2015 Chevy City Express Van Good For 25 MPG

GM’s answer to the Ford Transit Connect is the 2015 Chevy City Express, which netted a combined 25 MPG rating thanks to a particularly high city rating of 24 MPG. GM managed to accomplish this using a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine matched to a CVT transmission.

That resulted in a 24 MPG city rating and a 26 MPG highway rating for an even 25 MPG combined. This compares favorably to the Ford Transit Connect, which manages up to 30 highway MPG using the 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine, but just 22 MPG around town. Small vans like this tend to do most of their driving in urban environments, acting as delivery or contractor vehicles for local vendors.

The starting price of $22,950, just a little bit cheaper than the Transit Connect’s MSRP of $23,130, and the 20 interior cargo points plus six floor-mounted D-rings allow a wide range of payloads to be safely seccured. The dual rear-sliding doors open up to 122.7 cubic-feet with a maximum payload of 1,500 pounds, and with urban driving in mind GM saw fit to give it a tight turning radius of 36.7 feet, all of which are similar to the Transit Connect. One might say the only difference between the two delivery vans is whether you prefer a blue oval or a bowtie badge on the front of your van.

Or you could just go the New York way and opt for the Nissan NV200 instead, which is smaller, but cheaper as well. Your call, chief.

Source: Gas 2.

2016 Chevy Volt Will Get New Marketing Campaign

When Chevrolet unveils the redesigned 2016 Chevy Volt at the Detroit Auto Show next January, it will raise the curtain on an entirely new marketing campaign for it extended range electric vehicle. Chevrolet global marketing chief Tim Mahoney told Automotive News recently that Chevrolet will invite current Volt owners to use their social networks to tell others how satisfied they are with their cars. O

Over 90% of Volt owners say they would buy another one, and many came from brands like Toyota and had never even owned a Chevrolet before. That’s a major bragging point for GM, though the 2016 VOlt’s marketing efforts will go beyond just a few “evangelists” spreading the good word.

Mahoney said marketing efforts for the next generation Volt will be regionally focused, in areas where populations are denser. Previously, the Volt had no customer base, but now sales records will help the company target locations where the Volt is already popular. Mahoney points out that “there are clearly pieces of geography where (the Volt) makes sense. So you’ll see a focus on fishing where the fish are.” 

Volt sales were up 13% over July, 2013 last month and it is outselling the Nissan LEAF in some markets. Clearly Chevrolet hopes the redesigned car and revamped marketing strategy will propel the Volt to even greater sales success.

Source: GM

Chevy Volt Fleet Owners Getting Awful MPG

The Chevy Volt is as much of an electric car as you want to be, and some Volt enthusiasts have gone more than 2,300 miles on a single gallon of gasoline. Yet a new report suggests that some other Chevy Volts, most notably those owned by private and/or public vehicle fleets, aren’t doing much electric driving.

Green Car Reports recently followed up on a report by InsideEVs to see why a big batch of high-mileage Chevy Volts had such low average MPG numbers. The problem it seems is that fleet managers aren’t incentivizing efficient driving, and until they do, we can only expect more of the same.

Many fleets operate by paying drivers on a per-mile basis. People who drive a lot for a living are then compensated on cumulative gasoline costs…but they aren’t recouped for the much-lower costs incurred by plugging into an outlet or charging station. The result is that many fleets of Chevy Volts are coming in with an average of between 34 and 39 MPG, whereas many non-fleet owners regular achieve over 450 miles to a gallon of gas, as long as they recharge regularly. The savings add up too; to charge a Chevy Volt costs about $1.50 in electricity, and it nominally covers the cost of a gallon of gasoline, which depending on where you live is between $3.00 and $4.00 a gallon.

How can we change this? That’s a sticky question, as people still need to feel fairly compensated for the costs of driving. One suggestion would be to offer a substantial “savings bonus” to whomever used the least amount of fuel in a given time period. The bonus would have to be large enough to incentivize people to go a little bit out of their way to find EV charging stations or other places to plug in, but the cost savings to the parent company could be huge. It’s just a matter of incentivizing employees to do the right thing.

Source: Gas 2.

First Automaker To Build A 30 MPG Pickup “Wins”

American automakers know that pickup trucks are their bread-and-butter money-making machines, but increasing fuel economy standards are forcing a level of innovation not seen in decades. An executive for the Ram truck brand recently acknowledged that the first automaker to sell a legitimate, 30 MPG truck essentially “wins” the pickup wars.

That’s what Ram’s brand director Bob Hegbloom told to Automotive News in a recent interview. When asked if “30 MPG is attainable without re-engineering the truck”, Hegbloom responded by saying:

The first manufacturer that gets to 30 mpg wins. We are seeing that with our 28 mpg EcoDiesel as well as the 25 mpg on the Pentastar V-6 model that fuel economy is so important. We are seeing it in the share gains and the growth for the brand. That’s a number that is out there, but I don’t think you can stop there.

Earlier in the interview he claims that drivers of the new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel are regularly achieving in the low 30 MPG range with their oil-burning trucks. But there’s still the 2015 Ford F150 with its lightweight aluminum body and new small-displacement EcoBoost V6 to contend with, and it could match or exceed the 28 MPG rating of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. There’s little doubt that soon, possibly very soon, one of America’s Big Three automakers will sell a truck with a 30+ MPG fuel economy rating.

Whoever gets there first may indeed win some new customers, but there’s still brand loyalty and skepticism to contend with. Not every pickup owner is ready to embrace diesel engines or aluminum bodies…and for them there’s always the Chevy Silverado. This bold statement by Hegbloom makes you wonder just how close automakers are to a 30 MPG truck.

Which automaker do you think will be the first to build a 30 MPG pickup?

Source: Gas2

2016 Chevy Volt To Debut In January

Today GM released the first teaser image of the 2016 Chevy Volt, which will bring a litany of changes to the popular plug-in hybrid. GM also set the debut date for the Detroit Auto Show in January, with the new Volt to go on sale sometime in 2015.

Since it went on sale at the end of 2010, GM says it has sold more than 65,000 Chevy Volts in the US alone…though its European cousin, the Opel Ampera, has seen sales plummet, and will soon be discontinued. As for the teaser shot itself, it doesn’t reveal much about the new Volt, except that it will have a more-rounded rear decklid.

But the Volt will live on, and rumor has it that it will bring with it many improvements and asked-for features. Among the most-requested features among Volt owners was more range, more room, (five seats instead of the current four), and a lower price. GM could offer a Volt with as much as 200 miles of electric range if certain rumors are true, though more likely GM will offer different battery pack sizes to placate the masses who want to either pay less, or go farther between charges.

Not that the current Volt is all that bad, as 92% of current owners say they’d buy another one given the chance. It’s also one of the highest-scoring cars on the Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey. Another key point GM likes to drive home is that more than 70% of Volt buyers are new to the Chevy brand, making it a powerful “conquest” car. Hopefully the 2016 model proves just as successful for GM, a company plagued by recall woes and questions about its corporate structure the past few months.

Perhaps the 2016 Chevy VOlt can change the conversation towards more positive vibes.

Source: GM

200-Mile Chevy Sonic EV Coming In 2016

Chevy Sonic Z Spec Concept

The source, The Truth About Cars, is known for sometimes being highly speculative and for starting some rather crazy rumors, so take this as unconfirmed at this point in time:

“The upcoming pure electric vehicle being discussed in the wake of the Opel Ampera’s demise will also be sold in the United States, in the form of a Chevrolet Sonic.”

“The Sonic-based EV will reportedly have a 200 mile range, which will presumably come from the new battery that LG Chem (battery supplier for the Volt) is working on right now.”

If true, then we’ll see a 2016 Chevrolet Sonic EV with 200 miles of range.  This EV will presumably be sold in the U.S. and abroad and it’ll be manufactured in Michigan.

There’s some evidence that The Truth About Cars could be on the right track here.  Remember that LG Chem 200-mile battery announcement?  It’s linked to the graphic below.  Notice the 2016 U.S. OEM notation?

LG Chem’s HEV/PHEV/EV RoadMap

And think for a second or two about the previous 200-mile EV comments made by ex-CEO of General Motors Dan Akerson.

So, maybe The Truth About Cars is actually onto something here.

Thoughts on the possibility of a 2016 Chevy Sonic EV with 200 miles of range?

Source: The Truth About Cars

Chevy Volt Tops Nissan LEAF In Safety Tests

In the latest round of IIHS safety tests, the Chevy Volt earned top scores, while the Nissan LEAF was one of the worst performers on the new safety tests. The tale of two plug-in cars continues…

The IIHS praised the Volt’s safety and named it the safest of the dozen small cars they put through the paces. Only half of those cars earned and “Acceptable” rating in the 40 MPH small overlap front crash test, and only the MINI Cooper Countryman earned a “Good” rating. The Volt took top honors, however, thanks to its collision warning system, which the MINI and most of the other competitors lacked.

Meanwhile the Mazda5, Kia Forte, Nissan Versa and Nissan LEAF (which is based on the Versa) were singled out as the worst performers in the battery of safety tests. The IIHS was especially critical of the LEAF;
“The instrument panel, parking brake pedal and steering column were all pushed back toward the driver. Injuries to the left knee and left lower leg would be likely in a crash of this severity, and injuries to the left thigh would be possible.” The LEAF, along with the Mazda5, Forte, and Versa, were all rated “Poor”, with the Mazda5 also receiving a less-than-acceptable rating in the side-impact test.

Don’t take their word for it though; watch the cringe-worthy crash test video below, and then compare that to the Volt’s crash test. Which car would you rather be in?

Source: Gas 2.

The American V8 Muscle Car Extinction Has Begun

The rumble and roar of big-displacement V8 engines has excited generations of young men and women, as well as serving as the battle cry against an endless imported invasion of “sport compact” cars. But while many see the recently-revealed 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat as a triumph of ‘Merican engineering, I see it as the last gasp of the dying V8 muscle car market, a last chance to bid a fond farewell to the American V8 engine.

Just like alligators survived the die-off of dinosaurs, big, loud, and powerful V8 engines won’t disappear for good, at least not soon. But the number of V8-powered cars has been dwindling for years, and even trucks are downsizing their engine options with an eye towards fuel economy.

The two latest examples of discontinued V8 engines is the 6.2 liter V8 found in the Ford F-150 and SVT Raptor, and the Chrysler 300 SRT8, which uses a 6.2 liter HEMI V8. The news that the Ford V8 has been canned means that America’s best-selling vehicle will only have a single V8 engine option, but three V6 drivetrains including a 2.7 liter EcoBoost with V8-like torque. The 5.0 V8 will be the biggest engine offered in the F-150, fueling rumors that the next SVT Raptor will be powered by a smaller EcoBoost engine, rather than a V8.

Meanwhile in Chrysler’s corner, sales of its SRT performance vehicles seem to be bottoming out. For the second time this year, production of the Viper (now branded as a Dodge) has been idled following abysmal sales. The once-popular Chrysler 300 SRT8 has also seen its sales slow to a crawl, with an average of just 75 units being sold each month this year, compared with the over 4,000 luxury sedans Chrysler is used to moving. Only the Jeep Grand Cherokee has kept SRT’s sales numbers afloat, and I’d hardly call that a muscle car.

As for the Challenger Hellcat, with its 707 horsepower 6.2 liter V8, it’s the most powerful American production car ever built, casting a shadow over even the mighty 662 horsepower Shelby GT500, the former record holder. How much higher are OEMs really willing to go? Rumor has it the Shelby GT350 Mustang could make a go at 750 horsepower, but I’m not sure I believe it.

