General Motors
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Researchers and development firms regularly reveal battery-technology breakthroughs. Now, Envia Systems--one company that gained much public attention by promising such a breakthrough--faces two lawsuits. One claims that Envia stole its technology from other companies. And General Motors, which invested $17 million into the company in January 2011, has canceled its deal with Envia altogether. Headlines lead to GM deal The company, formed in 2007, has made several headlines in recent years. Envia said it could increase the energy density of batteries by a third, yet do so for less money. So...
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GM EV1 & Tesla Model S: Looking At 20 Years Of Electric Cars
Last week, we were struck by a single photo that captured electric cars across two decades. The image, showing a GM EV1 and a Tesla Model S on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute campus, was posted on Facebook by Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA]. More than anything we've seen in a while, that photo showed...
John Voelcker -
GM Gets New Partner For Fuel-Cell Vehicle Research: U.S. Army
An expanded partnership with the U.S. Army gives GM more fuel cell development resources.
Stephen Edelstein -
Is Tesla Motors Really Worth Almost Half The Value Of GM?
Discussions of Tesla Motors sometimes seem couched in the terms of a religious tale: Tesla as David vs General Motors in the Goliath role. One company is the plucky Silicon Valley electric-car startup that's never built a vehicle with a gasoline engine. The other is the largest U.S. automaker, one...
John Voelcker -
Can 2014 Cadillac ELR Electric Car Rescue GM's Luxury Brand In California?
The ELR's plug-in powertrain and unique styling could be the right combination for success in the Golden State.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevy Volt Plug-In Electric Car Development: Academic Study Published
The development of the Chevrolet Volt is now the subject of a 29-page academic paper.
Stephen Edelstein -
It looks like the success of the Tesla Model S all-electric luxury sedan may be starting to get under GM's skin. CEO Dan Akerson told the Detroit News that General Motors will compete with Tesla Motors--"ultimately"--through its Cadillac luxury brand. But, Akerson said, he remained unconvinced that battery-electric vehicles were "the panacea that I think the American public wants." That may indicate that GM believes a plug-in hybrid version of its future large Cadillac LTS sedan will be its Tesla Model S competitor. $30,000 electric Chevrolet? On Monday, Douglas Parks, the company's vice...
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GM Developing Tesla Model E Rival: 200-Mile, $30,000 Electric Car?
GM's Tesla-rivaling electric car could be powered by a new type of battery with greater energy density, which would create more range without dramatically raising price.
Stephen Edelstein -
Rare Surviving GM EV1 Waits For Savior At Missouri University
The late and much lamented GM EV1 electric car is by now a mythical creature. It's been the subject of a much-discussed documentary, and is still cause for blind loathing of General Motors in some quarters. Designed, engineered, and offered for lease in California and a few other locations from...
John Voelcker -
GM To Test Utility-Controlled Solar Charging For Electric Cars
If there's one thing that most people agree on when it comes to electric cars, it's that powering them with electricity generated by renewable energy is generally the greenest thing to do. Solar is a popular choice with those in warmer climates, but even that endless nuclear furnace we call the sun...
Antony Ingram -
It's Official: General Motors Now Sees Tesla As A Threat
"History is littered with big companies that ignored innovation that was coming their way because you didn’t know where you could be disrupted." General Motors will be hoping those words, from vice chairman Steve Girksy as the automaker begins to study electric upstart Tesla Motors...
Antony Ingram -
GM Becomes First Automaker To Sign Call For Action On Climate Change
When we think of the companies and organizations concerned with climate change, we don't often think of major automakers. But maybe we should think again. Yesterday, General Motors became the first automaker to sign onto the Climate Declaration, a statement drafted by Ceres and its Business for...
Richard Read -
You may have read about the latest Buick Riviera concept car, which was unveiled last Saturday at the Shanghai Auto Show. Perhaps you also noticed that it uses a new and innovative plug-in hybrid powertrain that includes wireless battery charging. In the words of GM's own press release: The new Riviera has adopted BIP (Buick Intelligent Performance) technology. It is equipped with GM's all-new, dual-mode W-PHEV (wireless plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) propulsion system. The user can drive the car on green power in electric mode and enjoy the exhilarating handling and performance of a sports...
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GM Now Building Chevy Spark EV Electric-Car Motors In Maryland
Eighteen months ago, GM announced that it would build the electric motor for its upcoming Chevrolet Spark EV electric car in the U.S. Now, that motor is officially in production at the company's Baltimore Operations plant in White Marsh, Maryland--along with the associated final-drive...
John Voelcker -
GM Working On 200-Mile Electric Car, Says CEO Akerson
Last summer he dropped a hint that it might be possible. Now Dan Akerson has confirmed it: GM is working on an electric car with a 200-mile range, according to its CEO. The chief executive officer of General Motors made the comment yesterday at an energy conference, as reported in Reuters. He...
John Voelcker -
BMW Earns Profit By The Minute With Car Sharing: Is Ownership Dead?
In case you haven't heard: car sharing is big business. Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of car-sharing companies. Zipcar -- America's pioneer in the sector -- represents one type, which is similar to a traditional rental car business, except it operates on a membership model. Renters pay...
Richard Read -
GM Moves Electric, Fuel-Cell Work To Michigan From CA, NY
General Motors has announced more shuffling of its future-tech facilities. Back in October, the automaker shut down a fuel cell center in Honeoye Falls, New York and shifted operations (along with 220 jobs) to Pontiac, Michigan. Outposts in Torrance, California, Castleton, Indiana, and Warren...
Richard Read -
Official: GM Quietly Drops Hybrid Pickups; Are SUVs Next?
GM's full-size hybrid pickups, the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid, for much of the time they've been on sale, have offered the highest gas mileage of any full-size truck on the U.S. market. Yet these hybrid pickups, which were introduced for the 2009 model year, have been...
Bengt Halvorson -
General Motors has narrowed its portfolio of future technologies, and will focus on plug-in and electric vehicles over the coming years. The company will build on the success of its Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, an area where it leads its competitors, while downplaying more traditional full hybrid technologies. GM Product Chief Mary Barra said in a videoconference yesterday that GM will "make educated bets on which technologies hold the most potential for creating values for our customers and our company." The company will continue with its mild-hybrid eAssist system, which...
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GM’s Aluminum Welding Process Means Lighter Cars, Better Gas Mileage
As long as the auto industry has existed, various automated and non-automated processes have been developed to bond two or more pieces of metal together through the art of welding. Normally, how a car is welded together would be of little interest to the average car buyer. However, improvements in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
GM May Kill Two-Mode Hybrid Pickups, SUVs: Report
"We can't provide you with any information related to future product technologies or timing." That's the standard response from carmakers--in this case, from Kevin Kelly, GM's Manager, Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Communications--when asked a question they'd rather not address. Our question was...
John Voelcker -
2013 Chevy Volt Production To Halt For 4 Weeks From Mid-September
Yesterday, Automotive News (subscription required) reported the news that the Detroit Hamtramck facility, where the 2013 Chevrolet Volt is made, is to pause production of the plug-in hybrid for four weeks. The second time General Motors has temporarily halted production of the plug-in car, the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
GM CEO: Electric Car With 200-Mile Range Within 4 Years Possible
In the world of plug-in cars, making an affordable car with a range equal to that of a conventional gasoline car is something of a Holy Grail. According to General Motors CEO Dan Akerson talking at a GM employee meeting last night, that dream could become reality in the next two to four years...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Chevrolet Volt: Already At Dealers (If You’re Lucky)
Sometimes, automakers mark the switch between one model year and the next with some pomp and ceremony, especially if the new model year is significantly better than the outgoing one. Despite the 2013 Chevrolet Volt getting an improved all-electric range, better EPA rating and the addition of a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield