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GM learning from current Chevy Volt owners as it works on next-gen model

Details of the second-generation Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid are coming in at a trickle, and the latest is that the 2016 model-year Volt will be improved in all meaningful areas, including performance and all-electric range, says General Motors powertrain director Larry Nitz. 60 percent of Volt customers only charge using a standard 110 outlet. Nitz was speaking to Autoline After Hours about the current and future Volt. He said that GM has been tracking Volt driving habits and found that about two-thirds of the Volts' collective miles are driven in electric mode, and that 81 percent of all Volt trips were done in pure EV mode. Additionally, Volt drivers plug the car in 10 times each week, on average. Nitz also said 82 percent of the Volt's commuting miles are coming from the plug instead of the gas tank. Oh, and 60 percent of Volt customers only charge using a standard 110 outlet. Last month, GM released a teaser shot of the 2016 Volt (above) and said the car would make its worldwide debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show next January. Earlier this year, the Volt was reported to be getting a new chassis for the upcoming version. The Volt could use a bit of new life. Through August, Volt sales were down 12 percent from a year earlier to 13,146 units, and sales plunged 25 percent alone. That compares unfavorably to the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle, whose 2014 sales have jumped 34 percent to almost 19,000 units. You can see Nitz dish the goods in the video below (Volt comments start at around minute 15). You will also notice AutoblogGreen contributor Gary Witzenburg talk about his history with the EV1 and share his take on the Volt. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt have best sales month of 2015

Things are trending upwards for the two best-selling plug-in vehicles in the US. Both the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf had their best sales month of 2015 in May, with the Volt selling 1,618 units and the Leaf moving 2,104. The upward swings come at an interesting time, with lots of excess first-gen Volts waiting for buyers and some buyers already ordering their second-gen Volts. So far in 2015, the Leaf has outsold the Volt 7,742 to 4,397. While 7,700 Leafs is respectable, it's nowhere near the numbers that Nissan will have to hit to reach the 50,000 annual sales that CEO Carlos Ghosn says is possible in the US. Still, the Leaf had its best sales month since December 2014 (when it sold 3,102 units) in May, but last month was still down 32.5 percent compared to May 2014. Despite the smaller overall number, May represents a big positive for Chevy, which has seen sluggish sales for the Volt for a long while now. The 1,618 Volts sold last month are only 3.9 percent lower than the 1,684 sold in May 2014 and May 2015 was the best month for Volt sales since August 2014. Perhaps salesmen are ready to make deals, what with thousands sitting around on dealer lots right now. The next-gen Volt is due this fall, and the order books (in California, at least) opened up this week. Like every month, our full wrap-up of green car sales in the US is coming soon (the VW e-Golf, for example, hit a best-ever high of 410 sales). Until then, feel free to discuss the Volt and Leaf sales figures in the Comments. Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid ev sales hybrid sales

Millionth Corvette now being restored after sinkhole damage

Among the original American sports cars that were damaged by the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum over a year ago was a 1992 convertible that was the millionth Vette made. And now that milestone vehicle is starting its restoration process. The landmark Corvette's rehabilitation is being carried out by the GM Design Center in Warren, MI, by a team of skilled craftsmen and technicians. The crew is more accustomed to building prototypes and concepts, but will face a new challenge in bringing this millionth Corvette back to its original condition. The white-over-red convertible was one of eight Corvettes that were swallowed up by the sinkhole at the museum in Bowling Green early in the morning on February 12, 2014. Five will be preserved in their compromised condition as part of a display demonstrating the effects of the sinkhole, while the remaining three were earmarked for restoration. The Design Center team has already completely the restoration of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 "Blue Devil" prototype, while the remaining 1962 Corvette will be restored by the museum. Related Video: Sinkhole-Swallowed 1 Millionth Corvette Restoration Underway Milestone damaged when earth opened beneath National Corvette Museum 2015-06-10 WARREN, Mich. – Craftspeople and technicians at the General Motors Design Center are painstakingly restoring the historic 1 millionth Chevrolet Corvette damaged nearly 16 months ago when a sinkhole opened beneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. The restoration crew is part of GM's Mechanical Assembly group at the Design Center, which typically spends its time building prototype and concept vehicles. The white 1992 Corvette is a challenge because rather than build an all-new vehicle from the ground up, the workers are trying to preserve the original appearance of a production vehicle. It is the second of three sinkhole-damaged Corvettes that Chevrolet has pledged to restore. The first, a 2009 Corvette ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, was only lightly damaged and was returned to its original condition last fall. The National Corvette Museum will oversee the restoration of the third car, a 1962 Corvette. Five other Corvettes swallowed by the sinkhole will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve the historical significance of the cars. They will become part of a future sinkhole-themed display at the museum. Sinkhole summary On Wednesday, Feb.