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Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt sales both down in June

The best news you can slice out of today's sales reports for June 2015 is that things have to get better at some point. Most likely, sales of the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt will see a big increase once the second-generation models of both vehicles arrive (the Volt later this year and the Leaf, well, at some point after that). For now, though, the best-selling EVs in the US are both suffering compared to where the numbers were at last year. The numbers are also suffering compared to last month, which was the best of the year so far for both vehicles. Looking just at June, though, Leaf sales totaled 2,074 units, down 11.6 percent from a year ago (the EV sold 2,347 units in June 2014). The world's best-selling EV is now down 22.9 percent for the year so far (12,736 in 2014 vs. 9,816 in 2015). Things are a bit worse over at Chevy, where news about the pretty-much-better-in-all-ways second-gen Volt is coming out with great frequency. Nonetheless, people are still buying the outgoing Volt, snapping up 1,225 units in June. That's down 31.1 percent from the 1,777 sold in June 2014. So far in 2015, the Chevy has sold 5,622 Volts, a drop of 34.7 percent from the 8,615 Volts sold in the first six months of 2014. As always, we're working on our full tally of green car sales for June and will bring that to you shortly. For now, discuss the sales of these two plug-in pioneers in our Comments, below. News Source: GM, Nissan Green Chevrolet Nissan Hybrid ev sales

EcoCar3 will convert Camaro to bitchin' eco rides

In the 47-year-history of the Chevrolet Camaro, there have been countless college-age kids spending a ton of time getting under the hood and souping 'em up. Now, General Motors is adding a twist to the concept by donating 16 Camaros for the EcoCar challenge that puts university teams together to wring out better fuel-efficiency out of various vehicles. No word on whether there will be donuts on anyone's lawn, as suggested by 80's punks the Dead Milkmen, but the idea's never a bad one. EcoCar3 will feature 16 teams such as Arizona State, Penn State, Ontario's University of Waterloo and, of course, Detroit's Wayne State University. They'll spend the next four years "[reducing] environmental impact, while maintaining the muscle and performance expected from this iconic American car," as the EcoCar organizers say. The goal is to maintain body design and safety standards while boosting efficiency and lowering emissions, but the actual process is far more complicated than that description suggests. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Bosch are among the sponsors of the contest, which is also put on by the US Department of Energy and managed by Argonne National Laboratory. Penn State won Year Two of the three-year EcoCar 2 competition with its E85 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle converted out of a Chevy Malibu. The grand-prize winner of EcoCar2 will be announced in June. Check out the EcoCar3 website and see the announcement video below for more details. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2021 GMC Canyon trims overhauled, SL and SLT disappear

Until this year, the GMC Canyon has offered six trims in two drivetrains: SL, a base model simply called Canyon, SLE, All Terrain, SLT, and Denali, with all but the SL available in either 2WD or 4WD. GM Authority credits "dealer sources" for news that the 2021 Canyon has had its trim steps overhauled. According to the chart in the report, the SL and SLT are no more, the base Canyon gets replaced by a trim called Elevation Standard, and SLE turns into Elevation. We already know that All Terrain has given way to AT4, while Denali remains in the top spot. Trim content doesn't change with the names, but there's no equivalent for the SLT trim in terms of spec. The GMC site lists the 2020 SLE and SLT on the same page, and a shopper must burrow into the spec comparison page to figure out the differences. The SLT only comes with the 3.6-liter V6 and eight-speed transmission, and makes features like remote start, climate control, heated mirrors, heated seats, hitch guidance, and a spare tire standard equipment. It also chromes the exterior door handles, and offers a Cocoa/Dune leather interior that can't be had on the SLE. It's possible the SLT's $4,700 premium over the SLE led more buyers to start with the SLE and add the engine and options they wanted.   We have a number of questions that we'll need to wait for GMC's official announcement to answer. The 2020 Canyon offers an Elevation Edition package for $650 that adds a black grille with body-colored surround, and 18-inch Satin Graphite wheels in all-terrain rubber. There's also a California Elevation Special Edition for $1,195 with all-weather floor liners, assist steps, and mud flaps. They could be optioned on the SLE but not the SLT. With the addition of two Elevation trims, we'll find out if the packages get renamed or go away. Separately, CarBuzz spotted a 2021 GM Fleet Order Guide that mentions a leveling kit option, LPO Code SQS, for the Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado. We noted the inclusion of a leveling kit in the coming Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Package. According to the order guide, the option can be ordered only for the Canyon AT4 trim, but it's not clear if that's an a la carte choice or if buyers must order the Off-Road Performance Package. On the Chevy, the rake-removal equipment can be had with the Colorado 4x2 Z71 or the 4x4 Work Truck, LT, and Z71. Related Video: