1958 Chevrolet Apache Pickup Shortbed on 2040-cars

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Most of the US won't get 2016 Chevy Volt

Every major plug-in vehicle launch in the US has been a patchwork operation, with automakers focusing their initial efforts on targeted locations like California where they expect to sell the most units. Today, we learned that even five years into the plug-in car project, the game remains the same. According to GM, the second-gen Chevy Volt is going to be rolled out in the same manner. In fact, GM is limiting availability of the 2016 model year Volt so much that most of the US will not have access to the car at all. For 39 states, the second-gen Volt will first be available as a 2017 model year vehicle at some point in the spring of 2016. When GM announced the buying process for the new Volt, it made it clear that dealers in California would be the first to place their orders. Hybrid Cars now reports that the first deliveries will be also limited to California and 10 other states that follow the California Air Resourced Board (CARB) rules: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland , Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. GM spokesman Kevin Kelly told AutoblogGreen that this is all according to plan. "Chevrolet has a shortened model year for the 2016 Chevy Volt that will have a limited distribution network," he said. "The 2016 Volt will be sold in our strongest EREV markets. The 2017 Chevrolet Volt will begin production early this spring and will be available throughout the country." It appears that non-CARB state Volt customers will be able to order their Volts starting October 1, according to documents posted on Hybrid Cars, where we also learn that 2016 Volt production for California started in August, will begin in late October for the other 10 CARB states, and in early 2016 for the rest of the US. Unsurprisingly, dealers outside of the 11 CARB states have been complaining that they can't order the much-anticipated new Volt for their customers just yet. Related Video:

Chevy Bolt officially keeping name, says marketing boss

There might be just a little confusion at first, but the Bolt name is sticking around. After conducting two consumer studies into the name, Chevrolet isn't worried about the similarity of the monikers for the upcoming EV and existing Volt plug-in hybrid. In fact, the brand thinks the resemblance might be for the best. "The decision is made. The name won't be changed." Chevy head of marketing Tim Mahoney said to The Detroit Free Press. The research shows that the compatibility between the two names actually works quite well. With the Volt well established, people apparently already connect the Bolt to the Bowtie, which is just what a brand wants. Both studies indicated the ""same result, it did well," according to Mahoney. Just a few months ago, the future of the Bolt's name wasn't so clear. GM North America President Alan Batey said the company knew there might be confusion, and it was still mulling its options. The Bolt could be a breakthrough in the EV market with a 200-mile range and a possible price of around $30,000 after incentives. Production is set for the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan following a $200 million upgrade there, and the model could be in dealers as soon as 2017. That's just in time to take on the Tesla Model 3 with its claimed $35,000 price and similar driving distance as the Chevy. Related Video:

GM recalls 3,300 pickups and SUVs for new ignition-switch issue [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A statement from GM about the recall has been added below. The exact total of vehicles affected is 3,296, including 3,073 of them in the US. General Motors isn't letting an ignition-switch problem grow into a massive scandal again. The automaker is recalling about 3,300 North American trucks and SUVs. They are: the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra and the 2015 Chevy Suburban and Chevy Tahoe, as well as 2015 model heavy-duty pickups, the Detroit News reports, citing an Associated Press story. The issue appears to have been caught fairly quickly. In this case, the keys can get stuck in the "start" position and then slip to "accessory" if bumped. This is because the ignition lock gears have an outer diameter that's larger than the specifications allow. When that happens the engine shuts off, and the driver loses assistance to the steering and brakes. The airbags might also be affected. The vehicles get a new ignition-lock housing to fix the problem. According to the Detroit News, an employee who experienced the problem with the switch discovered the issue, and this person then let officials at the automaker know as part of the Speak Up for Safety program. A total of five reports of the fault were discovered. However, there are no cases of injuries or crashes. The claims to the automaker's resolution program eventually tallied that GM's previous ignition switch problem included 124 deaths and 275 injuries. The company also had to recall millions of vehicles and pay significant fines to the US government. GM Statement General Motors is recalling 3,073 full-size trucks from the 2014 and 2015 model years in the U.S. Some of these vehicles may have an ignition lock actuator gear with an outer diameter that exceeds specifications, which may make turning the ignition key difficult. The ignition key could get stuck in the "start" position. This may be more likely at higher interior ambient temperatures. If the vehicle is driven with the key stuck in the "start" position, and the vehicle experiences a significant jarring event or the vehicle's interior temperature cools, the ignition lock cylinder could move out of the "start" position, rotate past the "run" position, and move into the "accessory" position, leading to loss of power steering assist, power brakes and potentially air bag deployment in certain crashes. Dealers will replace the ignition lock housing.