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Chevy will reveal the Bolt EV tomorrow at CES

The moment that electric vehicle consumers and green propulsion enthusiasts have been waiting for is almost upon us, as Chevy confirmed that it will unveil the production version of the 2017 Bolt EV Wednesday at CES in Las Vegas. Chevrolet previewed the Bolt in concept form at the Detroit Auto Show almost a year ago, proposing a compelling rival to the likes of the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3. We've expected the CES debut for awhile, and Chevy projects that the finished product will boast a range of more than 200 miles on a single charge. That's nearly double the Leaf's range, and significantly farther than the i3 will travel even with the Range Extender kicking in. All of that for under $30,000 after federal tax credits. Of course, Chevy's own Spark EV costs much less, but will only go 82 miles before it needs to plug in again. If you won't be in Vegas for the unveiling tomorrow, you can catch it on Facebook. It will be the first vehicle to debut on the new Facebook Live, featuring both a live video stream and a 360-degree interactive interior video. Once out on the market, the Bolt EV will join the Spark EV, Volt PHEV, and Malibu hybrid in a growing array of electrified vehicles from the American automaker, rivaling the likes of Toyota and Nissan for the most electrified vehicles in its lineup. Chevrolet Bolt EV Will Debut at CES 2016-01-05 DETROIT – Chevrolet will unveil the 2017 Bolt EV at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and be the first auto brand to work with Facebook to debut a vehicle using Facebook Live. With the addition of the Bolt EV to a lineup that includes the all-new 2016 Volt, 2016 Malibu Hybrid and Spark EV, Chevrolet will offer consumers more affordable, electrified vehicle options than any other major automotive brand – solidifying its position as the leader in electrification. "The Bolt EV truly embodies the ingenuity that is at the core of everything we do at Chevrolet," said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America and head of Global Chevrolet. "The technologies and the engineering expertise behind the Bolt EV are tremendous examples of the kind of innovation we intend to offer our customers, across an array of products at a tremendous value – something only Chevrolet can deliver." Building on the electrification expertise established by the Volt, the Bolt EV is a game-changing, long-range electric vehicle.

NHTSA upgrades probe into 1.7 million GM vehicles over wiper failures

WASHINGTON — The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday it is upgrading an investigation into 1.7 million General Motors vehicles for windshield wiper failures. The auto safety agency opened the probe in November 2018 to see if GM needed to expand a 2016 recall of 2013 model year Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs to cover additional vehicles. The engineering analysis probe covers 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. NHTSA could demand a recall after it completes the probe. NHTSA said it has reviewed 1,900 complaints and reports related to the issue in the 1.7 million vehicles. NHTSA said it has seen elevated failure rates in the 1.7 million vehicles, even though GM said the recalled vehicles have "double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate." GM said it will "fully cooperate to support their investigation. We do not believe these windshield washer systems are defective." The wiper failures that prompted the 2016 recall were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the ball joint. GM said it was installing an improved windshield wiper motor and transmission assembly and relocating a drain hole at the base of the windshield. Related Video:

GM profits threatened by glut of pickups

Automotive News reports that General Motors may slash production or ramp up discounts in order to deal with an oversupply of pickup trucks. GM currently has more than double the standard supply of pickups, and the vehicles are threatening to dampen the automaker's profits for 2013. Typically, automakers try to sustain a 60- to 75-day supply of vehicles, but GM is currently loaded with a 139-day supply, as of last month. At the end of November, the automaker was sitting on 245,853 units.
The manufacturer says that it will adjust production accordingly before laying any incentives on the profitable pickups. Even so, there's some concern that the inventory swell could hurt the roll-out of the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM actually began slowly stepping back production in August, but it's clear the company will take further action as it heads toward the end of the year and into the next. Analysts predict the automaker could reduce pickup manufacturing by nearly half in the first quarter of 2013.
That still may not be enough to keep GM from laying extra cash on the Silverado and GMC Sierra. While the company's incentive spending was down in November compared to the same month in 2011, both the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 saw double-digit percentage increases in sales last month while the Silverado and Sierra numbers slid compared to a year prior. Incentive spending could help move more trucks and add some balance to the GM inventory surge.