GM may let Euro drivers switch Opel Ampera to gas power to save batteries

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt made major media waves when it was first revealed that its engine could power the drive wheels independently under certain circumstances. According to a report from HeadlineAuto in the UK, though, General Motors’ European division is actually considering adding a switch for the Opel Ampera (the Volt’s more attractive European cousin) that would allow the driver to control how the drivetrain operates.

For instance, when driving longer distances, such as when traveling from city to city, the driver could potentially switch the car into its so-called charge sustaining mode so that the gasoline-powered engine would run constantly in order to maintain a full charge of the battery. Then, after the speeds slow back down and the driver re-enters an urban area, the car could be put back into its normal battery-first mode.

At this point, this report appears to be little more than speculation based on statements made by GM’s Lars Peter Thiesen, who is overseeing the process of tuning the Opel Ampera for the European market. There’s currently no reason to believe that GM would make such a modification to the U.S.-spec Volt.

GM studying how to double or triple Chevy Volt production

How’s your math? If you have 240,000 “potential buyers” but only 10,000 vehicles to sell them in the first year, what can you do? If you’re General Motos and the item in question is the Chevrolet Volt, then you look for ways to seriously increase the number of Volts you can build (and, of course, sell).

That’s exactly what CEO Dan Akerson says his company is trying to do, looking to double or triple production rates of this very important car. The problem, according to GM North America President Mark Reuss, is the bottleneck created by the limited number of battery cells that vendor LG Chem can produce for GM. The current plan is to make around 10,000 in 2011 and 45,000 in 2012. That 2012 number has already been increased from 30,000.

Upping the production numbers is good for GM for another reason. According to Steven Rattner, who was President Obama’s former auto bailout chief and worked intimately with GM, “At least in the early years, each Volt would cost around $40,000 to manufacture (development costs not included).” GM won’t confirm this number, but increased production will get the company, presumably, better economies of scale and thus lower production costs.

GM considering CVTs for small cars

General Motors is considering the introduction of continuously variable transmissions in its next round of small cars in an effort to improve fuel efficiency. According to a report from Automotive News, the Chevrolet Cruze is being considered for CVT application, as well as Bowtie’s smaller Aveo and Spark compacts.

In speaking with AN, Sohn Dongyoun, GM’s vice president of engineering at Daewoo, says that CVTs offer an easy, quick fix in order to help improve fuel mileage. Dongyoun says that GM will need to improve the fuel economy on its small cars by at least 10 percent in their respective next generations.

This will not be GM’s first application of CVTs. In the early 2000s, the automaker used CVTs in the Saturn Ioncoupe and Vue crossover, as well as the Opel Astra hatchback overseas. This CVT was not well received, however, and was discontinued at the end of the 2005 model year. Currently, no word has been given as to whether or this GM’s new CVT would be developed in-house, or when we might see the first applications being offered.

GM recalling pickups for missing child seat tether

General Motors is recalling nearly 200,000 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon and Isuzu i280 and i370 pickups. The vehicles are apparently equipped with a top child restraint tether anchor that’s not accessible as required by federal law in the center seating position. This means parents could fail to secure their children properly, potentially causing injury in the event of a collision. GM says that it discourages using a child safety seat in the center due to the proximity of the airbags. The recall covers 2004-2011 Canyon and Colorado models and 2007-2008 Isuzu trucks.

GM says that its dealerships will service the vehicles under the recall free of charge.

At this point, the company is unaware of any injuries caused by the design defect. Click past the jump for the full press release.

GM shows off first model from new Baojun brand in China

General Motors, through its joint venture with SAIC and Wuling, has produced the first model for its new entry-level brand Baojun. The name means “treasured horse” and its first model is evocatively called the 630 Passenger Car. The compact four-door is slated to go on sale in China sometime in the first half of 2011, and the very first example has just rolled off the production line.

The styling of the Baojun 630 has some lines that remind us of the Chevrolet Cruze, but there is also a handful of other influences evident throughout this five-seater. We’re not sure exactly what’s under that hood, but we do know it’s supplied by GM and meets local as well as Euro IV emissions standards.

Baojun is hoping to capture first-time buyers in China’s second and third-tier markets. Early reports pegged the 630 with a price tag of around $7,000, and we are still waiting to hear an official ruling on the MSRP.

GM: Yes, the Volt’s gas engine can power the wheels

Until today, talking about whether the internal combustion engine (ICE) in the 2011 Chevrolet Volt should have a direct mechanical connection to the wheels was an interesting thought experiment. Sure, there werehints and patents that suggested that the ICE could drive the wheels, but General Motors kept saying its “extended range electric vehicle (ER-EV)” was just that: an electric car with a gasoline-powered generator on board. Guess what?

GM has now confirmed, late in the game, that the Volt can, in some situations, use the ICE to power the wheels. This came to light after Motor Trend was allowed to test the car for three long drives and discovered:

However of particular interest, when going above 70 mph in charge sustaining mode, and the generator gets coupled to the drivetrain, the gas engine participates in the motive force. GM says the engine never drives the wheels all by itself, but will participate in this particular situation in the name of efficiency, which is improved by 10 to 15 percent.

This is exactly the opposite of what GM has been saying for years – most recently in June, when GM spokesman Rob Peterson told AutoblogGreen that there was no mechanism in the Volt to drive the wheelseven if the engineers wanted too. Or, at least, that’s what we heard. Peterson told AutoblogGreen today that the “news”:

GM’s Ed Welburn finally drives Oldsmobile Aerotech record-breaker he designed

Of all the people longing to drive the Oldsmobile Aerotech back in the 1980s, you’d expect that the cars designer would have taken it for a few spins. Despite having his first sketch for the project turn in to the record-setting aerodynamic research vehicle, Ed Welburn’s closest contact with the Aerotech was during long wind tunnel sessions.

Having risen through the ranks during his nearly-40 year career at General Motors, Welburn is now oversees GM’s worldwide design staff, and his memory was recently jogged by seeing photos of the Aerotech posted in a design studio. Being the chief has its privileges, so Welburn’s desire to drive his creation turned into a trip to the Milford proving grounds, where a 1992 version of the Aerotech was waiting.

A Chevrolet Corvette set the pace at a sedate 60-something miles per hour, despite the Aerotech’s V8 sourced from the Oldsmobile Aurora. While he may have only just gotten to drive the Aerotech, the car has had a significant effect on Welburn since he first penned it. The aerodynamic attention to detail he learned on the Aerotech has informed all his work since then. The Chevrolet Volt owes a lot to the Aerotech, because Welburn had the patience and discipline to work out the design for better airflow, as well as bring engineering and design together for a harmonious relationship, another seldom-seen skill among car designers. While the Oldsmobile brand has been shuttered, the Aerotech stands as a significant achievement, and the various speed and endurance records the car set have yet to be broken.

U.S. breaks even if GM stock hits $133.78

According to Neil Barofsky, the treasury department’s inspector general, in order for the U.S. government to break even on its investment in General Motors, the company’s stock will have to hit at least $133.78 a share. Thanks to the massive auto industry bailout, the government currently holds a total of 304 million shares of common stock and $2.1 billion in preferred stock in the automaker. According to The Detroit News, Barofsky has said that he will keep a close eye on the GM IPO in order to get the best return on the tax payer’s investment possible.

But will GM stock hit the magic number? Some analysts seem to think so. There’s some buzz that when GM goes public, its stock will be worth well over $100 per share. The company has already begun to make noise indicating that soon after the November 2 elections, it will begin a campaign to build interest in its IPO, so anything’s possible.

GM high performance division put back to work, focus on small cars

In early 2009, General Motors announced it would be putting all high-performance vehicle projects on indefinite hold, citing that the engineering team responsible for these power-happy cars would be moved to different areas within the company. Since then, the only new performance models to come out of GM have been the CTS-V Coupe and Sport Wagon, leaving a huge void in the General’s affordable small performance portfolio. The Chevrolet Cobalt SS and HHR SS were discontinued, and the demise of Pontiac and Saturn did away with any GXP and Red Line products.

However, all of this may change in the not-too-distant future. Automotive News reports that Jim Campbell, GM’s vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports, has said his company has a tremendous opportunity for new performance entries in the small and compact car markets. This means we should expect higher-output versions of the new Chevrolet Cruze, as well as the upcoming redesigned Aveo – and not just trims that look quick, but go quick too.

New GM CEO a car guy after all?

The announcement today that General Motors will soon be welcoming its fourth CEO in just 14 months was startling news, but the real unanswered question is just who is Dan Akerson? We’ve already told you what his business chops are and it’s clear the man can run a lemonade stand, but there’s virtually no other information available out there besides his resume. And as for pics, the entirety of the internet has but one to offer, which is Akerson’s glamor shot as a member of GM’s board of directors. Flattering? No. Looks like a high school principal’s year book picture.

Well, we dug a little and found some interesting info on one Mr. Daniel F. Akerson. For one, he lives in McLean, Virginia and is reportedly an avid golfer. Ok, not too surprising, as most corporate executives can swing a club. How about this: He’s said to be worth an estimated $190 million. Yeah, CEOing is a good gig if you can get it. Also, he currently drives a Cadillac CTS.

Finally, we’re told that Mr. Akerson’s first car was an MGB roadster, which he quickly traded in for a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Now, we don’t have confirmation on which Cutlass he had, and it makes a difference. The 1970 Cutlass was nothing special, unless you’re talking about the 442, which was a legitimate muscle car. The fact that Akerson first had an MGB makes us hopeful that he is a car guy after all and that the Olds in question was the 442… or at least was powered by a Rocket V8 of some sort.

Does the CEO of General Motors need to be a car guy? Not really. Ford CEO Alan Mullaly has never been considered a “car guy,” which didn’t stop him from righting Dearborn’s sinking ship. Still, enthusiasts might take comfort in the fact that the man running one of this industry’s most important companies knows his way around a four-barrel carb.

And Dan, a little advice: Trade up to a CTS-V Coupe. What’s $190 million good for if you’re not going to use it?

GM quells Corvette rumors: No mid-engine, maybe a hybrid

Karl Stracke, General Motors VP of global engineering, has unequivocally denied the recent rumors about a mid-engine version of the next-generation Corvette with a wet-dual-clutch transmission. Stracke spoke with editors at Automotive News and Autoweek and addressed the latest batch of rumors. For decades, speculation about what will be done with a next-generation Corvette invariably pops up almost immediately after a new model is introduced.

For example, a mid-engined Corvette has reportedly been on the cards since at least the mid-60s, thanks in part to a string of concept and experimental models of that configuration. The last Corvette-badged mid-engine concept was the 1990 CERV-III, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation – especially in recent years as the Corvette has gained increased respect among the ranks of high-end sports cars. According to Stracke, “There is no mid-engine in the plans.”

The same goes for a the story revealed by a Saab engineer about development of a wet DCT. Automakers are increasingly moving away from wet-clutch gearboxes to dry-clutch units because they are less expensive and more efficient. While Stracke shoots down the wet DCT, no mention is made of a dry-clutch unit… ifChevrolet follows Ferrari and Porsche down the dual-clutch path, that is almost certainly the type we will see.

GM Builds First Pre-Production Chevy Volt EV

In an important milestone for GM’s much-hyped Chevy Volt project, on Wednesday, March 3, the first pre-production Volt rolled off the assembly line at the firm’s Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant. The previous examples of the Volt had been built by hand.

These pre-production models will not be sold at GM’s dealerships, but will be used to assess and fix any problems in the production system as well as to train the workers in order meet the quality targets set by the engineering team.

“We have a very experienced workforce at this plant and through all of their preparation and training workers here have been given the privilege to take GM into the future with this car,” said Detroit-Hamtramck plant manager Teri Quigley.

Expected to go on sale by the end of fall, the Chevy Volt offers up to 40 miles of pure electric

driving before a small-displacement gasoline engine/generator kicks in to charge the car’s lithium-ion batteries extending the range to about 300 additional miles.

GM Officially Announces Pontiac's Death, Saab, Hummer and Saturn to be Gone

This is the end of the road for Pontiac as General Motors confirmed earlier media reports by officially announcing on Monday the death of the 83-year-old marque that will be phased out by the end of 2010. As part of its revised “Viability Plan” that accelerates the timeline for a number of important actions, GM said that it will speed up “the resolution of Saab, Saturn, and Hummer to the end of 2009, at the latest.” The General will focus on four core brands in the U.S., Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, offering a total of 34 nameplates in 2010 compared to 48 in 2008, a reduction of 29 percent.

