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Six-week production shutdown planned for 2016 Chevy Volt

It's no surprise that GM is winding down production of the first-gen Chevy Volt as it prepares to start building the second-gen for a launch in the second half of this year, but for now, things are proceeding as planned, according to Chevrolet spokesperson Michelle Malcho. Malcho told AutoblogGreen that GM "is still making first generation Volt" and that there has been no announcement about when that will change. The only details she would divulge is that, "It will be this summer." "Halting Chevrolet Volt production in anticipation of the all-new 2016 model year is a smart move for GM," Akshay Anand, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, said in a statement. "[The move] allows for less inventory and incentives on the outgoing model. Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle sales have been declining for some time now, with gas prices well below the summer prices of 2014." Volt production will cease in the weeks before the traditional two-week auto plant shutdown over the July 4 holiday. A high inventory of Volts is a factor in the production cuts, but not the only one, Malcho said. The plant construction, engineering changes and pre-production plans for the new Volt and CT6 all were part of the decision, she said. Nationwide, there is about a 200-day supply of Volts on dealer lots (roughly 100 days in California, the car's biggest market), according to the Detroit Free Press, which says there will be a six-week retooling period (twice as long as normal, but other sources say the shutdown will be four weeks long) at GM's Hamtramck plant this summer to get ready for the second-gen model. The 2016 Volt will get an increase in all-electric range to 50 miles and will then get 41 miles per gallon when the battery runs out. It also has a fifth seat that straddles the battery tunnel and a larger li-ion battery. Related Video: The AP contributed to this report. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevy Volt View 16 Photos News Source: GM, Detroit Free Press Green Plants/Manufacturing Chevrolet Electric Hybrid

GM files for Z71 Trail Boss trademark

Try as they might to keep their plans a secret, automakers have their hands tipped through a variety of methods – be they through loose lips, spy shots or patent and trademark applications. That's how we know, in this instance, that General Motors is working on (or at least considering) an off-road machine wearing the name Z71 Trail Boss – the name which our compatriots at AutoGuide.com tell us that GM has registered for use on light-duty trucks. Now if that alphanumeric designator sounds familiar, it should. GM has long used it to designate the off-road packages on many of its body-on-frame trucks from Chevy and GMC. These days you can order a Z71 package on the Chevy Colorado, Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban and on the GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon. The package typically includes components like a beefed-up suspension bits, high-capacity air cleaner and underbody protection plates. The Trail Boss designator would seem to suggest something further reaching than a suspension package, though. Just what it would entail we don't know; minds immediately start running toward Chevy or GMC going after the Ford F-150 Raptor, but we'll likely be looking at something closer to the Trailhawk packages Jeep offers on the likes of the Renegade and Cherokee. Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 View 16 Photos News Source: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: Chevrolet Chevrolet GM GMC Truck SUV Off-Road Vehicles patent trademark

GM Halts Sale Of Most Chevy Cruze Models

General Motors has told dealers to stop selling some 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars. But the company won't say why. Dealers say stop-sale orders are routine and almost always made to fix a safety problem. They received the order in an e-mail Thursday, but no reason was given. The move comes as GM deals with fallout from a delayed recall of 1.6 million older small cars to fix an ignition switch problem. The company says the switches can slip out of the run position and shut down the engine. That causes loss of power steering and brakes and disables air bags. GM says the problem has been linked to 31 crashes and at least a dozen deaths. Spokesman Greg Martin says he has no details on the Cruze. Related Gallery Chevy Impala Earns Highest Accolades From Consumer Reports Recalls Chevrolet GM Cruze