Michigan wllz

Many of the pieces in the scrap bin don’t look like scrap because they may have small flaws are were made while testing a new die, GM spokesman Tom Wickham said. Photos by Bryan Laviolette

By BRYAN LAVIOLETTE
FLINT – Making a factory landfill free is obviously a great for the environment, but apparently, it’s good business as well.
John Bradburn, who is in charge of GM’s efforts to improve it’s environmental footprint, said that the company’s efforts have added $2.5 billion to its bottom line since 2007.
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By BRYAN LAVIOLETTE

I used to laugh at the folly that was General Motors. Time after time, GM would follow a familiar pattern with ground-breaking products.

- Some of GM’s best and brightest come up with a ground-breaking new product, something that truly could change the automotive industry.

- Bean counters force the designers and engineers to cobble the thing together with parts-bin pieces and then push them to get it on the road before it’s ready.

- Continue fine-tuning the vehicle after it has gone on sale, essentially turning customers into final development engineers.

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Cristi Landy, Volt Product Marketing Manager

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Make no mistake, General Motors officials believe the Chevy Volt will change the world when it goes on sale late this year.

“There is a strong desire to go to electrically driven transportation,” said Cristi Landy, GM’s marketing manager for the Volt, speaking to Michigan wllz via Skype from the floor of the Washington Auto Show.
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By BRYAN LAVIOLETTE
Michigan wllz

DETROIT — Maybe last year’s show set this year’s up for a letdown.

At the 2009 show, General Motors went on the offensive with major announcements about its plans for a battery research facility, Chevy Volt production plans, partnership programs with battery manufacturers and a new Cadillac concept using the Volt’s technology.

It was exciting because GM, facing the toughest trials of its existence, went on the offensive and actually wrested the fuel economy lead away from Toyota.

But on Monday, Toyota and Ford went on their own offensives. Jim Lentz, head of Toyota’s U.S. sales arm, said that the company planned to develop a “family” of Prius hybrid vehicles. It also announced that there are eight new hybrid models in the pipeline and that the company plans to increase global hybrid production from 530,000 in 2009 to 1 million within the next couple of years.

Lentz went on to say that the company is approaching what it calls “sustainable mobility” with a four-prong approach that includes the company’s hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and battery electric vehicles.

Toyota has already announced a new plug-in Prius that the company will build in limited numbers later this year. Lentz also said that the company plans to market a fuel cell vehicle by 2015.

So what was on GM’s agenda regarding fuel economy? GM showed production versions of the Chevy Spark and Cruze, vehicles it has shown previously. It also showed a sporty concept of the next generation Chevy Aveo and of course the Volt.

It also showed an urban utility vehicle concept for GMC called the Granite,  a Denali version of the GMC Acadia and a Buick Regal called the GS.

As for big announcements about advanced powertrains, GM officials didn’t offer much. It still has a press conference scheduled for Tuesday to talk about plans for Cadillac, but no major announcements on fuel economy are expected.

At last year’s show, GM showed the Cadillac Converj concept using the Volt’s high-tech powertrain. Some had hoped that GM would announce that the Converj was a go, but right now, all that is expected is for Cadillac to show the CTS-V Coupe.

Ford also stepped up with some major announcements. The Dearborn automaker announced plans to invest $450 million and create 1,000 jobs to build lithium ion batteries for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

“This investment underscores how serious we are about delivering a range of electrified vehicles to customers — including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles,” Bill Ford Jr., Ford’s executive chairman, said in a statement.

DETROIT — A continuing topic of conversation at The Business of Plugging In electric vehicle conference has been fuel cost certainty. Without it, automakers who are investing precious resources into new electric vehicles may have a tough time selling them.

Gov. Granholm wants electric vehicle companies to locate in Michigan

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DETROIT — While speakers all across The Business of Plugging in conference are obsessed with fuel economy and reduced emissions and how to get there, John Waraniak just wants to talk about how cars will continue to be fun.

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DETROIT — As the electric utility and automotive industries come together to create an entirely new kind of vehicle, there is still much debate about such basic questions as infrastructure needs.

Gen. Wesley Clark challenges the auto industry to use the electric vehicle to jumpstart the economy

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Technology has advanced at a dizzying pace and there’s no sign of it letting up anytime soon. Here are a four technologies that will change the face of automotive transportation in the coming decade.

Click here to read the full story on MLive.

2011 Chevrolet Volt

FLINT — Cynics all over the Web wonder if the Chevy Volt will be able to deliver on the incredible promises General Motors has made about the technology.

But company officials believe they are creating the technology that will power the vehicles of the future.
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The first decade of the new millennium has given us some fantastic new vehicle technologies. Here’s a few of my favorites. Feel free to add your own.

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