Revenge of the Nerds: Chevy Gives “Socially Influential” People Free 3-Day Sonic Test Drives

Providing a free ride to influential people is a tried and tested method that carmakers employ to generate publicity about a model. Sports players and socialites, however, now have to take a back seat to people with a great influence on social media.
What exactly does this mean? Well, General Motors has enlisted the services of a company named Klout. This company ranks a person’s “social influence” and then runs a sampling program providing said person with certain “perks” – in GM’s case, a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic.
.

Chevrolet Volt Deemed as 2011's Top Collectible Car of the Future by NAHC

For a second year in a row, the Friends of the National Automotive History Collection (NAHC), which is billed as the world's largest public archive of automotive literature, have selected a Chevrolet model as the most collectible car of the future among 23 all-new cars and trucks launched in the States in 2011.
Last year, the winner was the Camaro sports coupe while for 2011, the award goes to the Volt extended range electric vehicle. NAHC did not name the other competitors for this year's award.
.

GM Says No to Saab's Latest Ownership Plan, Swedes Reply “There is Always a Plan B”

A day without Saab news is a day wasted. On Monday, Saab's owner, Swan NV, said that after GM’s rejection of the Pang Da and Youngman deal, it was readying another plan, involving Youngman and a Chinese bank.
Unfortunately for Saab, this latest plan, which put Pang Da out of the picture, didn’t make the cut with General Motors either. On Tuesday, GM spokesman James Cain issued the following statement: “We have reviewed Saab’s proposed changes regarding the sale of the company. Nothing in the proposal changes GM’s position. We are unable to support the transaction.”
.

Court-Appointed Administrator Wants Saab Restructuring Process Terminated

Less than 24 hours after General Motors stated once again, that it will veto any plan that includes a Chinese company acquiring a stake in Saab, the Swedish carmaker received more bad news.
Guy Lofalk, the court-appointed administrator who oversees Saab’s restructuring, announced that he will apply for a termination of the voluntary reorganization of Saab Automobile and its two subsidiaries with the Vanersborg District Court in Sweden.
.

Report: GM to Unveil New Buick Encore Crossover and Two Chevy Concepts at the Detroit Show

As we're nearing closer to the 2012 edition of the North American International Auto Show [NAIAS], more details are coming out on the new models that will make their debut in the city of Detroit.
Last week, General Motors told us that it is preparing four-world premieres for Detroit including the 2013 Cadillac ATS premium sports sedan, but declined to elaborate on the other vehicles.
However, the Detroit Free Press is reporting today that GM spokeswoman Stephanie Rice said that the other three world premieres will be a "global production Buick crossover" and two never before-seen Chevrolet concepts.
.

Dan Akerson Says GM is “Like Communist China in the ‘60s”, Starts Cultural Revolution by Laying off White-Collar Workers

Last month, General Motors posted a third-quarter profit of $1.7 billion US. Not bad for a company that, only just two years ago, was almost bankrupt and was saved thanks to a massive government bailout.
Yet its aim is to reduce costs and increase profits even more. GM representative Jay Cooney told the Detroit News: “GM is continually seeking ways to improve our operating performance and reduce complexity to deliver a world-class cost structure and profit margins.”
.

GM Completes 1 Million Test Miles with 2013 Chevrolet Malibu [Video]

It's no secret that all major carmakers put their new vehicles through a series of tests that include driving prototypes hundreds of thousands of miles all over the world and under all kinds of conditions before they enter regular production.
The upcoming 2013 Malibu, which will be Chevy's first-ever global midsize sedan, is no exception. On Thursday, General Motors announced that the Malibu's engineers surpassed the 1 million mile mark of on-road testing, which were accumulated since the first quarter of 2010 on a fleet of about 170 hand-built prototypes on six different continents.
.

Media Headlines Reduce Demand for Volt, Coolant May be the Cause of Battery Fires

Despite handling the Chevrolet Volt fire-risk issue brightly going to great lengths to dispel current owners’ fears and satisfy them, media headlines seem to have taken their toll on the extended range EV's sales after all.
According to CNW Marketing president Art Spinella, a new survey conducted by his research company reveals “a decline in the consideration of the GM vehicle”.
The study shows that the number of early adopters “Likely” or “Very Likely” to buy a Volt between July and December decreased by 20.5% after the fire reports, a percentage that was double among the general public. Electric vehicle enthusiasts are the only ones not affected by the reports, yet analysts expect the Volt to will miss its 2011 sales target by around 20%.
.

GM to Use More Carbon Fiber and Composite Materials in Future Models

General Motors announced today that it signed a deal with Teijin Limited, a Japanese company that is among the leaders in the carbon fiber and composites industry.
The two companies will cooperate in the development of carbon fiber and composite materials for future use in high-volume GM cars, trucks and crossovers.
.

Attention, Serious Buyers Only: 1995 Cadillac 900S Convertible

From the 1980s right through to the beginning of the 21st century, General Motors tried its best to simplify the art of badge engineering as a cheap and easy way to expand its offerings and increase its profits.
Apparently, some of GM's enthusiasm for badge-trickery managed to rub off on certain consumers like the owner of this 1995 Saab who artfully transformed the open-top model into the Cadillac 900S Convertible in a way that a 1990s GM exec would say, "why didn't I think of that?"
.

Ward's Auto Announces the 10 Best Engines of the Year

The annual list of Ward's 10 Best Engines of the year has been released. The magazine's editors chose the winners after spending October and November driving 36 vehicles with 34 of those featuring new or significantly upgraded powerplants.
To be eligible to participate in the competition, Ward's states that "each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2012, in a vehicle with a base price below $55,000".
.

Shocker: Crash Tests Reveal that Most Cars Sold in Latin America are Deathtraps on Wheels

The FIA Foundation announced the results of the first ever crash tests carried out by the Latin New Car Assessment Program (Latin NCAP), and the news isn’t good for consumers and automakers alike.
Actually, the crash test results reveal a terrifying reality: most of the best selling cars in Latin America’s emerging markets offer minimal or no protection at all to their adult occupants let alone children...
Max Mosley, president of Global NCAP, said: “The latest results of the Latin NCAP reveal that South America’s most popular cars are still about 20 years behind the levels of safety enjoyed in Europe and North America. This cannot be acceptable.”
"We want to see the UN’s global crash test standards applied to all new cars across the world. And we want consumers to be aware of the life and death choices they make when buying a new car," Mosley added.
.

Shocker: Crash Tests Reveal that Most Cars Sold in Latin America are Deathtraps on Wheels

Shocker: Crash Tests Reveal that Most Cars Sold in Latin America are Deathtraps on Wheels

The FIA Foundation announced the results of the first ever crash tests carried out by the Latin New Car Assessment Program (Latin NCAP), and the news isn’t good for consumers and automakers alike. Actually, the crash test results reveal a terrifying reality: most of the best selling cars in Latin America’s emerging markets offer minimal or no protection at all to their adult occupants let alone children...
Max Mosley, president of Global NCAP, said: “The latest results of the Latin NCAP reveal that South America’s most popular cars are still about 20 years behind the levels of safety enjoyed in Europe and North America. This cannot be acceptable.”
"We want to see the UN’s global crash test standards applied to all new cars across the world. And we want consumers to be aware of the life and death choices they make when buying a new car," Mosley added.
The 64 km/h (40 mph) frontal impact crash tests revealed that most of the cars that were tested suffered from poor structural rigidity which, along with the absence of airbags in most of them, “awarded” them an unheard-of, in the 21st century, one-star rating!
This kind of performance is indeed scary, especially when compared to models sold to the European and North American markets, where the top five-star rating for every new model, save for ultra compacts which usually score four stars, is the norm.
Whereas in North America and Europe safety agencies constantly upgrade their requirements, in most Latin American countries safety regulations are virtually non-existent.
A measure of the work that needs to be done is the fact that Argentina and Brazil will make airbags mandatory by 2014 – and that, sadly, is hailed as a sign of progress.

Published By: Carscoop

PHOTO GALLERY

GM Moves On to New Battery Technology for the Pure-Electric Spark

Electric vehicles may be all the rage in the zero-emission-obsessed 21st century automotive world, but they are not the novelty carmakers would have you believe.
In fact, the first electric vehicle was manufactured in the early 19th century, predating the invention of both gasoline and diesel internal-combustion engines. Its limited range, though, along with the rapid development of road infrastructure in the early 20th century that made travels much easier, caused its demise.
.

GM Moves On to New Battery Technology for the Pure - Electric Spark

Electric vehicles may be all the rage in the zero-emission-obsessed 21st century automotive world, but they are not the novelty carmakers would have you believe. In fact, the first electric vehicle was manufactured in the early 19th century, predating the invention of both gasoline and diesel internal-combustion engines. Its limited range, though, along with the rapid development of road infrastructure in the early 20th century that made travels much easier, caused its demise.
Naturally, two centuries later, the newly discovered EVs use much more advanced technology. It’s still in its infancy, however, especially compared to the internal combustion engine. Therefore, there is still much room for improvement.
The recent NHTSA investigation concerning the issue of lithium-ion batteries after crash-testing Chevrolet’s Volt extended-range hybrid, has prompted GM to seek a more advanced battery technology for the electric version of its Spark city car, which is due in 2013.
When carmakers like Tesla, Nissan and GM were developing their EVs and hybrids, lithium-ion batteries were the best tech available.
Now they will employ lithium phosphate technology in their next-gen models because, as principal of Detroit consulting firm 2953 Analytics, James Hall, noted, they are safer and longer lasting.
"Lithium phosphate chemistry looks like it could be friendlier in terms of heat management", said Hall. "But it stores less energy. There is a tremendous amount of new discovery. This is new territory for lithium batteries."
GM has already signed a contract with A123 Systems for the development of new, lithium phosphate battery packs. The company’s executive director in charge of Global Electrical Systems, Micky Bly, said that “A123’s systems offer ideal capabilities for a future electrified vehicle application.”
A123 Systems’ vice president Andy Chu revealed that the company was one of the bidders to supply the Volt batteries, but lost out to LG Chem because, at the time, it didn’t have a proven manufacturing record.
The tables have turned, though. Apart from the GM, BMW is also buying lithium phosphate batteries from A123 for its ActiveHybrid 5 and upcoming ActiveHybrid 3, while Fisker will also use the same technology for the Karma.
 
Story References: Bloomberg

PHOTO GALLERY

Holden Rumored to Decide on the Future of the Commodore by the End of December

Once a production hub, Australia's motoring industry is now facing the prospect of losing one of its most acclaimed model series, the Holden Commodore (and apparently, its Caprice derivatives) after the upcoming redesign, which is scheduled for 2013.
While production of the 2013 Commodore VF will endure at least until 2017, The Sydney Morning Herald (via its Drive car site) is reporting today that Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux confirmed that the brand will decide on its local manufacturing future beyond 2018 before the end of December.
.

GM Confirms Turbo Engine for the New Malibu, Could be for the RS or SS Model

At a press event for the introduction of the new 2013 Malibu on Monday, General Motors confirmed the presentation of a turbocharged model to Motor Trend magazine.
Chevrolet officials said that the force-fed variant of the Malibu would be introduced in about a year's time from now, without elaborating further on the specifications of engine or the model trim.
.

Supplier Issue Forces GM to Halt Chevy Cruze Production in Ohio

While models like the Corvette or the Camaro usually make the headlines with their performance numbers, looks or Nürburgring lap times, “bread and butter” models that sell in high volumes are those that matter the most to companies like General Motors.
The Cruze, which has sold more than a million units less than two years after its global launch and is currently the second-best-selling small car in the U.S. trailing the Toyota Corolla by 4,000 units, is a prime example.
That’s why halting production on Monday at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio plant where the Cruze is manufactured, must have been quite a blow for the Detroit company.
.

BMW and General Motors to Cooperate on Fuel Cell Technology

With developing costs on new technologies rising and markets fluctuating in unforeseeable ways, cooperating with other manufacturers is the way to go.
BMW has been one of the first to mingle with its automotive counterparts. Since 2002, it has been cooperating with Europe’s second largest group, PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Only a few days ago, it announced a new deal with Toyota, in which the Germans will provide the Japanese with their diesel engines in exchange for Toyota’s vast expertise on hybrid technology.
.

China Slaps New Duties on U.S.-Made Cars because it’s Damaging its Domestic Industry!

Another chapter in the tense relationship between the world’s two biggest economies, those of the United States and China, has opened today with the announcement by Chinese authorities of new duties on U.S.-made cars that are imported into the country.
Reuters reported that the Commerce ministry of China said on its website that the measure, which imposes “anti-dumping” and “countervailing” duties on cars with an engine capacity of 2.5-liters and above, is effective tomorrow, December 15, and will last for two years.
.