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Meet the Buick Velite 7, the Chevy Bolt's Chinese cousin

The Buick Velite 7 has officially been revealed after having been leaked and spied a few months ago. The name derives from Buick's line of electrified models it sells in China, of course the design shows it's most closely related to the Chevy Bolt EV. Buick hasn't revealed many details about it, and only one photo, but we do get to see it and we also have a range estimate. The range estimate is 500 kilometers on the NEDC cycle, which translates to 311 miles. That's actually less than the NEDC estimate for the Bolt EV, which is 565 kilometers or 351 miles, which increased for the 2020 model year from 520 kilometers or 323 miles. Of course NEDC figures tend to be much higher than EPA numbers, which rated the current Bolt EV at 259 miles and the previous version at 238. As such, we would expect this Buick to have an EPA range closer to 210 to 220 miles. We don't know what resulted in the lower range, but it could have something to do with additional weight or slightly worse aerodynamics. It could be both. Design-wise, the Buick is clearly based on the Bolt, but has a more aggressive front bumper and a trendy partially floating roof. It also seems to have a slightly boxier, taller profile, mainly because of the nose. Buick hasn't released any other details about the crossover, preferring to save them for the car's launch later this year. Since it seems so closely related to the Bolt, it probably has the same drivetrain: a single electric motor sending 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Related Video:    

GM cutting vehicle trim options to save money for electrification

Information continues to filter out about GM's plans based on comments the automaker made during its Capital Markets Day event in February. GM President Mark Reuss said the company's push to save money by rationalizing the number of build combinations will continue in 2020, carrying on the work done in 2019. As GM Authority covers, last year, the carmaker cut 3,500 components across model lines, a 12% drop in the number of parts it needed to stock in its plants. Reuss used the next-generation Chevolet Equinox and GMC Terrain as examples for more cost efficiencies, saying build possibilities — which include international markets and their options — will be cut by more than 50%, and use more shared parts. "We will reduce total trim levels on Equinox and Terrain from eight to six," Reuss said, "reduce engine variants from 11 to 5, reduce build combinations from more than 200 to less than 100 per program, and see significant cost savings of an already paid-for architecture that took the mass out, helping us self-fund electrification programs." GM will plow a large amount of the money it saves into its ambitious EV program. In 2017, the automaker said it intends to have 20 electric vehicles on the market by the end of 2023, some of which could be shared between brands. An automotive analyst at Seeking Alpha and a piece in Automobile attempted to put specifics to what we should expect. As Automobile points out, the first two EVs in the 20-car program are already on sale, being the Ariv Meld and Ariv Merge eBikes available in Belgium and The Netherlands. We've seen the Cruise Origin autonomous rideshare taxi, although we don't know when it will hit the road. The next three, which we should see in the metal shortly, are two Cadillac EVs and the GMC Hummer EV pickup. The Cadillac pair are expected to be sized like the XT4 and XT5, and along with the Hummer, should hit the market starting in late 2021.

Buick Encore, Chevy Trax reportedly dead after 2022

The Buick Encore will not get an encore, and the Chevrolet Trax is dead in its tracks. Separate unverified reports say the two crossovers, which are essentially identical underneath the sheetmetal, will retire at the end of the 2022 model year without being directly replaced. Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website GM Authority wrote that production of the Encore and the Trax is scheduled to end in the third quarter of 2022. Both models are manufactured in Bupyeong-gu, South Korea, and General Motors will reportedly use the extra production capacity to build more examples of the Trailblazer, which outsold the Encore and the Trax combined by a significant margin in 2021. General Motors hasn't commented on the report, but we wouldn't be surprised if the end is indeed near for the Encore and the Trax. Buick released the Encore for the 2013 model year, and Chevrolet launched the Trax for 2015, but the model made its debut as the Opel Mokka in 2012. It's at the end of its life cycle, and sales figures reflect this: 20,072 units of the Encore were sold in America in 2021, a drop of 52% compared to 2020, while 42,590 examples of the Trax found a home, a 60% decline. It's further proof that Americans don't like small cars. Viewed in that light, the decision not to replace either crossover makes perfect sense. If the report is accurate, the Encore GX (which is not related to the Encore in any way) will enter the 2023 model year as Buick's entry-level model. The situation is a little more complicated at Chevrolet: The pocket-sized Spark is on its way out in 2022 as well, meaning that the Trailblazer will become the entry point into the range. It's a different story in Europe: Opel, which is now part of the Stellantis group, released the second-generation Mokka in June 2020.