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2015 Chevy Volt gets larger battery, though range remains the same

The Chevrolet Volt isn't changing much for the 2015 model year. According to specifications uncovered by Inside EVs, though, the new Volt's battery does have a slightly larger capacity. According to the spec sheet, this doesn't translate to increased range. Real world driving, though, might tell a different story. The 2015 Volt's battery storage is slightly higher than the outgoing model's, up from 16.5 kilowatt-hours to 17.1 kWh. According to GM's manager of electrification technology communications, Kevin Kelly, speaking to Green Car Reports, the increased capacity is "a late change done in the cell... just another continuous improvement to surprise and delight our customers." The stated electric range, however, stays at 38 miles. Inside EVs followed up on its original report, and found that drivers could see some advantage to the battery tweak. When they spoke to Kelly, he told them, "As a result of this change, we would expect that some customers may see a slight improvement in overall EV range." It's worth noting that when battery capacity increased from 16 kWh to 16.5 kWh for the 2013 Volt, electric range increased by three miles to the current 38, while MPGe went from 94 to 98. The price of the 2015 Chevrolet Volt remains steady, at $34,995. The actual cost to the customer is considerably less with the $7,500 federal tax credit, as well as any local incentives.

GM Halts Sale Of Most Chevy Cruze Models

General Motors has told dealers to stop selling some 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars. But the company won't say why. Dealers say stop-sale orders are routine and almost always made to fix a safety problem. They received the order in an e-mail Thursday, but no reason was given. The move comes as GM deals with fallout from a delayed recall of 1.6 million older small cars to fix an ignition switch problem. The company says the switches can slip out of the run position and shut down the engine. That causes loss of power steering and brakes and disables air bags. GM says the problem has been linked to 31 crashes and at least a dozen deaths. Spokesman Greg Martin says he has no details on the Cruze. Related Gallery Chevy Impala Earns Highest Accolades From Consumer Reports Recalls Chevrolet GM Cruze

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy hits CO2 goal, eVgo and BMW build fast charging

Chevrolet has met its goal of preventing 8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the last five years. Through its community-based carbon reduction initiative, Chevy invested $40 million and took part in 38 different projects in 29 different states. The projects included supporting wind farms, powering a hospital with landfill gas, helping truckers reduce their idle time and helping create the ongoing #CleanEnergyU dialogue between students and clean energy leaders. In the end, Chevy retired all its carbon credits rather then spending them to offset its own emissions. Read more from Chevrolet. NRG eVgo and BMW are partnering to add DC Fast Combo charging to locations around the country. Over the next two years, the groups will bring hundreds of the 50-kW chargers to 25 cities, with 24 of those markets getting at least one installed by the end of 2015. "eVgo will add reliable DC Fast Combo capability to what is already America's largest DC Fast charging network," says eVgo President and CEO Arun Banskota. "This will be the fastest and most cost effective build out of a new network ever – thanks in large part to our existing infrastructure and committed retail host partners." Read more in the press release from eVgo. The EPA has settled with a Utah gasoline refiner over Clean Air Act violations. The HollyFrontier Corporation subsidiaries will pay $1.2 million for producing about 42 million gallons of gas that didn't adhere to Reid Vapor Pressure standards, resulting in 10 excess tons of volatile organic compound emissions. Its Salt Lake City refinery will also implement a program to offset past emissions. "This agreement will benefit public health by requiring retrofits of storage tanks at HollyFrontier facilities that will reduce volatile organic compound emissions and use next generation technology to verify these reductions," says Assistant Attorney General John Cruden. "This settlement shows that fuel refiners can and must meet the nation's standards for controlling the emissions that cause ground level ozone and serious health problems for Americans." Read more in the press release below. U.S. Settles with Gasoline Refiner to Reduce Emissions at Utah Facility WASHINGTON -- The U.S.