2011 Buick Lacrosse Cxl on 2040-cars

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GM admits goal of 500,000 EVs by 2017 won't be met

After a little over four years of Chevy Volt sales, General Motors has a better handle on how many people it expects will buy cars with plugs. And it's less than the company thought back in 2012, when then-senior vice president of global product development, Mary Barra, said that GM expected to sell 500,000 "vehicles with electrification" by 2017. In a sustainability report released this week, GM says that half-million vehicle target will not be met but that it still, "believes the future is electric." In the report, GM says that, "For our commitment to electrification, our forecasted outlook currently projects us, along with the broader automotive industry, falling short of expectations for 2017. ... We continue to aspire to our stated goal." GM's electric lineup includes the Volt, the recently popular Spark EV, the slow-selling Cadillac ELR and upcoming Malibu Hybrid, CT6 plug-in hybrid and eAssist technology in the Buick LaCrosse and Regal. GM says it has 180,834 electrified vehicles on the road in the US today. In 2013, it had 153,034; 95,578 in 2012, and 39,843 in 2011. The company's next big plug-in vehicle will be the second-gen Chevy Volt, which is coming to market later this year, followed by the 200-mile Bolt EV coming, we think, in 2017. GM Employees on Mission to Transform Transportation Sustainability report outlines vehicle and manufacturing progress; sets new targets 2015-05-07 DETROIT – General Motors' just-released sustainability report chronicles efforts by the company's 216,000 employees to live out GM's newly defined purpose and values by earning customer loyalty, applying meaningful technology advances and improving the communities where it does business. These actions – led by CEO Mary Barra – further drive sustainability into the company's culture through building safer and smarter vehicles with less environmental impact. "GM will take a leading role in the auto industry's transformation as it undergoes an unprecedented period of change," said Bob Ferguson, senior vice president, GM Global Public Policy. "From GM's labs to its assembly lines, our people are driving the world to a better place through improved mobility." The company believes the future is electric, with billions of investment to support an all-in-house approach to the development and manufacturing of electrified vehicles. It now counts 180,834 on the road in the U.S – up from 153,034 in 2013.

2016 Buick Cascada convertible isn't afraid of Detroit's snow

It's the great irony of introducing a convertible in Detroit – while the assembled media might look at the car and imagine warm weather and clear skies, the atmosphere outside is anything but. Such was the case Sunday as Buick rolled out the 2016 Cascada in Detroit's Eastern Market. Snow didn't dampen the atmosphere, though, as we clapped eyes on the sleek, Astra-based convertible for the first time. While this is far from the first product Buick has borrowed from General Motors' European operations, unlike previous vehicles, changes for the Cascada were kept to a minimum. There is no waterfall grille or four-way portholes, which Buick was sure to install when converting the Insignia and Mokka to the Regal and Encore. Then again, neither of these styling treatments were really necessary, as the Cascada remains a handsome and stylish offering. Its cabin is typical of other Buicks, and features a few too many buttons on the center stack. Still, a thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel, similar to what's found in the Verano, is both attractive and functional, while the perforated leather seats looks quite comfortable, as well. Take a look at our gallery of live images, which includes shots of the Cascada with the top up and down, and then head back to our original post on the new convertible for all the mechanical details.

2023 Buick Envision prices up by at least $1,900 over 2022

When Buick uploads the configurator for the 2023 Envision, shoppers will find the mid-sized crossover more expensive than the 2022 model. GM Authority got hold of next year's pricing, revealing that MSRPs will go up by $1,900 on the bottom two trims and $5,810 on the top Avenir trim. The new math, which includes the destination charge increasing $200 to $1,395, erases the discounts that arrived with 2022 Envision pricing earlier this year. Retail cost for the coming Avenir with front-wheel drive after the destination charge will be: Preferred FWD: $34,795 Essence FWD: $38,895 Avenir FWD: $47,055 Adding all-wheel drive means another $1,800 on the Essence and Avenir. Doing the same for the entry-level Preferred means pushing MSRP up by $3,650 because of the $1,850 Convenience Package is mandatory when turning the rear axle.  The $1,900 upcharge for Preferred and Essence entails $1,500 for three years of OnStar and Connected Services, GM making the telematics service standard on the Cadillac, GMC, and Buick lineups as well as the Chevrolet Corvette for next year. That leaves the remaining $400 as a pure model-year price bump. The much larger rise for the Avenir is because it comes with a lot more equipment. For 2023 this trim makes the $1,965 and Technology Package II and $1,450 Panoramic Power Moonroof standard. The Technology Package adds enhanced LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, adaptive dampers, enhanced automatic emergency braking and parking assist, and a rear camera mirror with washer. Those bundles represent $3,415 of the upcharge, adding $1,500 for OnStar takes that to $4,915, leaving $895 as the model-year price bump. The rest should be carryover, save for potential changes to the exterior color menu. If there's any big news for the model next year, it would be the potential arrival of an Envision GX that would add about eight inches of overall length, with two of that between the wheels. Related video: