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Tag: Chevy

  • GM and LG Working to Fix Bolt Battery Issues

    GM and LG Working to Fix Bolt Battery Issues

    General Motors and LG are working to fix the issues that led to a recall of the Chevy Bolt over fire concerns.

    GM originally recalled some Bolts in late 2020 over reports they could catch on fire while charging. In July, reports surfaced that some vehicles had caught on fire despite being serviced in the recall, leading GM to expand the recall.

    The issue appears to be the result of defective LG batteries, and both companies are pulling out the stops to address the issue.

    “Experts from GM and LG continue to work around the clock on the issues,” GM spokesman Dan Flores said, according to Reuters. “We are determined to do the right thing for our customers and resolve the problem once and for all. Once we are confident LG can provide us with good battery modules, we will begin repairs as quickly as we can.”

    The fix will vary, depending on the specific Bolt model, with older vehicles having the entire battery pack replaced. In contrast, newer vehicles will only have the defective modules replaced.

  • GM’s Sales Increase 40% on Strong Consumer Demand

    GM’s Sales Increase 40% on Strong Consumer Demand

    Despite constrained inventory and a global semiconductor shortage, GM sold 40% more vehicles in its second quarter.

    Like virtually every automaker, GM has been impacted by a global semiconductor shortage, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. GM has been forced to halt production at some plants, and has resorted to shipping some trucks without their full complement of fuel economy chips, resulting in 1 MPG less for the life of the vehicle.

    Despite these challenges, GM posted sales of some 688,236 vehicles in the US during the second quarter. This represents an increase of 40% over the year-ago quarter.

    The company’s SUV and EV sales were an especially strong bright spot. The Chevy Bolt EV, along with the Traverse SUV, had its best ever second-quarter and first-half sales.

    “The U.S. economy is accelerating, consumer spending is robust and jobs are plentiful,” said Elaine Buckberg, GM chief economist. “Consumer demand for vehicles is also strong, but constrained by very tight inventories. We expect continued high demand in the second half of this year and into 2022.”

    “The agility and creativity of our supply chain, purchasing, engineering and manufacturing teams, in collaboration with our suppliers and dealers, have helped us continue to satisfy customers and gain market share in some of the highest demand segments of the market,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations.

  • GM Unveils New 2022 Bolt, Including Larger EUV Crossover

    GM Unveils New 2022 Bolt, Including Larger EUV Crossover

    GM has unveiled its 2022 Chevy Bolt, including a larger EUV crossover model.

    The Chevy Bolt is one of the most popular all-electric vehicles that doesn’t carry the Tesla badge. Thanks to GM’s lineage, the Bolt is often seen as a more mainstream alternative to Tesla, and has the price point to match.

    GM is building on that success with the 2022 Bolt, adding a larger crossover variant alongside the familiar hatchback Bolt EV. The EV model maintains the 259-mile range it’s had for the last couple of years, while the EUV comes in at 250 miles. The starting price for the Bolt EUV is $33,995, while the Bolt EV starts at $31,995.

    “We’ve lowered Bolt EV’s base price by more than $5,000 from the 2021 model, proving our commitment to make EVs attainable for everyone,” said Steve Hill, vice president of Chevrolet.

    The new models are part of GM’s aggressive EV plans. The company has previously committed to phasing out fossil fuels in light duty vehicles by 2035, and plans to launch 30 EVs by 2025.

    “We want to put everyone in an EV and the new Bolt EUV and redesigned Bolt EV are crucial to doing so,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “Together, they enable mainstream customers to be part of our vison of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.”

    “The new Bolt EUV is the best of the Bolt EV packaged in an SUV-like vehicle with more technology and features, giving customers more choices and reasons to switch to electric,” added Hill. “This is an opportunity for Chevy to capitalize on the success we’ve built with the Bolt EV and bring new customers into the Chevy family.”

    Providing consumers a choice between a hatchback and an SUV-style EUV is sure to be a winning combination with what is already one of the most popular EV platforms on the market.

  • GM Recalls Chevrolet Bolts Over Fire Risk

    GM Recalls Chevrolet Bolts Over Fire Risk

    General Motors has issued a recall for nearly 51,000 Chevrolet Bolts over fire risks.

