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GM says over 40% of new China launches in next five years will be EVs

SHANGHAI — General Motors is planning an electric car offensive in China with more than 40% of its new launches in the country over the next five years set to be electric vehicles (EVs), the U.S. carmaker said on Wednesday. GM's electric vehicles, many of which will be all-electric battery cars, will be manufactured in China with almost all parts coming from local suppliers, the company said in a statement released at its Tech Day event in Shanghai. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that GM was planning to overhaul its Chinese line-up to stem a slide of sales after more than two decades of growth in a country that contributes nearly a fifth of its profit. GM's new China boss Julian Blissett told Reuters that new technologies, such as EVs and cars with near hands-free driving for highways, would play a key role in GM's China initiatives, which are part of a push to get annual sales in the country back to the 4 million peak it hit in 2017. GM did not say in its statement how many new or significantly redesigned models it was planning to launch in China over the next five years. "China will play a crucial role in making our vision a reality," GM CEO Mary Barra said in the statement, referring to its initiative to create what it describes as a future of "zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion" through electrification and smart-driving technologies. GM has said it plans to invest more than $20 billion in electric and automated vehicles globally by 2025. It was not clear how much of that investment will be spent in China. (Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu in Shanghai; Editing by David Clarke) Related Video: Green Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM Electric China

Diesel details: Comparing Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, Chevy Silverado Duramax, Ford F-150 Powerstroke

With specifications for the 2019 Ford F-150 Power Stroke diesel already out, and the details on the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and Chevy Silverado Duramax (and its GMC Sierra twin) trickling out, we felt it was a good time to start comparing the full-size trucks' light-duty diesels. Bear in mind, we've only driven one of these new diesel trucks, so we'll be sticking to numbers for now. Some numbers haven't been announced yet, either, but stay tuned, because we'll be updating this post with additional specifications as they become available. And if you want to compare any other versions of these trucks with other vehicles, be sure to check out our comparison tool. Now let's start comparing, starting with our big chart of numbers below. As we can plainly see, these trucks are quite closely matched. Each one has six cylinders, a displacement of 3.0 liters and a turbocharger to boost it. The output of each is somewhat close, too. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is the torque king at 480 pound-feet, 20 more than the GM trucks and 40 more than the Ford. The GM trucks win on power, though, with 277 ponies, 17 more than the Ram, and 27 more than the Ford. GM does report that you get their trucks' peak 460 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 rpm to 3,000 rpm, whereas the others only report peak torque at a particular point in the rev band, but all of these trucks should have wide, flat torque curves as you would expect from modern turbodiesels. 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel View 8 Photos Engine output is only one part of the truck performance equation. We also have towing and payload capacity, as well as fuel economy. With towing, the Ram 1500 is the current leader with a maximum capacity of 12,560 pounds. That tops the Ford F-150's 11,400-pound tow rating by well over 1,000 pounds. The F-150 can carry 2,020 pounds in its bed, but we don't know yet whether that's better or worse than the Ram or the GM trucks. We also don't have numbers for the GM trucks' towing capacities. View 9 Photos As for fuel economy, the Ford F-150 manages a thoroughly impressive 22 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway with two-wheel drive. Choosing four-wheel drive drops those numbers to 20 and 25 respectively. The fuel economy numbers for the Ram, Chevy and GMC haven't been revealed yet, but for some comparison, we can look at the old Ram EcoDiesel. That truck's best fuel economy was 20 in the city and 27 on the highway with two-wheel drive.

Chevy prices new 2016 Cruze from $17,495

Chevy has released pricing information for the new 2016 Cruze. As you might expect, the MSRP on the new model has gone up a little over the model it replaces, but it remains competitive with its rivals. The new 2016 Chevy Cruze comes in four trim levels and with either a manual or automatic transmission. Though not every trim can be had with either gearbox, they are all powered by the same 1.4-liter turbo four, good for 153 horsepower. The list starts in L trim level with the manual, which goes for $17,495 - including the $875 destination charge. The automaker points out that the price of admission is lower than those of the base models of the Toyota Corolla ($18,065), Honda Civic ($19,475), and Hyundai Elantra ($18,075) – all prices verified and including delivery. The Ford Focus ($18,100), Subaru Impreza ($18,295), Mazda3 ($18,695), and Volkswagen Jetta ($19,600) also start at higher prices, with the Nissan Sentra ($17,355) and Dodge Dart ($17,990) listing for similar money. However the Kia Forte ($16,715) still comes in cheaper. Of course those prices are just for the base models. Step up to the Cruze LS and you'll be looking at $18,995 with the manual or $19,995 with the automatic. The higher-end LT and Premium models are only sold with the slushbox and retail for $21,995 and $23,995, respectively. Deliveries start in the spring. ALL-NEW 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE PRICED FROM $17,495 Redesigned, re-engineered compact sedan is roomier and better connected DETROIT – Chevrolet announced pricing for the all-new 2016 Cruze will start at $17,495 when it goes on sale next spring. The Cruze's base price is almost $2,000 less than the 2016 Honda Civic LX ($19,475), while offering features such as the standard Chevrolet MyLink radio with a 7-inch-diagonal screen, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility – subject to their terms, privacy statements and data plan rates as well as a compatible smartphone. OnStar 4G LTE with a Wi-Fi hotspot and a standard rear-vision camera are also available. Larger, lighter and roomier than the 2015 model – including two inches more rear knee room – the all-new Cruze is offered in L, LS, LT and Premier models. An all-new, direct-injected 1.4L turbo engine generates a General Motors-estimated 153 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard. Cruze LS with an automatic transmission starts at $19,995 with GM-estimated highway fuel economy of 40 mpg. Environmental Protection Agency estimates are not yet available.