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GM recalls half-million full-size SUVs to address seatbelt issue

GM is recalling its redesigned full-size SUV models to address improperly riveted mounts securing the third-row seatbelts that may fail in the event of an accident. The population includes the 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, 2021-2022 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, and 2021-2022 model year GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, for a total of 484,155 vehicles. "Operators at the supplier’s manufacturing plant may have not properly followed manufacturing processes and inadvertently missed the rivet forming operation," GM said in its defect report to NHTSA. "In certain of these vehicles, the rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seatbelt buckle assembly may not have been properly formed during the manufacturing process. If the third-row seatbelt assembly is not properly riveted, it may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury." Fortunately, the fix is relatively simple. GM service technicians will inspect the rivets on the rear seatbelt buckle assemblies and replace the entire unit if the rivets are not to spec. Dealer notifications have already been distributed; owners should receive notice start in September. Related video: Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Ownership Safety SUV

Worldwide, Nissan Leaf has outsold next two competitors combined

Nissan may not be meeting some of the more optimistic prognostications with sales of its Leaf electric vehicle, but it's certainly kicking the competition's butt. EV Sales is tracking global sales of plug-in vehicle models and estimates that Nissan has sold almost 172,000 units of the Leaf worldwide. That's more than the two next-best-selling plug-ins combined. Globally, EV Sales estimates, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in has moved about 88,000 units, while Toyota has sold about 71,000 of its Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles worldwide. Fourth-place Tesla Model S is close behind at about 66,000 units. Among automakers, Nissan is also by far the lead dog, but Mitsubishi has leapfrogged Chevrolet among plug-in vehicle makers, as the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid continues to sell well. Impressively, the relatively new BMW i3 has moved almost 23,000 units since its debut in Germany last year. As for Nissan, company chief Carlos Ghosn said at the New York Auto Show earlier this month that the company could sell as many as 50,000 units a year of the Leaf in the US, provided that charging infrastructure throughout the country improves. Earlier this year, cumulative US Leaf sales moved past 75,000 units since its late-2010 launch. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: EV Sales Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric volt

This is how GM is hiding new Chevy Volt in public

General Motors is letting the public know that, well, it's not about to let the public know anything else about the next-generation Chevrolet Volt. But the automaker is willing to talk about its camouflaging process for upcoming versions of the extended-range plug-in. So it's a half-hearted secret, at best. GM actually has a "camouflage engineer" charged with creating ways to disguise the styling of new vehicles. In the Volt's case, the company is applying black and white swirly color patterns on top of the materials, such as plastics, vinyl and foam, that are used liberally across the body. It's all part of a teaser campaign that started last month with pictures of part the 2016 Volt. Earlier this month, GM said it was keeping track of Volt drivers' habits as it works on the next-gen model. The company noted that more than four out of five trips are being made in all-electric driving mode, and that 60 percent of Volt owners use a plain-old 100-volt outlet to recharge their cars. The car is slated to make its global debut at Detroit's North American International Auto Show next January, and the early word is that performance and all-electric range will be improved (we should hope so). The car will also be sleeker. By how much, we can't tell yet, because of those darn swirly patterns. GM's got more non-details in its press release below. Engineers charged with hiding styling while vehicle testing proceeds in public DETROIT – The styling of the next-generation Chevrolet Volt is one of the automotive world's best-kept secrets. Keeping customers and media eager to see the successor to the groundbreaking original at bay until the new Volt debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January is tricky business. First, it is engineers, not designers, who are charged with creating camouflage that balances styling secrecy with the need to validate the Volt and its systems in public. "If it were up to me it would be a shoebox driving down the road," said Lionel Perkins, GM camouflage engineer. "The design team wants us to cover more of the vehicle and the engineering team needs to have enough of the vehicle's weight and aero exposed so that the tests in the development process are consistent with the product that will come to market." The engineers responsible for the "cool" designs covering the car might deserve style points but their efforts are intended strictly to hide the metal beneath.