    The Chevy Bolt is one of the more popular electric vehicles, and has consistently received good reviews for its combination of features and price. Despite its success, however, GM is now recalling 50,932 of the vehicles due to fire risks.

    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “GM has issued a recall of 50,932 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles for the potential of an unattended fire in the high-voltage battery pack underneath the back seat’s bottom cushion. The affected vehicles’ cell packs have the potential to smoke and ignite internally, which could spread to the rest of the vehicle and cause a structure fire if parked inside a garage or near a house.”

    GM says the issue impacts 2017-2019 models and “may pose a risk of fire when charged to full, or very close to full, capacity.” In 2017 and 2018 models, GM recommends changing the charge settings “to use the Hill Top Reserve option,” and recommends changing the 2019 charge settings “to enable Target Charge Level at 90%.” Starting November 17, GM will be rolling out a software update that dealers can apply to limit charging to 90% while the company works on a permanent solution.

    In the meantime, until the charge settings are modified, GM and the NHTSA recommend vehicles be parked outside and away from dwellings.

  • CES 2014: Chevy Adds 4G Data, Apps to Its Vehicles

    Chevrolet today announced that it will be adding data and an app store to many of its 2015 model vehicles.

    Chevrolet’s “AppShop” will start appearing in the company’s Corvette, Equinox, Impala, Malibu, Volt, and Silverado vehicles this summer. The store will be accessed through a touchscreen in vehicle dashboards. Through it, customers will be able to download a variety of apps including those for music, weather, news, and in-vehicle diagnostics. Specific apps already announced for the AppShop include The Weather Channel, NPR, Slacker Radio, and iHeartRadio.

    “We listen to our customers, and they want more choices like they have with their smartphones,” said Alan Batey, SVP of Global Chevrolet. “They’re telling us they want more integration, more options, and more control in a safe manner. Chevrolet AppShop is an in-vehicle information resource that allows our drivers to customize and refine their experiences from their Chevrolet.”

    To access the AppShop Chevy customers will need to take advantage of the 4G LTE capabilities that Chevy will be putting into these same vehicles. The data will be a part of Chevy’s OnStar service, and customers will have to sign up for a data plan to take advantage of it.

    Chevy is touting its new data offerings and app store as a feature that will save drivers from having to engage with their smartphones while driving. Whether or not a dashboard full of apps is any less distracting than a smartphone, Chevy drivers will soon be able to have a limited app-like experience built into their vehicles.

    “At General Motors, we are trying to minimize driver distractions through the use of technology,” said Phil Abram, chief infotainment officer at GM. “In addition to AppShop, Chevrolet offers features like text-to-voice and smartphone voice pass-through integration to create a safer driving environment.”

  • 2015 Corvette Teased Ahead of Detroit Auto Show

    Many folks have been ogling at the reveal of the 2015 Ford Mustang which was released by Ford today. However, there was another large announcement in the auto world yesterday. Not to be outdone by their closest competitor, Chevrolet announced that it will unveil the 2015 Corvette Z06 at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month, along with releasing a teaser photo of the front driver’s side wheel.

    The announcement by GM marks the end of a huge year for the company in regards to performance vehicles. In October, the Chevrolet SS sedan was released to the market. This month, Chevy will start rolling the new 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible off the assembly lines in Bowling Green, Kentucky. And in the second quarter of 2014, Chevy will be releasing the 2014 Camaro Z/28, which has logged a lap-time of 7:37.40 at the famous Nürburgring course in Germany (Compare this to the track record set by the Porsche 918 Spyder, which completed the course in 6:57.)

    As it currently stands, almost no information has been released concerning the specs of the 2015 Corvette Z06 besides its name. Much speculation was held concerning whether Chevy would keep the Z06 moniker or move on to the Z07. Fortunately for traditionalist, Chevy has yet to patent the Z07 label and thus will maintain the Z06 model for the 2015 Corvette.

    In its press release for the 2015 Corvette, GM states, “It will be the most track-capable Corvette ever, designed to deliver supercar levels of performance through unique powertrain, chassis and aerodynamic features.” From the teaser picture released, one can certainly believe their claim of wanting this to be the most track-capable Corvette yet. Many sources have analyzed the picture to determine the tires the Z06 will be sporting, and most are enthused. Motortrend.com pegs the tires as “ultra-sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup tires” sized at 285/30/19. These huge front tires are sure to give ultimate traction, supporting GM’s claim of this being the most track-capable Corvette ever.

    Unfortunately, no details have been released concerning the size of the engine. If one is to assume Chevy will be using an engine similar to other Corvette models, one could expect this Corvette to boast either a twin-turbo 4.5 L engine, or a 7.0 L V8, as seen in last year’s model.

    Chevy hopes the release of the 2015 Corvette will help to continue their dominance in performance car sales in the US. Thus far in 2013, Chevy has sold 1 out of every 4 performance cars sold in the United States and is outpacing the Ford Mustang by 4,093 units. With the reveal of both the 2015 Corvette and 2015 Mustang at the same time, now is the true test of which performance car reigns supreme.

    [Image via GM]

  • New Corvette Stingray Is A Fuel-Saver

    The new Corvette Stingray is set to be released in August, and auto lovers are amped up to see the latest incarnation of the car.

    Just the third model to carry on the name of Stingray, the 2014 C7 has plenty of power under the hood, but it also has something rarely seen in a sports car: fuel efficiency.

    “The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s LT1 engine is a triumph of advanced technology, delivering more power and torque than ever before with greater efficiency,” said chief engineer Jordan Lee.

    The car–which holds 455 horsepower and a LTI 6.2 liter V-8 engine–will only be available in Europe with the 7-speed manual transmission. Vice president of design Ed Welburn says the company wants to break away from being a purely American car and move into European markets, where a fast automobile is a highly revered thing.

    “Stingray is one of the hallowed names in automotive history. We knew we couldn’t use the Stingray name unless the new car truly lived up to the legacy. The result is a new Corvette Stingray that breaks from tradition, while remaining instantly recognizable as a Corvette the world over.”

    The Stingray can go from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and can come to a full stop from 60 MPH in just 107 feet. In the company’s release statement, it’s clear that the auto makers are proud of their new creation.

    “The LT1’s performance complements the Corvette’s low mass with a tremendous feeling of power that builds as the rpm climbs,” Lee said. “Drivers will experience more power and acceleration than ever before with the standard engine – in fact, its power and torque surpass many uplevel engines offered by competitors.”

    The Stingray’s base price starts at $51,999 and goes up to $73,360.

    Image: Chevy

  • People Seem To Be Enjoying This New Chevy Ad

    People really seem to be enjoying this new ad from Chevy, uploaded to YouTube a few days ago. YouTube has it in the “Trending Topics” right alongside things like the ever-popular Harlem Shake and Asteroid 2012 Da14. Given how much these other things are being talked about, that’s a pretty good start for an advertising campaign.

    It should probably be noted that the ad is currently featured on the front page of YouTube, as an actual ad. Still the comments on the video are overwhelmingly positive.

  • Dr. Phil’s Stolen Car Has Been Found

    Dr. Phil’s Stolen Car Has Been Found

    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has told the Los Angeles Times that Dr. Phil McGraw’s stolen car has been recovered.

    Dr. Phil, who is known for his Oprah spin-off pop-psychology TV show, had his ’57 Chevy stolen back at the end of August. The car was stolen from a Burbank auto shop where it was having work done on its transmission. The thieves broke through a roll-up door to get inside the shop.

    At the time, Dr. Phil estimated that the two-door convertible is worth around $100,000. The car is black, with white and silver trim and a red leather interior. Police stated that the car had minor body damage, but was otherwise in good condition.

    The L.A. Times has stated that a Taskforce for Regional Autotheft Prevention investigation has led to the recovery of 13 vintage cars in addition to Dr. Phil’s. The vehicles’ VIN numbers had been changed to hide that they had been stolen, and five of them are still being identified. Also, “numerous” arrests have been made in connection with the stolen cars.