“We are taking tough but necessary actions that are critical to GM’s long-term viability,” said Fritz Henderson, GM president and CEO. “Our responsibility is clear – to secure GM’s future – and we intend to succeed. At the same time, we also understand the impact these actions will have on our employees, dealers, unions, suppliers, shareholders, bondholders, and communities, and we will do whatever we can to mitigate the effects on the extended GM team.”

GM Sells SAAB 9-3, Current 9-5 and Other Assets to China's BAIC

It was confirmed today that General Motors has come to an agreement with Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Ltd (BAIC) for the sale of certain key assets from SAAB. BAIC, China’s fifth-largest automaker, bought the intellectual rights for Saab’s current 9-5 and certain 9-3s as well as some powertrain technology and tooling equipment. The agreement does not include the new 9-5 saloon that’s based on the Opel Insignia.

The deal will see BAIC manufacturing the current Saab 9-5 and certain 9-3 models in China while Saab will also help the automaker to integrate various technologies into future BAIC vehicles.

“This arrangement is excellent for both parties, now and for the future,” said Jan Åke Jonsson, Managing Director of Saab Automobile.

“We have developed a good relationship with BAIC and look forward to working with them to integrate this Saab technology into their future vehicles,” he added.

What Should GM do with SAAB's 2010 9-5 Sedan and 9-4x SUV?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about GM’s decision to close down its SAAB brand after it became clear that the Spyker deal could not be completed in reasonable time – or so the Detroit automaker claimed.

Some say, there’s still some hope left for the once innovative and quirky Swedish brand as during the wind-down procedure, a savior might come forward and express interest in Saab as a whole or a part of the company.

There’s even talk about a second life in China as GM could sell more Saab assets to BAIC or another domestic maker.

In any case, one of the first questions that arose after GM’s decision, which, let’s not forget, will leave several thousands of workers without a job, is what’s going to happen with the production-ready 2010 9-5 sedan and the almost-ready 9-4x crossover?

Bear in mind that the premium sedan is based on GM’s Epsilon 2 platform, also used on the Buick LaCrosse and Opel Insignia / 2011 Buick Regal, while the 9-4x shares its underpinnings with the new Cadillac SRX.

Officially, General Motors has not said what it will do with these two cars nor with the current 9-3s.

Spyker Renews Offer for SAAB, GM Says it Will Revaluate

In what could be a final attempt to save SAAB from closing down, tiny Dutch sports car maker Spyker submitted a new 11-point proposal to buy the Swedish brand from General Motors on Sunday. The Dutch company said that its new proposal addresses all the issues that resulted to the collapse of the talks earlier .

GM issued today an official statement saying that, following Friday’s announcement on the closure of SAAB, it “received inquiries from several parties” and it will evaluate each and every one without disclosing any more details on the matter.

Spyker CEO Victor R. Muller said that he believes the company’s new offer will be successful.

“We are very confident that our renewed offer will remove the impasse that was standing in the way of an agreement on Friday, and this would still allow us to conclude the deal prior to the expiry of the deadline originally set by GM of December 31st”, said Muller in a statement.

GM to Auction Special Edition Corvette Z06 to Benefit Haitian Earthquake Relief Efforts

General Motors is joining in the efforts to help the people of Haiti after a catastrophic earthquake by auctioning off a limited edition 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z6 at this weekend’s 39th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. All proceeds from the sale will go to the American Red Cross relief fund, while the GM Foundation said that it will offer an additional $100,000 cash donation to the Red Cross.

According to the automaker, the special edition Corvette was the last of 427 cars built specifically for North America and the only 2008 Z06 available in Crystal Red Metallic Tint Coat.

Powered by a 7.0-liter V8 with 505HP, this ‘Vette also comes with spider design chrome Z06 wheels, Z06 plates, a Stinger-style stripe on the front hood and fascia, chrome exterior badges and a painted Z06 spoiler and body color door handles.

Inside, it boasts a Dark Titanium leather-wrapped interior and special Crystal Red center trim plate.

Shut Down Antwerp Plant in Belgium, Announces More Cuts for Opel / Vauxhall

General Motors has turned its focus on its European division as a little after the announcement on its decision to wind down its Saab unit, the U.S. carmaker revealed that it intends to close Opel’s manufacturing plant in Antwerp, Belgium, which employs around 2,600 workers. GM said that if confirmed, production would conclude at the plant in the next few months.

“We fully understand the effect this announcement has on the Antwerp employees and their families and we sympathise with them,” said Opel CEO Nick Reilly adding that, “we must make this announcement now so that we can secure a viable future for the entire Opel and Vauxhall operations.”

The automaker added that global economic crisis has severely affected the Western European car market and that in 2010, it’s expected to be 1.5 million vehicles below 2009 levels and almost 4 million below its peak in 2007.

“It is not expected to return anytime soon – if ever – to these peak levels, resulting in significant overcapacity in general and at Opel in particular. To ensure long-term sustainability for the company, Opel needs to reduce capacity by approximately 20 percent,” GM said in a prepared statement.

And while GM does not have plans to shut down any other plants or factories in Europe at the moment, the company warned that there will be capacity reductions, job redundancies and/or labor cost reductions.

According to media reports from the Old Continent, GM could slash up to 8,300 of Opel / Vauxhall’s 50,000 jobs.

GM to Auction Special Edition Corvette Z06 to Benefit Haitian Earthquake Relief Efforts

General Motors is joining in the efforts to help the people of Haiti after a catastrophic earthquake by auctioning off a limited edition 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z6 at this weekend’s 39th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. All proceeds from the sale will go to the American Red Cross relief fund, while the GM Foundation said that it will offer an additional $100,000 cash donation to the Red Cross.

According to the automaker, the special edition Corvette was the last of 427 cars built specifically for North America and the only 2008 Z06 available in Crystal Red Metallic Tint Coat.

Powered by a 7.0-liter V8 with 505HP, this ‘Vette also comes with spider design chrome Z06 wheels, Z06 plates, a Stinger-style stripe on the front hood and fascia, chrome exterior badges and a painted Z06 spoiler and body color door handles.

Inside, it boasts a Dark Titanium leather-wrapped interior and special Crystal Red center trim plate.

GM added that all 427 units of the limited edition Corvettes were signed and numbered in the center console area by Will Cooksey, the Corvette plant manager who retired in 2006 after 15 years running the plant.

New GMC Acadia Denali

The 2011 GMC Acadia Denali made its first public outing at this week’s Detroit motor show. Scheduled to arrive in GMC’s dealerships in the third quarter of the year, the Denali treatment adds new features and unique styling cues to the firm’s crossover model that can seat up to eight passengers.

The exterior package adds a chrome honeycomb grille, 20-inch two-tone alloy wheels, unique lower front and rear fascias, body colored cladding, rocker moldings and fender flares along with dual chrome exhaust tips and chrome accents.

Inside, the Denali model comes with all the bells and whistles including but not limited to, perforated leather seats with matching leather door panel trim, head-up display, chrome, lighted sill plates with the Denali logo, Dual SkyScape sunroof system, with sliding front sunroof and fixed rear section, leather-wrapped steering wheel with mahogany wood inserts, navi, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and a tri-zone automatic climate control.

There are no changes under the hood as the Denali model is powered by the same 288HP 3.6-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission as the other Acadia models.

GMC Granite Concept: Scion xB-Sized Crossover Breaks Cover in Detroit

The annual auto show that kicked off in Detroit today saw the world debut of the GMC Granite Concept, a small crossover proposal with swing-out back doors aimed at a new generation of young buyers who would never give the brand’s larger SUV’s a second look.

Measuring 161.3-inch (4,097 mm) in length, 70.3-inch (1,786 mm) in width and 60.5-inch (1,536 mm) height with a wheelbase of 103.6-inch (2,631 mm), the Granite is roughly the same size as the Toyota group’s ‘boxy’ Scion xB.

Even though GM did not say what front-wheel drive platform was used for the concept, the wheelbase length suggests it’s based on the Chevy Cruze.

Power for the Granite concept comes from GM’s 1.4-liter turbocharged four-pot that’s linked to a six-speed transmission.

The boxy-shaped GMC concept gets four doors, the rear hinged at the back. There’s no pillar between the front and rear doors, supposedly making the Granite easier to enter, exit and load.

The design of the vehicle’s cabin is said to have been inspired by the design of aircraft-type mechanical instruments and precision tools.

Highlights include the reconfigurable interior as the front passenger and right rear seats can flip up and fold in toward the center console, creating a long, unobstructed storage space while the Granit’s cargo area features numerous compartments to store items.