1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Base Sedan 4-door on 2040-cars

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Even if GM does close all 5 of those plants, it'll still have too many

DETROIT — General Motors' monumental announcement on Monday that it will close three car assembly plants and two powertrain plants in North America and slash its workforce will only partially close the gap between capacity and demand for the automaker's sedans, according to a Reuters analysis of industry production and capacity data. Sales of traditional passenger cars in North America have been declining for the past six years and are still withering. After GM ends production next year at factories in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, it will still have four U.S. passenger-car plants — all operating at less than 50 percent of rated capacity, according to figures supplied by LMC Automotive. In comparison, Detroit-based rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have one car plant each in North America after 2019. The Detroit Three are facing rapidly dwindling demand for traditional passenger cars from U.S. consumers, many of whom have shifted to crossovers and trucks. Passenger cars accounted for 48 percent of retail light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2014, according to market researchers at J.D. Power and Associates. This year, sedans will account for less than a third of light vehicle sales. That shift in turn has left most North American car plants operating far below their rated capacities, while many SUV and truck plants are running on overtime. The collapse in passenger-car demand is a challenge for nearly all automakers in the United States, including Japan's Toyota and Honda, which have the top-selling models in the compact and midsize car segments. Toyota executives said last month they are evaluating the company's U.S. model lineup. But Toyota also plans to build compact Corolla sedans at a new $1.6 billion factory it is building in Alabama with partner Mazda. The obstacles facing GM in its plans to close more auto factories became apparent on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block payment of government electric vehicle subsidies to GM. While it is not certain that Trump unilaterally has the power to do that, he made it clear he intends to use his office to pressure the company to keep open a small car plant in Ohio that GM says will stop building vehicles in March.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Impala bi-fuel sales; VW e-Up fire

Chevrolet has delivered about 200 units of its bi-fuel Impala so far. The automaker originally planned to begin sales in summer of 2014, but was delayed over a year due to quality concerns. Now, the bi-fuel Impala, which runs on both gasoline and CNG, has begun delivery, mostly to commercial and fleet customers. The car begins at $38,210 (including destination charges), and will be available at 3,200 US dealerships. Production of a 2016 model is underway. Read more at Green Car Reports. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $35 million in funding for hydrogen and fuel cell technology projects. The money will support research and development, manufacturing, and early deployment of the technologies. The DOE also wants to bring together consortia to work together on fuel cell cost, performance, and durability, as well as hydrogen storage research. "As FCEVs become increasingly commercially available, the Energy Department is focused on advancements to enable hydrogen infrastructure including production, delivery, storage, and manufacturing, as well as continuing to reduce fuel cell cost and improve durability," the DOE said in a statement. Read more from the DOE. A Volkswagen e-Up! caught fire after a collision with a train in Norway. The driver, Christopher Traasdahl Saether, was able to jump from the electric Volkswagen before the train hit, and was physically unharmed. It also appears that there were no injuries among the passengers on the train. "It was quite a way to start the day," says Saether. A photographer at the scene reported that the car burst into flames when a salvage crew attempted to remove the wreckage from the railway crossing. See the video and read more (in Norwegian) from Fredriksstad Blad. Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel View 14 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Volkswagen e-Up!: Quick Spin View 20 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports, DOE, Fredrikstad BladImage Credit: Chevrolet Government/Legal Green Chevrolet Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Safety Electric Natural Gas Vehicles recharge wrapup

Diesel-powered 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra get big price cuts

General Motors is reducing the price difference between its diesel-powered light-duty pickups and their gasoline-burning counterparts, according to a recent report. As of September 3, 2020, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500 benefit from a $1,500 price cut when they're ordered with a turbodiesel under the hood. Enthusiast website GM Authority first reported the news after looking at internal documents sent to dealers across the nation. It wrote the discount applies to in-stock and in-transit units of the Silverado and the Sierra (pictured), and it added dealers will begin receiving amended window stickers on September 8. And, it's not just a quick, easy way for General Motors stores to clear out 2020 inventory. Incoming 2021 models will benefit from it, too. Chevrolet's cheapest diesel-slurping 2020 Silverado, a double-cab LT with two-wheel drive, now starts at $44,000 once a mandatory $1,595 destination charge enters the equation. For context, the same configuration costs $38,795 including destination when it's ordered with the 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which is the smallest and cheapest engine on the roster. Selecting the more efficient engine option costs buyers $5,205. At the other end of the spectrum, the crew-cab High Country with a standard cargo box and four-wheel drive is now priced at $59,690. Walk a block to the GMC store, and you'll need to spend between $44,470 (double-cab SLE with two-wheel drive) and $61,685 (crew-cab Denali with a regular cargo box and four-wheel drive) for a diesel-powered Sierra. It doesn't sound like either company is making major mechanical changes to the trucks for 2021. Both are powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six Duramax engine, which makes 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive and a 10-speed automatic transmission come standard, and four-wheel drive is offered at an extra cost. In its most efficient configuration, the Silverado returns 23 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg in a mixed cycle, impressive numbers for a body-on-frmae pickup that's as heavy as it is capable. Ram's diesel-powered 1500 posts EPA estimates of 22, 32, and 26, respectively. Ford pledged the recently-unveiled 14th-generation F-150 will offer a turbodiesel engine, too, but its fuel economy figures are not available yet.