Why? Because the numbers are stacked against V8s in more ways than one. That’s why the 2015 Mustang has embraced smaller engines with a 2.3 liter EcoBoost four-cylinder slotted between the base V6 and the GT model’s V8. Rated at 310 horsepower and 320 ft-lbs of torque, the EcoBoost engine is only 125 horsepower and 80 ft-lbs behind the much bigger and supposedly thirstier) four-banger.

With gas prices only poised to go upward, what matters most is the official MPG rating…though it should be substantial. The rest of Ford’s performance lineup is also anchored by EcoBoost engines in the Fiesta ST and Focus ST. If the Raptor goes EcoBoost as well, that means only the Mustang will offer a V8 performance engine. Why bother stuffing a V8 under the hood when a V6 or four-cylinder engine is nearly as good (and a whole lot lighter).

The next-generation Camaro is also rumored to be in for a downsized body and engine lineup as well, and the future of the Challenger or its replacement car is constantly being called into question. More likely than not, CHrysler will retire from the muscle car game as Fiat’s Italian tendencies temper enthusiasm for big engines. This is happening even in Chrysler’s truck division, where the Ram 1500 has been positioned the 3.0 liter EcoDiesel V6 engine, returning 28 MPG and stump-pulling torque.

Beyond the Challenger, Camaro, you’ve got the Dodge Charger, which shares a platform and engines with the Challenger, as well as the Chevy Corvette Stingray. The Corvette has a meaty 6.2 liter LT1 V8 that incorporates fuel-saving technologies like Active Cylinder Management to sip on fuel at highway speeds…if you can keep your foot off the pedal. Thanks to its lightweight body, the 2014 Corvette Stingray has a 28 MPG rating…and could come close to 30 MPG when it gets a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

Yet even the Corvette is at risk of going with a hybrid drivetrain down the road, as GM recognizes that making a bunch of thirsty V8-powered cars is going to make it difficult to meet the 34.5 MPG CAFE rating required by 2017. That’s why, rather than totally eliminate the V8, automakers are likely to only offer it in top-tier, $50,000+ vehicles.This keeps sales numbers down, meaning a lesser effect on fleetwide fuel economy.

The V8 muscle car may survive, but the cornerstone of their success, affordability, will likely be gone. In its place will be a new generation of smaller, lighter, but just as punchy performance cars with four and six-cylinder engines instead.

Engines come and engines go; but the obvious trend here is that V8 engines disappearing and mostly being replaced by V6 engines. I think we’ve got another ten years, or about two product development cycles, before we see the V8 engine completely phased out from the dwindling muscle car segment.

In other words, enjoy it while it lasts.

Source: Gas2

New Opel EV Will Replace the Ampera

Opel quietly announced the end of the Ampera – badge cousin to the Chevy Volt. The Ampera is going away due to poor sales. Only 332 have been sold this year, even thought the Volt is quite popular in the US market. But that doesn’t mean that Opel will have no EV to offer to buyers going forward. According to Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann:

After the eventual run-out of the current generation Ampera, we’ll introduce a successor product in the electric vehicle segment. Our next electric vehicle will be part of our massive product offensive – with 27 new vehicles in the 2014-2018 time frame. We see eMobility as important part of the mobility of tomorrow and we will continue to drive down costs & deliver affordability.

The people at Autoblog expect the new Opel EV to be more than a rebadged Chevy Spark EV. Instead, they believe it will be a completely new electric model and that may signal yet another EV will appear shortly in the Chevy stable of cars, or perhaps even a version of the Sonic EV rumored to be in the works. For the moment, GM representatives aren’t giving out any more clues.

Source: Opel

2014 Diesel Sales Are Up 25%

Sales of diesel powered cars in the US are up 25% in 2014, far ahead of the 4.2% total increase in new car sales for the year so far. These stats come via the Diesel Technology Forum, and seems to show a decidedly favorable outloot for diesel vehicle sales in the U.S. Oddly, Volkswagen, which offers the most number of diesel powered models, has seen an 8% decline in sales, though that was somewhat made up for by its corporate cousin, Audi, which has see a four-fold increase in diesel sales to 8,100 units.

The Chevy Cruze diesel is also enjoying strong sales, with 3,000 units sold so far in 2014. In all, there are there are 46 diesel models sold in the U.S., and 27 of them are cars or SUVs Despite this though, diesels account for just 3% of the U.S. market at present. However, analysts expect that number to double over the next 3 years. Yes, diesel fuel costs more than gasoline, but diesel engines return about 30% better fuel economy, more than making up for  the few extra cents per gallon. And if you are driving a car that requires premium gas – which many luxury cars do – the difference in cost of fuel is rather minimal.

The government is pushing automakers to make huge gains in average fuel economy in coming years, and for many, the diesel option is far less costly than hybrids, plug-in hybrids or electric cars. There is no “range anxiety” associated with diesel an more like there was 20 years ago. In fact, most motorists are pleasantly surprised how quiet and responsive modern diesel engines can be.

While the marketplace is sorting out what the future of transportation will be, diesel powered cars will remain part of the mix. One big advantage they enjoy over gasoline powered cars and high tech cars like PHEV’s, EV’s and fuel cell vehicles is strong resale value. That’s a powerful incentive to go the diesel route for many prospective purchasers.

via AutoBlog

2015 Chevy Corvette Performance and Design

The seventh-generation Chevy Corvette’s due to appear late 2014. The prototype actually appeared much earlier, though, in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. giving us a look at it’s striking new appearance in comparison to earlier generations. General Motors president Mark Reuss said the new Corvette would be “completely different,” but only time will tell.

Performance
There were speculations that the new Corvette might make the switch to a mid-engine layout, but engineers have defended the sixth generation’s front mounted engine and it seems that the rumors have no merit. The seventh generation, 2015, Corvette will have the standard front engine, rear-wheel-drive setup, just as it always has, but with a couple possible changes.

The 6.2 liter V8 engine producing 498 horse-power is most likely to stay right where it is under the front hood, but there is the possibility that it’ll be downsized, somewhere in the 5.5-liter range engines similar to the fifth generation small-blocks. The newer engines, while smaller, produce more power and torque while achieving better fuel economy, something that even the sports car drivers are looking for.

Another engine possibility is the 3.6 liter V6 engine, in a single- or twin-turbocharged design, something that might appeal to world markets a little more than the big V8s. This might seem strange to Corvette fans, but it’s a move General Motors is going to have to take in order to meet the stricter emissions regulations both here in the United States and in Europe.

There is in the works a new seven speed manual transmission, trying to keep up with one of its main competitors, the Porsche 911, which is offering a seven speed transmission in 2012. There were rumors of an optional dual-clutch automated transmission, but it seems likely General Motors will stick with a standard automatic system.

Design
General Motors design chief, Ed Welburn, admits that the sixth generation interior is a disappointment but is promising that the seventh generation is going to be absolutely world class. The new Corvette has a slightly longer wheelbase, something that will help improve the car’s handling and ride comfort.

The body won’t be radically different than the sixth generation, with a long and low hood, fighter-cockpit cabin styling, and high and wide rear end to accommodate the wide axle and big tires. Tail lights are inspired by the Camaro’s rear end, and four center-mounted exhaust tips similar to the concept car seen in 2009.

The car will be available in both hard-top and soft-top versions. Using new materials, an aluminum space frame, and carbon-fiber and fiber-glass body, might be expensive, but it will cut the overall weight of the vehicle. Less than 3,000 pounds, this is a move that will trim some more off fuel consumption and make for a more sporty driving experience.

The Final Word
For a while, there were rumors and speculations going about the actually appearance of the new 2015 Chevy Corvette, but nothing concrete. In a facebook post, after someone posted some renderings of the as-yet-unreleased car and it’s final design, General Motors responded, “We appreciate their enthusiasm but you’ll have to wait a little longer to see what the next Corvette will actually look like.” So it seems we’ll have to wait for the 2013 or 2014 International Auto Show circuit to see Corvette’s true form.