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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

Kid Rock's Chevy Silverado is a working-class hero [w/video]

Rock stars are known for their swagger, and Kid Rock brings a mountain of that confidence to his design for this chrome-festooned 2016 Silverado 3500HD at the SEMA show. Inspired by his song Born Free and a visit to the pickup factory in Flint, MI, the styling is meant to celebrate the folks that build these trucks everyday. The Silverado sparkles like a beacon under the lights at the SEMA Show thanks to its black metallic-flecked paint and acres of chrome. The shiny stuff covers the custom grille, exhaust stacks, 22-inch wheels, and side steps. In a patriotic nod, silver Stars and Stripes run down the side to offer a little contrast to the dark body. Further emphasizing the pickup's huge size, a trailer carries a pair of Gibbs Sports Quadskis that are decorated to match the truck. Kid Rock takes inspiration from – get this – acid-wash jeans for the interior by combining Sky Cool Gray leather seats with metallic-looking inserts. Appropriate for a musician, there's also a custom Kicker stereo in there, and Made in Detroit logos adorn the door sills and glovebox. Related Video: Show full PR text SILVERADO 3500HD KID ROCK CONCEPT CELEBRATES FREEDOM Boldly styled custom 'dually' truck honors working-class Americans LAS VEGAS – Inspired by his hit song "Born Free," musician Kid Rock collaborated with Chevrolet to design a customized 2016 Silverado 3500HD "dually" that celebrates freedom and honors American workers. The truck was introduced today at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where it joined other personalized Chevy truck concepts designed to showcase the depth and breadth of the brand's pickup truck lineup. Michigan-born Kid Rock visited the Silverado HD assembly plant in Flint, Mich., to meet with the members of UAW Local 598, who built the truck, before driving it to Chevrolet's design studio to share his ideas for its customization. "The Flint plant – and everyone on the line – is the backbone of America," said Kid Rock. "I wanted the design for the truck to be bold, but with features and elements that wouldn't be out of reach for working-class guys." As a result, his Silverado features several enhancements, including a custom chrome grille with the Born Free logo and an enlarged Chevy Bowtie emblem, chrome exhaust stacks and patriotic graphics that flow across the body sides. A unique execution of the patriotic motif was an idea he expressed at the start of the project.

GM 8-speed transmission lawsuit granted class action certification

A story on Autoblog about potentially faulty 8-speed automatic transmissions from General Motors in 2019 has, as of the day this was published, 166 comments, mostly from owners of cars and trucks who say they are experiencing "a hesitation, followed by a significant shake, shudder, jerk, clunk, or 'hard shift' when the vehicle's automatic transmission changes gears." At the time, lawyers were seeking statewide classes in at least six states. As of today, the Detroit Free Press reports that a judge has granted class action status to a lawsuit brought by 39 plaintiffs across 26 states covering the transmission issue. The lawsuit specifically applies to vehicles that are equipped with GM's 8L90 or 8L45 8-speed automatic transmissions made between 2015 and March 1, 2019. Both of these transmissions are similar units, the 8L45 being slightly lighter version used in fewer vehicles than the beefier 8L90, and are designed for front-engine, rear- or all-wheel drive applications. The lawsuit alleges that the erratic transmission behavior makes some vehicles unsafe to drive. Ted Leopold, partner at Cohen Milstein and the court-appointed lead counsel for the case, said in a statement, "General Motors knowingly sold over 800,000 eight-speed transmission vehicles, which they knew to be defective for years, and yet made the business decision not to tell its customers before purchase." He added, "Dealers were directed to tell the customers that harsh shifts were ‘normal' or ‘characteristic.Â’ Such decision making is both highly irresponsible and emblematic of what GM believes it can get away with." The vehicles included in the court order with potentially faulty transmissions includes: 2015-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2017-2019 Chevrolet Colorado 2015-2019 Chevrolet Corvette 2016-2019 Chevrolet Camaro 2015-2019 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS, ATS-V, CTS, CT6, and CTS-V 2015-2019 GMC Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Yukon Denali XL 2017-2019 GMC Canyon Some additional details of the lawsuit can be found at the Cohen Milstein site, including claims that "since 2015, GM has issued thirteen versions of a “technical service bulletin,” or “TSB,” related to this shifting issue alone." The statement from Cohen Milstein says that a "second action regarding GM vehicles with 8L transmissions is also underway in Battle v. General Motors, LLC, 2:22-cv-108783.