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Next-gen Chevy Volt gets Corvette looks, adjustable regen levels

The hood may say "full speed ahead." The regenerative braking system says "slow down a bit." One person's automotive improvements is another's identity crisis, all in a day's work analyzing the new Chevrolet Volt. The next-generation version of General Motors' first extended-range plug in will include design touches taken from to the new Chevrolet Corvette, GM's iconic sports car. Hexagonal taillights and a "taut" hood will be part of the new package, Automotive News says, citing General Motors design chief Ed Wilbur. But does that mean the Volt is shedding any of its green-car cred? Not at all, if one considers that the Volt will also let the driver adjust the degree of regenerative braking using steering-wheel paddles to dial up and recapture as much energy as possible and engage in "one-pedal" driving or turn it down for easier coasting. Check out the 55-second video below featuring GM executives Mark Reuss and Andrew Farah trying out the Volt's new regenerative-braking system that was first used on the Cadillac ELR. GM will have more details for us when it unveils the 2016 Chevy Volt at the North American Auto Show in Detroit next month. The new version is said to have a larger battery, a longer all-electric driving range and more power, but Chevy's been fairly mum on those sorts of performance details so far. Green Chevrolet Electric volt cadillac elr corvette regenerative braking

GM plans to restart production in Mexico on May 20

MEXICO CITY — General Motors is tentatively planning to restart operations at its auto assembly plant in the Mexican city of Silao on May 20, according to a message to workers seen by Reuters on Sunday, as the car industry prepares to exit the coronavirus lockdown. Separately, the president of GM's Mexican unit advised suppliers to prepare to resume operations. “We are now beginning a new phase given the Mexican governmentÂ’s official announcement earlier this week to consider the transportation manufacturing industry as essential for the countryÂ’s economy,” Francisco Garza, president ofGeneral Motors de Mexico, wrote in an email to suppliers dated on Friday that was viewed by Reuters. The reopening of the plant  in Silao would be a positive signal for the auto sector in North America, whose supply lines are highly interconnected between the United States, Mexico and Canada. The plant in the central state of Guanajuato has been idled for weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak. Workers had previously been told to plan to return to their jobs on May 18. A GM spokeswoman said the company could not confirm when it would restart operations at any of its facilities in Mexico because it is awaiting more guidance from the government. The message to the plant's workers came after the government on Friday clarified when the industry could begin easing restrictions imposed because of the health emergency. On Wednesday, the government said automakers could start going back into production from May 18. It then withdrew that advice and suggested the new start date would be June 1. Finally it indicated the sector, which forms the backbone of Mexican manufacturing, could begin operating as soon as next week if companies had the required safety measures in place. U.S. officials and its auto industry have pressed Mexico's government to get its factories open again because American operations depend heavily on parts from south of the border. However, some politicians are wary of opening too fast. Mexico registered its first case of coronavirus weeks after the United States and Canada and the toll of daily infections and deaths in the country reached new peaks over the past few days. The Silao production facility, which makes highly profitable pickup trucks for GM, is one of the biggest automotive plants in Guanajuato, a major Mexican carmaking state. Related Video:

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