| Nearly Two-Thirds of Equinox and Traverse Buyers New to Chevrolet |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 3:43 PM - by msirach
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 GM capturing the crossover market
Mike Sirach - CleanMPG - July 30, 2010
Nearly two out of three buyers for the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse have traded in non-Chevrolet vehicles so far this year. In addition, nearly half of buyers traded in a non-GM vehicle.
Cadillac, Buick, and GMC trade-ins account for only 9 percent of purchases for both vehicles. The crossovers are helping Chevrolet retain owners of discontinued GM brands, which were offered in 11 percent of Equinox trade-ins and 9 percent of Traverse trade-ins.
The remaining 45 percent of Traverse buyers and 44 percent of Equinox buyers traded in a non-GM vehicle.
“Equinox and Traverse... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 79 Views
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| President Obama Drives Chevrolet Volt |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 3:22 PM - by msirach
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"Pretty smooth," President Obama
Mike Sirach - CleanMPG - July 30, 2010
Sitting U.S. Presidents are chauffeured pretty much everywhere they do not walk. So it was both spontaneous and special when President Barack Obama stepped into a black Chevrolet Volt on Friday and took the shortest of test drives – about 40 feet.
“Pretty smooth,” the President said as he stepped out of the Volt to resume his tour of the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. The impromptu drive occurred after consultations among the Secret Service and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who said he hoped the Volt had an air bag. In fact, it has eight air bags.
Gibbs confirmed it was a... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 95 Views
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| Joy Ride on Streets of Shanghai in Concept EN-V |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 3:12 PM - by msirach
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This is NOT the cellular LG EN-V
Mike Sirach - CleanMPG - July 30, 2010
Relegated to the stage of the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai since it opened in May, an EN-V concept vehicle slipped away Wednesday night for a 10-minute joy ride down Shanghai’s fashionable Huaihai Road.
EN-V, which is short for Electric Networked-Vehicle, is a two-seat electric vehicle designed to alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow’s cities.
Three EN-V models are on display at the SAIC-GM Pavilion. They represent three different characteristics that emphasize the enjoyable nature of future transportation: Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 79 Views
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| Chevrolet to Increase Volt Production Capacity by 50 Percent |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 3:04 PM - by msirach
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President Obama tours the home of the Volt
Mike Sirach - CleanMPG - July 30, 2010
General Motors today said that thanks to strong public interest in the Chevrolet Volt, the 340-mile extended range electric vehicle, it will increase U.S. production capacity of the groundbreaking new car by 50 percent, from 30,000 units to 45,000 units, in 2012.
The announcement came as U.S. President Barack Obama toured the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, where the Volt is being produced now for sale later this year.
“The Chevrolet Volt provides drivers with the latest technology, outstanding innovation, and something no other electric vehicle can provide – peace of mind,” said Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., GM Chairman and CEO. “We... [Read More]
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7 Replies | 126 Views
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| The Gulf had been trashed well before the Deepwater Horizon |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 10:45 AM - by Chuck
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The gulf has changed, Mr. Pitre said: “I think it’s too far gone to salvage.”
Campbell Robertson - NYTIMES - July 29, 2010
Out of sight, out of mind no more --Ed.
...The gulf is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the hemisphere, a stopping point for migratory birds from South America to the Arctic, home to abundant wildlife and natural resources.
But like no other American body of water, the gulf bears the environmental consequences of the country’s economic pursuits and appetites, including oil and corn.
...Runoff and waste from cornfields, sewage plants, golf courses and oil-stained parking lots drain into the... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 111 Views
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| The Collectable Car of the Year: 2010 |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 10:33 AM - by Chuck
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“This car is just so weird that it doesn’t fit in the Honda, Chevy or Hyundai cosmology of cars..."
Tori Tellam - NYTIMES - July 23, 2010
In retrospect, perhaps, it should have seemed inevitable: the Tatra won the 2010 Collectible Car of the Year Contest on nytimes.com.
Yes, the Tatra. Of course.
The what?
From 30 finalists (culled from 651 entries), including a restored Checker taxicab and an elegant Packard roadster, readers of the online Automobiles pages cast 1,510 votes for the unusual Czech-built Tatra T 87, a 1941 model in basic black punctuated by a single huge dorsal fin. (A total... [Read More]
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5 Replies | 120 Views
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| Nissan and GM Launch their Electric Cars; LEAF to Cost Almost $10K Less than Volt |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 8:25 AM - by atlaw4u
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Steve Puma - TRIPLEPUNDIT - July 29, 2010
Leaf or Volt? --Ed.
The Plug-In 2010 Conference in San Jose was the site of major announcements by major auto manufacturers Nissan and General Motors. During their Tuesday morning speeches, both Nissan North America’s executive vice president, Carlos Tavares, and General Motors vice president of U.S. marketing, Joel Ewanick, announced that their much-anticipated products would be available in only a limited number of cities, at first, and that both companies will begin delivering cars by the end of the year.
Even though there are many similarities and differences, both Nissan and GM are betting that U.S. auto buyers will embrace the plug with open arms.
The... [Read More]
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5 Replies | 177 Views
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| ECOtality Applauds California Electric-Car Charging Decision |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 7:35 AM - by Right Lane Cruiser
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Encourages Innovation and Fair Competition
Sean Welch - CleanMPG - July 30, 2010
ECOtality, Inc. (ECTY 4.83, +0.13, +2.77%) , a leader in clean electric transportation storage technologies, has expressed its support for a decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) determining that companies which sell electric vehicle charging services to the public will not be regulated as public utilities.
ECOtality President and CEO Jonathan R. Read praised the decision. "This is very good news for consumers because it allows businesses to compete and where there is competition, prices are lower and product quality improves. While we believe electric vehicle infrastructure can be viable in diverse utility regulatory... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 86 Views
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| Plugless Power soon to arrive for electric and hybrid vehicles |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 7:29 AM - by Right Lane Cruiser
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Induction chargers have been used in portable devices such as mobile phones and electric toothbrushes.
Lin Edwards - PHYSORG - July 30, 2010
This was inevitable -- wouldn't you like to avoid plugs for your devices/vehicles? --Ed.
Evatran, a company from Virginia in the US, has developed a working prototype of a plugless induction charger for electric and hybrid vehicles, and demonstrated the system at this week’s Plug In conference in San Jose, California.
To recharge a vehicle’s battery using the system, the vehicle parks at a Plugless Power station over a floor-mounted parking block, which automatically aligns itself with a special adapter fitted... [Read More]
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8 Replies | 164 Views
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| Hayward Defends Tenure, BP's Spill Response |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 7:22 AM - by Right Lane Cruiser
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"It will take years of continued commitment to the restoration of the Gulf before BP has the legitimacy to engage in historical revisionism."
Monica Langley - WSJ - July 30, 2010
Is there any wonder he has been forced to step down? --Ed.
Tony Hayward, the departing chief executive of BP PLC, is unrepentant about how the energy giant responded to the U.S.'s largest offshore oil spill.
In his first interview after agreeing to step down from the top spot this week, Mr. Hayward said he did everything possible once the Deepwater Horizon rig... [Read More]
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2 Replies | 66 Views
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| New Energy Bill Appropriates $4 Billion For Natural Gas, $400 Million For EV’s |
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Jul 30, 2010 - 7:18 AM - by Right Lane Cruiser
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Compared to the earmarks for natural gas, EV’s feel plain old left out.
Christopher Demorro - GAS2 - July 29, 2010
Is anyone else uneasy about tapping into a valuable heating fuel for transportation? --Ed.
When President Obama came into office, he brought with him promises for new alternative energy vehicles including EV’s. He wants 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015, a goal easily achievable. Additionally, the Obama administration threw billions of dollars at electric vehicle and other alternative energy startups. But has the spigot been turned off?
Not quite. A... [Read More]
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2 Replies | 121 Views
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| First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn't change the game, just the players |
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Jul 29, 2010 - 9:27 PM - by atlaw4u
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Damon Lavrinc - AUTOBLOG - July 27, 2010
We've met the Nissan Leaf before. First at its coming-out party in Japan, followed by an all-too-brief stint behind the wheel of a Versa-based prototype late last year. Now we've had a chance to sample Nissan's first foray into the world of electric vehicles in production form and the automaker picked one of its most important markets – the heart of Silicon Valley – to give us some seat time.
If there's any area ripe for early-EV adoption, it's San Jose, CA. And during a quick test loop through the tight confines of Santana Row and a run through the city's suburban surrounds, it's obvious that the first mass-produced EV is officially ready for prime-time.
If you're anything like the... [Read More]
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12 Replies | 293 Views
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| Electric vision |
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Jul 29, 2010 - 9:23 PM - by atlaw4u
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 Electric car has tie with past and vision for future
Patrick Mcdonough - ARGUSOBSERVER - July 24, 2010
After almost a year of building a fully operational electric vehicle, and after all of the study and implementation of electrical and mechanical engineering involved, one important element of the project is still missing for Ashton Stark.
That would be reaching the age where he can drive it.
Stark, who is 14 and will be a sophomore at Ontario High School in the fall, said he will be old enough for a learner’s permit in a few weeks. He said he is excited about getting behind the wheel and showing... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 129 Views
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| The Volt Jolt |
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Jul 29, 2010 - 9:17 PM - by atlaw4u
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Electric cars like Chevy's new Volt are too expensive today, but they won't be for long.
Daniel Gross - NEWSWEEK - July 30, 2010
General Motors has announced that the bottom-end version of the Chevy Volt, its new electric car, will cost $41,000. Even after a generous federal rebate, it's still pricey. In 2008, median household income in the United States was $50,303. And so it's bound to generate loads of skepticism. How can this electric vehicle, which has "a gas powered range-extending engine/generator," compete with gas-powered sedans that cost half as much? The Chevrolet Malibu starts at about $21,000. Why would... [Read More]
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5 Replies | 167 Views
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| Garmin’s Latest Smartphone Navigation SW |
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Jul 29, 2010 - 7:29 PM - by xcel
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 All the Garmin NUVI features in SW on an advanced Smartphone.
Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 29, 2010
Garmin-Asus A50.
Garmin-Asus, a co-branded alliance between Garmin, ASUS, and Optus today announced a Smartphone designed for those looking for a true ‘all-in-one’ navigation to help make sense of life’s twists and turns. The Garmin-Asus A50, available exclusively in Australia to Optus customers beginning today, is designed to provide a user-friendly, intuitive and consistent mobile navigation experience for consumers.
The Garmin-Asus A50 brings together the power of the Android operating system with on-board... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 169 Views
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