1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM delays truck plant shift so workers can watch Detroit Lions NFC Championship game

It would be difficult to overstate just how big of a deal it is for the city of Detroit and its residents (and residents of southeast Michigan in general) that the Detroit Lions not only made it convincingly into the NFL playoffs but found significant success in defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the Wildcard round and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week. But if there's one thing we can point to as an automotive-minded group, it's this: General Motors has delayed the start of the third shift at its Flint Assembly plant so that workers won't have to miss any part of the game. To emphasize the magnitude of this decision, it's important to note that the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD are built at the plant, and the popularity and, perhaps more importantly, profitability of those heavy duty trucks is so high that it's the only GM plant in Michigan that runs a third shift, as pointed out by the Detroit Free Press. The delay is roughly an hour in total, and workers won't be paid for that missing time. We doubt there will be any complaints. Granted, this isn't the first time GM has delayed starting a late shift due to a big sporting event. In prior years, delays have been recorded for some Super Bowls and for the in-state Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry game at GM facilities in Lansing, Michigan. Still, GM's statement on why it would hold off production of such a lucrative pair of vehicles explains it better than we can: "We recognize the Detroit Lions playing in the NFC Championship game as a rare, unique opportunity that warrants this temporary schedule adjustment to allow employees to enjoy the game and make it to work on time." It's not GM's only show of Lions pride. Take a close look at the General Motors logo currently being displayed at the Renaissance Center, GM's headquarters in Detroit. General Motors is displaying its Motor City pride with a subtle logo redesign to honor the Detroit Lions as they continues their Super Bowl hunt. Read more: https://t.co/Jmc6bmMK6n pic.twitter.com/9bJJqOmwxB — Ad Age (@adage) January 23, 2024 The Free Press reached out to Ford and Stellantis to see if either of GM's rivals would be making shift adjustments as well. Ford has yet to provide a comment, but Stellantis, makers of the Ram truck and Jeep SUVs, has confirmed it will be running normal schedules at all of its facilities. For now, there's only one more question that needs answering: What if the game goes to overtime?

2019 Nissan Leaf Plus vs. Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric: How they compare on paper

Buying an EV once meant choosing either a reasonably priced model with paltry range and weak power, or a massively expensive one with a decent range. But today we have not one, but three options with reasonable prices and healthy ranges of over 200 miles. The latest of which is the 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus, which brings a bigger battery and a more powerful motor over its entry-level counterpart. The question is, how does it stack up with the defending entries in this segment, the 2019 Chevy Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric? To get an idea, we've gathered up the specifications of each electric hatchback for comparison. We'll take a look at power, torque, electric range, charging options, interior space and the all-important pricing and incentives. You can see the raw numbers in the chart below, and additional insights in the text beyond that. If you'd like to compare these cars with other vehicles, be sure to check out our comparison tools. Range and power No matter how much electric cars improve their overall range, range anxiety is going to be an issue for a while, meaning every mile counts. The Kona Electric is the hands-down winner, managing 258 miles from its 64-kWh battery. Next is the Chevy Bolt EV at 238 miles from the group's smallest 60-kWh battery, followed by the Leaf Plus with 226 miles from a 62-kWh battery. For those who want to get really deep into energy usage, the Bolt EV and the Kona Electric have the same EPA rating for energy consumption of 28 kWh per 100 miles, meaning they're equally efficient. This is particularly impressive for the Kona, since it weighs nearly 300 pounds more than the Bolt. Something else to consider with these electric cars are charging options. All three have 120-volt level 1 and 240-volt level 2 charging capability standard, but only the Leaf Plus and Kona Electric give you DC fast charging capability for free. To get it on the Bolt EV, you'll spend an extra $750. Speaking from experience, you'll want DC fast charging if you plan on doing any long trips. 2019 Nissan LEAF e+ View 26 Photos As for the motors propelling these EVs, there's very little difference. The Bolt and Kona are neck-and-neck with 200 and 201 horsepower respectively. The Leaf has a few more horses at 216. In the torque department, the Leaf is last with 250 pound-feet, and the Bolt is just ahead at 266. The Kona is a serious twister with 290 pound-feet.

GM's Fairfax, Kansas, plant closed through mid-August due to chip shortage

General Motors is further extending downtime at its Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas City, Kan., due to ongoing microchip supply issues, the company confirmed late Monday. The plant will now remain idled through at least Aug. 16, Automotive News reports. The facility, which produces the Cadillac XT4 and (for now, anyway) the Chevrolet Malibu, was already slated to be on standby until after the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend, but GM was forced to extend the outage again – this time by more than an another month – due to the continued lack of electronic component supply.  While microchip production has begun to catch up to existing production demand, it could take months (perhaps even more than a year) for customers to see relief from the shortage.  Related video: