GM

After a NHTSA investigation revealed the cause of a fire in a crash-tested Chevy Volt, GM set up a program to reinforce the batteries and coolant systems for previously sold cars.

It is not a recall, but a customer satisfaction program, according to GM. The company will be contacting the approximately 8,000 Chevy Volt owners to arrange a time for the modifications.

GM will add metal brackets to the car's underbody, designed to help prevent a break in the battery casing during a side impact crash. It will also add a sensor that shows when battery coolant is low, and another bracket to prevent overfilling the coolant reservoir. … Read more

General Motors reported solid growth in vehicle sales this year, but its high-profile electric Chevy Volt fell short of targets.

The company reported today that it sold 7,671 Chevy Volts in 2011, fewer than the 10,000 it had expected to sell. There were more than 1,500 Volts sold in December, the best month since the car was launched in late 2010.

Sales of the Volt have been closely watched as a barometer both for uptake of electric vehicles and GM's financial health.

Buyers receive a $7,500 federal tax credit for buying an electric car with … Read more

GM's OnStar seems to have a few aces up its sleeve, and will finally show its cards at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January.

In addition to showing off the new Cadillac CUE infotainment system and the Chevrolet Volt's smart grid, home connectivity, and energy management applications, GM appears to be doubling down on the telematics and infotainment space. In a Volt research vehicle kitted out with Verizon 4G LTE connectivity, OnStar will demonstrate some upcoming prototype cloud-based streaming technologies.

The telematics company demonstrated video chat using 4G LTE connectivity at last year's show, but this … Read more

General Motors announced that the second phase of its China Advanced Technical Center (ATC) will open in 2012.

According to GM, this is the most-comprehensive advanced automotive technology development center in China, and it will focus on advanced design, vehicle engineering, advanced power-train development, urban mobility, and manufacturing processes.

The 65,000-square-meter facility, located next to GM China International Operations and GM China Headquarters in Shanghai, will house 62 test labs and nine research labs, and will employ more than 300 engineers, designers, researchers, and technicians.

"The establishment of the ATC is proof of GM's commitment to advanced … Read more

Saab's struggle for survival ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper, as a final deal to save it is blocked by GM.

The company, founded in 1947 and owned by GM since 2000, was due to be shut down in 2009 as GM consolidated its brands. Victor Muller, former CEO of Spyker Cars, threw Saab a lifeline, taking over the company and attempting to arrange financing.

Most recently, Chinese automaker Youngman Automobile Group was set to purchase Saab. But GM, which still owns Saab technology licenses, spiked the deal by refusing to extend the licensing to Youngman. … Read more

This decade will bring a lot of changes to the fuel cell market, the latest being a partnership between General Motors and BMW.

The two automotive manufacturers will sign a cooperation agreement that gives BMW access to GM's existing fuel cell technology in exchange for research funding supplied by the German auto maker, according to reports in German weekly business magazine WirtschaftsWoche.

Both manufacturers have been developing and testing hydrogen-powered vehicles for more than two decades. After clocking more than 2 million miles during Project Driveway, GM is fleet and consumer testing its Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles in … Read more

GM is strengthening the Volt's battery pack to prevent coolant leaks in accidents.

Ironically, the liquid coolant that keeps the Volt's lithium-ion battery from overheating on the road is likely what caused it to catch fire three weeks after a crash test. But Volt drivers don't have to worry about coolant catching flame in the same way they might worry about gasoline spills. A source briefed on the Volt's investigation told the Associated Press that crystallized coolant resulted in an electrical short, causing the battery to catch fire.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has been … Read more

General Motors isn't just interested in building energy-efficient vehicles; the company now says its Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant is the company's first U.S. facility to become Energy Star certified. This means the plant has met strict energy performance levels set by the EPA from 2010 to 2011.

The Michigan plant, which builds the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse, was designed to meet the optimum energy efficiency in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning without using steam, the company said in a press release.

The plant, which opened in 2006, has energy and water conservation features … Read more

It's going to take more than a couple of battery fires to shake the confidence of most current Volt owners--so far only 24 people have taken General Motors up on its offer to buy back their extended range electric vehicles.

The Volt is being investigated by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration because of fires that started in the liquid cooled lithium-ion battery three weeks after side-impact crash tests were performed by the organization. Proper post-crash safety protocols were not followed by NHTSA engineers, which requires the Volt's battery to be drained of power until repairs are … Read more