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GM will make Chevy Volt production announcement tomorrow

Thing are apparently happening to get the next-generation Chevy Volt ready for public consumption. The most obvious proof is in a preview of an announcement (possibly coming tomorrow) that the two main places where General Motors gets the Volt ready -the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant and the Brownstown Township battery assembly facility - will be getting big money upgrades and lots of new positions. The Hamtramck plant builds the Volt and its fancier cousin, the Cadillac ELR, as well as the global versions of the Volt. The Detroit News reports that GM will add 1,400 jobs and spend roughly $450 million at the two locations in order to build the redesigned Volt. What's less clear is exactly what the updates will bring us. We've heard that the new volt will be a 2016 model and come on a new chassis. Speculation in The Detroit News about tomorrow's announcement runs the gamut from a new compact PHEV with less electric range and a lower price (which makes sense) to an updated Volt with more electric range (heard it before) to a new all-electric vehicle (the moon shot). If there's any hints to be gleaned in the international Volts, there are also reports coming in that the Opel brand will get an all-electric vehicle that is cheaper than the Ampera. Read into that what you will. We pestered GM's Kevin Kelly on the new Volt (again) and he said (again) that he couldn't give out any more detail other than what's been reported. He just told AutoblogGreen that there will be an announcement tomorrow and that it will be about the Hamtramck and Brownstown facilities and involve the Volt. So, stay tuned.

GM promises to add 20 EVs and fuel-cell cars to lineup, paid for by SUVs

DETROIT — General Motors outlined plans on Monday to add 20 new battery electric and fuel-cell vehicles to its global product lineup by 2023, financed by robust profits from sales of gasoline-fueled trucks and sport utility vehicles in the United States and China. "General Motors believes in an all-electric future," GM global product development chief Mark Reuss said on Monday during a briefing at the company's suburban Detroit technical center. Future generations of GM electric vehicles "will be profitable," Reuss said, but added it was not clear when GM could make all its new vehicle offerings zero-emission electric cars. Regulators in China and some European countries have floated proposals to ban internal combustion engines by 2030 or 2040. "We will continue to make sure our internal combustion engines will get more and more efficient," Reuss said. GM shares were up more than 4 percent in midday New York trading on positive comments from Rod Lache, auto analyst at Deutsche Bank. Automakers, including electric vehicle market leader Tesla, lose money on electric cars because battery costs are still higher than comparable internal combustion engines. The company offered sneak peeks of three EV prototypes: a Buick SUV, a sporty Cadillac wagon and a futuristic pod car wearing a Bolt badge. GM funds its forays into new technology using a river of cash generated by old-technology vehicles popular with its core customer base in the United States heartland. In comparison, Tesla has burned through an estimated $10 billion in cash and has yet to show a full year profit. GM earned more than 90 percent of its $12.5 billion in pretax profits last year in North America, amid robust demand for its lineup of large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The company's profitable operations in China rely on consumer demand for an expanding lineup of gasoline powered SUVs. GM has previously announced plans to make some of its future electric vehicles capable of driving themselves in robot taxi fleets. The company offered sneak peeks of three electric vehicle prototypes: a Buick brand sport utility vehicle, a sporty Cadillac wagon and a futuristic pod car wearing a Bolt badge. GM collaborated with Korean battery maker LG Chem to build the Bolt battery system. Company officials did not say what companies would supply batteries for the larger fleet of vehicles promised by 2023. Fuel-cell vehicles will also play a role in GM's future, the company said.

Chevy Volt 'Drive My Way' test cuts out the dealership

Last month, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt won the 2016 Green Car of the Year Award at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Awards are nice, but General Motors is now offering to make some folks' familiarity with the second-generation Volt a little more personal. Chevy is enacting what it calls the "Drive My Way" program, where the automaker brings a 2016 Volt directly to some prospective buyers for a 30-minute test drive with no dealer required, according to Hybrid Cars. Kind of like Tesla, only different. RedCap Valet is administering the program and is helping to track drivers' behind-the-wheel behavior, including keeping records on speed, acceleration, and braking habits. General Motors representatives didn't respond to a our request for further details about how many people will be chosen for the program or how these folks were picked to participate in "Drive My Way." Through November, the Volt's sales were down 23 percent from a year earlier to about 13,000 units, so any momentum for the 2016 version is a good thing. If you're just looking for numerical improvements, the new version has got you covered. It can go as far as 53 miles on electricity alone (about 15 miles further than the previous generation model) and it's got better miles per gallon and MPGe ratings as well. Of course, numbers alone aren't usually enough sell a car. Experience counts. So we ask, dear readers, if having a 2016 Volt brought to you for a half-hour test drive might make it more likely that you'll buy one of these extended-range plug-in vehicles. While you're waiting for a new Volt to arrive at your house, you can take a look here for our First Drive review. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive View 24 Photos News Source: Hybrid Cars Green Chevrolet GM test drive volt extended-range plug-in