category was also down 5%, as consumers decided they didn't even want mini-SUVs over more fuel efficient cars.
Besides the usual suspects a couple vehicles did well in consumers' quest for smaller wagons, including the Dodge Journey, Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester. Also of note is that GM placed both the GMC Acadia and Saturn Vue in the top 15, which is good news for that new platform, and for the parent company that suffered a big blow for the month.
After the jump, the top 15 best selling crossovers for May 2008:
Continue reading"Top Selling Crossovers in the United States for May 2008"
Posted by Frank at 12:56 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Dodge
| Ford
| GM
| GMC
| Honda
| Hyundai
| Industry Statistics
| Lexus
| Nissan
| Saturn
| Subaru
| Toyota
Top Ten Best Selling Cars in the United States for May 2008
American consumers voted with their wallets at car dealerships in May, and overwhelmingly chose fuel efficient cars over trucks and SUVs, by the highest margin in recent history. Nearly 60% of vehicles bought were cars, while bigger vehicles dropped to 43% of purchases.
There was big news in the battle for the best selling car, as the Honda Civic pulled in front of Toyota's Camry and Corolla, with the Nissan Altima taking its usual fifth spot behind the Honda Accord.
But even the domestics did well in this new reality environment, as Chevy posted three best sellers to the top ten, and Ford had two, with the Focus that has been doing well, but also with the Fusion sedan that had its best sales month ever.
Top Ten Best Selling Car in the United States for May 2008:
Continue reading"Top Ten Best Selling Cars in the United States for May 2008"
Posted by Frank at 7:34 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Ford
| GM
| Honda
| Industry Statistics
| Nissan
| Toyota
June 3, 2008
GM plans new Chevy compact, updated Aveo
General Motors has announced plans to build a new compact Chevy at their Lordstown, Ohio, plant, in the middle of 2010. The new vehicle will be a "global" car, meaning it will simultaneously be built and marketed in other countries besides the United States.
The new Chevy will come equipped with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is expected to yield an additional 9 mpg over their current small car offerings.
Chevy will also move forward with a next generation of the Aveo subcompact. Based on a global architecture, the Aveo is also expected to have segment-leading fuel economy when it goes on sale in the U.S. market in the second half of 2010.
Posted by Frank at 11:49 PM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| GM
GM will build the Chevy Volt Electric Car
GM has approved funding to build the Chevy Volt electric vehicle, and confirms that it will come equipped with still experimental lithium-ion batteries. GM expects the Volt to be in showrooms by the end of 2010.
Related: Video: The Chevy Volt Electric Vehicle
Posted by Frank at 11:47 PM
| Filed under Alternative Fuels
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| Electric
| GMC
| Hybrid
GM Increases Small Car Production, Closes Four Truck Plants
General Motors has announced they are increasing small car production in Michigan and Ohio, at plants that make the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6 and the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5, to keep up with increased consumer demand of small and mid-size cars.
GM also said they will shut down four truck plants, in Canada, Ohio, Wisconsin and Mexico.
One plant will stop making the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra in 2009, while another that makes the Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7x, will end production at the end of the 2010 model run, or sooner, if demand dictates. A Wisconsin plant will cease production of medium-duty trucks by the end of 2009, and of the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon in 2010, or sooner, if market demand dictates. Chevrolet Kodiak medium-duty truck production will also end in Toluca, Mexico, by the end of this year.
GM expects these actions will save more than $1 billion by 2010 and plans to have to work with unions to handle even more layoffs, due to "long-term changes in consumer demand for trucks and SUVs."
Posted by Frank at 11:45 PM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| Finance
| GM
| GMC
| Pontiac
| Saab
GM Reports May Sales Down 28%
DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 272,363 vehicles in May.
The sales increase in fuel efficient cars and crossover vehicles could not make up for soft truck demand and a decline in fleet deliveries impacted by the American Axle strike.
Approximately 15-18,000 sales were lost in May, or will be retimed, due to various work stoppages including the American Axle strike. Compared with a strong May 2007, total sales were down 30 percent (28 percent unadjusted). Truck sales declined 39 percent.
Continue reading"GM Reports May Sales Down 28%"
Posted by Frank at 2:05 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Buick
| Cadillac
| Chevrolet
| GM
| GMC
| Hummer
| Industry Statistics
| Pontiac
| Saab
| Saturn
Hyundai Elantra Tops Toyota Corolla in Small Sedan Test
YONKERS, N.Y. -- After testing a group of compacts and subcompacts, Consumer Reports judged the Hyundai Elantra SE best with an "Excellent" overall road test score. But three other compact cars, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus, also achieved "Very Good" ratings in a report on gas-saving sedans published in the July issue.
The Corolla achieved a very impressive 32 mpg overall in Consumer Reports' real-world fuel economy tests. That's among the best gas mileage CR has seen in a conventional gasoline-powered car with an automatic transmission. Only the smaller Honda Fit (32 mpg) and Toyota Yaris (33 mpg) subcompacts do as well or better.
Continue reading"Hyundai Elantra Tops Toyota Corolla in Small Sedan Test"
Posted by Frank at 8:20 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Finance
| Ford
| GM
| Honda
| Hyundai
| Subaru
| Toyota
May 30, 2008
GM to give locksmiths access to key info
GM is implementing a nationwide process for registered locksmiths to obtain information to make replacement keys and obtain immobilizer PIN information for GM vehicles.
Effective May 30, 2008, using a process established in December 2007 to comply with California law, any licensed (where licensing is required) and bonded locksmiths in the U.S. who have complied with the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Secure Data Release Model verification process will be able to access key code and immobilizer (when applicable) information when the verified registered owner / lessee of a vehicle requests the locksmith to produce a key to enter, start, and operate the vehicle.
Continue reading"GM to give locksmiths access to key info"
Posted by Frank at 10:20 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Buick
| Cadillac
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| GM
| GMC
| Hummer
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| Saab
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May 29, 2008
GM Announces California Public Policy Partners for Fuel Cell Project
DETROIT - As a further demonstration of its commitment to fuel cell technology, General Motors handed the keys to four Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles to a group of key government partners who are participating in Chevrolet's Project Driveway - the largest-ever market test of fuel cell-electric vehicles.
More than 100 electric vehicles, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, are being placed in the hands of drivers in New York, California and Washington, DC. Selected drivers include general public, media, influencers, celebrities, business and public policy partners.
Continue reading"GM Announces California Public Policy Partners for Fuel Cell Project"
Posted by Frank at 10:46 AM
| Filed under Alternative Fuels
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Chevrolet
| Environment
| GM
| Hybrid
| Hydrogen