    The location of the stolen vehicles has not been revealed, and Dr. Phil himself has not released a statement on the matter.

  • Dr. Phil’s Car Stolen From Repair Shop

    Dr. Phil’s Car Stolen From Repair Shop

    Who knew Dr. Phil was a car collector? The celebrity pop psychologist this week had his classic ’57 Chevy stolen from a car shop where it was being repaired. TMZ is reporting that the car was in the Burbank repair shop having transmission work done.

    TMZ states that the car, a two-door convertible ’57 Chevy, is worth $100,000. Though similar to the car in the image to the right, Dr. Phil’s car is black with white and silver trim and a red leather interior. The car thieves smashed through a roll-up door to get inside the shop. Dr. Phil called police, and they are handling the theft, as much as the Burbank police can, I suppose.

    In a remarkable collision of Today’s top stories, Terrell Owens, who was just released into free agency by the Seattle Seahawks, made an embarrassing appearance on Dr. Phil’s show. Owens was confronted by the mothers of some of his children with allegations that he skipped out on child support payments and was generally absent from the lives of his progeny.

    Dr. Phil, whose full name is Phillip Calvin McGraw, has not commented publicly on the theft. The latest blog post on the Dr. Phil blog is by his wife Robin, who praises the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority for its charity work.

    (Photo courtesy Kobac via Wikimedia Commons)

  • Chevy Sonic, Spark Are First To Get Siri Eyes-Free

    Chevy Sonic, Spark Are First To Get Siri Eyes-Free

    One of the highlights of Apple’s WWDC 2012 keynote was the introduction of iOS 6. During the presentation, Apple unveiled a bunch of great new features that would be coming to their mobile operating system when it launches alongside the new iPhone this fall.

    Among those awesome new features were improvements to Siri, and the addition of turn-by-turn navigation to the Maps app. As part of that, Apple announced that Siri would be getting an “eyes free” mode. That is, a button on the steering wheel of your car would activate Siri, allowing you to give commands (including navigation requests) without ever taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road.

    Siri Eyes Free

    As part of the announcement, Apple said that they had been working with a number of auto manufacturers who were on board and would be bringing eyes free Siri integration to their vehicles soon. They flashed the logos of nine auto makers on the screen, including GM, BMW, Toyota, and Chrysler. Ford, which already has similar technology in place with its SYNC system, was conspicuously absent from the list.

    Siri Eyes Free

    The question, of course, was which of these auto makers would get Eyes Free-capable vehicles rolling off their assembly lines first. The answer, it seems, is GM. According to GM Authority, GM is prepping two models that will have Eyes Free integration: the Chevy Spark and the Chevy Sonic. The timing of the rollout is unclear, but the report suggests that there will be an announcement sometime within the next year. That suggests that we won’t be seeing Eyes Free in the 2013 models of either vehicle, though the 2014 model seems pretty certain.

    Chevy Sonic, Chevy Spark

    It is not yet known when any of the other car makers will be rolling out Eyes Free integration in their vehicles.

  • GM to Relaunch Marketing of Volt

    According to GM CEO Dan Akerson, General Motors plans to relaunch an advertising campaign for its electric Volt in the next one to two months. Akerson made these comments at a press conference on Wednesday. GM recently halted production of the electric car for 5 weeks, to allow demand to catch up with supply.

    GM planned to move 10,000 Volts in 2011, but sold only 7,671. Then in January the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency investigated the Volt as being a potential fire hazard, but closed the inquiry after deeming the car to be safe. Ragardless, Akerson states that the investigation “set us back, so we’ve got to rebuild,” adding that Volt sales are back up to pre-investigation levels.

    Akerson said the new marketing strategy would essentially relaunch the car, steer away from plainly introducing the Volt to the public, and focus more on how the established vehicle has been working out for real customers. Akerson also stated that GM wouldn’t continue to overproduce the Volt, calling the production beyond demand “foolhardy,” with the Volt making up less than 0.5% of GM’s overall sales.

    Akerson also pointed out that though the sales of the Volt have been down, they are on par with what Toyota’s Prius was selling in its first year on the market.