2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM learning from current Chevy Volt owners as it works on next-gen model

Details of the second-generation Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid are coming in at a trickle, and the latest is that the 2016 model-year Volt will be improved in all meaningful areas, including performance and all-electric range, says General Motors powertrain director Larry Nitz. 60 percent of Volt customers only charge using a standard 110 outlet. Nitz was speaking to Autoline After Hours about the current and future Volt. He said that GM has been tracking Volt driving habits and found that about two-thirds of the Volts' collective miles are driven in electric mode, and that 81 percent of all Volt trips were done in pure EV mode. Additionally, Volt drivers plug the car in 10 times each week, on average. Nitz also said 82 percent of the Volt's commuting miles are coming from the plug instead of the gas tank. Oh, and 60 percent of Volt customers only charge using a standard 110 outlet. Last month, GM released a teaser shot of the 2016 Volt (above) and said the car would make its worldwide debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show next January. Earlier this year, the Volt was reported to be getting a new chassis for the upcoming version. The Volt could use a bit of new life. Through August, Volt sales were down 12 percent from a year earlier to 13,146 units, and sales plunged 25 percent alone. That compares unfavorably to the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle, whose 2014 sales have jumped 34 percent to almost 19,000 units. You can see Nitz dish the goods in the video below (Volt comments start at around minute 15). You will also notice AutoblogGreen contributor Gary Witzenburg talk about his history with the EV1 and share his take on the Volt. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

This map reveals the cleanest vehicles based on location

Naysayers love to point out how dirty the electricity grid mix is when it comes to charging electric vehicles. Curmudgeons are eager to jump into any conversation about EVs to enlighten the lucky listeners about how plug-in cars contribute to pollution, sometimes even throwing in a dash of climate-change denial for good measure. (Thanks, buddy. Pray, tell me more about the plight of oppressed SUV owners.) Unless someone buys an EV just because they think they're cool (which, yeah, they often are), they probably have at least a passable understanding of their environmental pros and cons. As many EV owners are already aware, location has a lot to do with any particular plug-in car's carbon footprint. Still, there's always more to know, and knowledge is not a bad thing, especially if one uses it to do the right thing. That's why this handy-dandy map from Carnegie Mellon University is so interesting. CMU researchers have compiled information about the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of various EVs based on where they're charged, as compared to gasoline-powered vehicles. The researchers looked at the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, and Prius Plug-In Hybrid versus the gasoline-dependent Toyota Prius hybrid and the stop-start-equipped Mazda3 with i-ELOOP and compared grams of CO2 emitted per mile. CMU takes into account the grid mix, ambient temperature, and driving patterns. CMU takes into account the grid mix based on county, as well as ambient temperature and driving patterns in terms of miles traveled on the highway or in the city. For instance, if you drive a Nissan Leaf in urban areas of California, Texas, or Florida, your carbon footprint is lower than it would be if you were driving a standard Toyota Prius. However, if you charge your Leaf in the Midwest or the South, for the most part, you've got a larger carbon footprint than the Prius. If you live in the rural Midwest, you'd probably even be better off driving a Mazda3. Throughout the country, the Chevrolet Volt has a larger carbon footprint than the Toyota Prius, but a smaller one than the Mazda3 in a lot of urban counties in the US. The Prius and Prius Plug-In are relatively equal across the US. Having trouble keeping it straight? That's not surprising. The comparisons between plug-in and gasoline vehicles are much more nuanced than the loudest voices usually let on.

Nissan recalls 3.5 million vehicles over airbag sensor

Nissan is recalling 3.53 million vehicles globally – 3.2 million in the United States – because the front passenger airbag may or may not deploy properly in the event of a crash. In affected vehicles, the occupant sensing system may not properly register a person sitting in the passenger seat. Passenger-side airbags in roughly 622,000 Nissan Sentra models built between 2013 and 2016 may deploy in crashes when they shouldn't, such as when a child is in the seat. 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, and LEAF, 2013-2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60 and Q50, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Chevrolet City Express and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles suffer from the opposite problem. In those models, the airbag may not deploy when it is supposed to. Nissan is aware of at least three crashes where airbags in one of the above models did not function properly, resulting in "moderate injuries." There have already been four recalls since 2013 for similar issues in Nissan vehicles. If you own one of these cars, expect a letter from Nissan in short order (or from GM if you own a Chevy City Express). Related Video: RECALL Subject : Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error , 1 INVESTIGATION(S) Report Receipt Date: APR 26, 2016 NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF and Sentra, 2013-2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60 and Q50, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Chevrolet City Express and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash. CONSEQUENCE: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury. REMEDY: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors.