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Recharge Wrap-up: Long Beach ePrix, London's new electric buses

London will put 51 new electric buses into service. With the addition of these buses, two more routes (in addition to one already in operation) will be all-electric. Transport for London plans to have all of central London's 300 single-decker buses running on electricity or hydrogen by 2020. "The expansion of London's electric bus fleet demonstrates our commitment to reducing emissions from public transport in London," says Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, Matthew Pencharz. "The Ultra Low Emission Zone that will be introduced in 2020 is the most ambitious measure of its kind taken to tackle air pollution anywhere in the world, and it will transform our bus fleet into a cleaner, greener and more pleasant way of travelling for Londoners." Read more from Transport for London, and from Green Car Congress. The Chevrolet Volt is subject to a tie-rod recall. Along with 10 Cruze vehicles, one 2015 Volt has been recalled because of a tie rod that might not have been tightened to the steering gear correctly, which could lead to a loss of steering control. Chevrolet will replace the steering gear assembly, supplied by Robert Bosch Automotive Steering, for free. There have been no reported injuries from this issue. Read more at Detroit News. The Formula E Long Beach ePrix will take place on April 2, 2016. For the second season of the electric racing series, Long Beach is the only confirmed US host, as the spot on the calendar previously held by Miami still remains to be determined. More than 20,000 fans attended the inaugural Long Beach ePrix earlier this year, where Nelson Piquet, Jr. took first place before going on to win the Drivers' Championship. "It's extremely exciting to welcome the ePrix back to Long Beach for a second year," says Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, "and we are hopeful that this demonstration of innovation, sustainability, and cutting edge technology will return to our city year after year." Read more in the press release below. Related Video: LONG BEACH ePRIX TO RETURN APRIL 2, 2016 (July 14, 2015) – The Long Beach ePrix will return to the city streets on Saturday, April 2, 2016. The FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) World Motor Sport Council recently approved the calendar for the second season of the FIA Formula E Championship, with Long Beach scheduled as the sixth of 11 rounds in the series. Overall, 10 venues will host Formula E events, with the 2015-16 season beginning once again in Beijing on Oct. 17.

GM won't really kill off the Chevy Volt and Cadillac CT6, will it?

General Motors is apparently considering killing off six slow-selling models by 2020, according to Reuters. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we're skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. Four - the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt - are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year - down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They're older and don't sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other three seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM's latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All six of these vehicles are sedans, Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there's still a huge market for cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There's a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn't workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes.

Chevy Silverado HD gets the Custom Sport treatment

Everyone remember the Silverado 1500 Custom Sport Chevrolet showed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show? Good. Now, the company has applied the same styling treatment to its heavy-duty pickups, introducing the 2500 and 3500 Custom Sports. The two trucks appeared today at the 2015 Denver Auto Show. A monochromatic look is the order of the day, with the heavy-duty Silverados getting body colored bumpers both fore and aft as well as a body color grille. Chrome accents sit in said grille, while the shiny finish can also be found on the door handles and mirrors. Buyers of the 2500 Custom Sport will get five-spoke, 20-inch, polished wheels, while the brawnier 3500 gets 18-inch polished hoops as standard (dualies are downgraded to 17-inchers). Custom Sport models are only available in Summit White or Black. The trim package can be added to both LT and LTZ models, with a price premium ranging from $700 to $1,695, depending on the truck. Scroll down for the official press release from Chevrolet. Related Video: CHEVROLET INTRODUCES 2015 SILVERADO CUSTOM SPORT HDs Monochromatic appearance for 2500 and 3500 HD pickups DENVER – Chevrolet adds a sophisticated monochromatic look to the Silverado 2500 HD and 3500 HD with new Custom Sport editions, which debuted today at the Denver Auto Show. Silverado Custom Sport HDs feature body-colored front and rear bumpers, a body-colored grille with chrome-accent bars, chrome door handles and body-side moldings, and chrome-accented trailering mirrors. Silverado 2500 Custom Sports feature 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, while 3500 Custom Sports feature 18-inch polished aluminum wheels on single-rear-wheel models, and 17-inch polished aluminum wheels on duallys. Silverado Custom Sport HDs are available in LT or LTZ models in either Summit White or Black. Suggested retail package prices will vary from $700 to $1,695, depending on the model. Dealers can place orders now. Silverados targeted at unique customer needs The Silverado Custom Sport HDs join a family of Silverado 1500s targeted at the needs and tastes of specific groups of truck customers: The Silverado Black Out takes advantage of the black grille and bumpers of the Silverado 1500 WT to let customers to create a dramatic look at an affordable price. Available for regular and double cab WT models, the Black Out special edition includes 20" black painted aluminum wheels, P275/55R20 all-season blackwall tires, deep tinted glass and black bowties.