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Chevy Volt sales surge with 2016 model, Nissan Leaf continues Autumn fall

The Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt have been locked in sales combat since they arrived within a short distance of each other way back in 2010, and we continue to follow that fight closely. Though both vehicles approach driving efficiency from a different angle, they each have plugs and owners put a surprisingly similar number of electric miles on them. With the launch of its 2016 model, the Bowtie brand now appears to have the upper hand, clocking in a solidly improved performance for the month of October. According to GM's sales charts, the Chevy Volt made it into the loving embrace of 2,035 buyers last month. That's up a whopping 41 percent over the same period in 2014, and more than a 100 percent improvement from the 949-unit result in September. Now, we don't know how many of these were 2015 models and how many were the all-new 2016 edition. Dealers are, no doubt, incentivized to move the old inventory, and the latest and greatest is still only available in a limited number of states. Breaking out the sad trombones, Nissan recorded a mere 1,238 units moved in October. That's down 52.2 percent from the same month in 2014. That's also nine fewer examples than last month. Despite its recent sales travails, the Leaf still leads the calendar-year-to-date figures by a commanding 14,868 to 11,299 tally. We imagine the Japanese manufacturer is counting on an improvement in the situation once the 2016 model, with its larger, optional 30 kWh battery becomes available. You can compare these two stalwarts with the rest of the green-vehicle field in our By The Numbers post due out tomorrow. Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid ev sales hybrid sales volt

GM says safety is a reason it's dropping Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

Update: GM sent us a statement as a follow-up to its original comments seen in this post: "We wanted to reach out to clarify that comments about GM's position on phone projection were misrepresented in previous articles and to reinforce our valued partnerships with Apple and Google and each company’s commitment to driver safety. GM's embedded infotainment strategy is driven by the benefits of having a system that allows for greater integration with the larger GM ecosystem and vehicles." The original story can be read in its entirety below.   General Motors announced its intention to remove Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality from its upcoming EVs earlier this year, and internet comments sections haven't been kind since. As the first of many EVs to follow – the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV – hits the market, GM is expanding on its initial explanations for dropping the tech. Motor Trend spoke with Tim Babbit, GMÂ’s head of product for infotainment, to learn more. Attributed to Babbit, from the story: “They have stability issues that manifest themselves as bad connections, poor rendering, slow responses, and dropped connections. And when CarPlay and Android Auto have issues, drivers pick up their phones again, taking their eyes off the road and totally defeating the purpose of these phone-mirroring programs. Solving those issues can sometimes be beyond the control of the automaker.” Babbit suggests that a world without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto will be a safer one, as folks wonÂ’t be looking to control their infotainment systems via their phones. However, Babbit also tells MT that this theory hasnÂ’t been tested in either the lab or the real world yet. Instead of using a navigation or music-playing app powered through your phone, upcoming GM EVs will use a Google-based infotainment system called “Ultifi” that runs a ton of integrated Google apps. Google Maps will be the native navigation app in the system; youÂ’ll be able to log in to Spotify or other apps to load your music up, and so on. The idea here is that youÂ’ll have all the same apps that were on your phone available but integrated within the infotainment system instead, and you'll be able to use voice controls to control every last bit of it with no need to reach for a phone. That sounds amenable in theory, but how consumers react to the removal of a feature that they know and love now is a risky gamble.

Chevy recalls 73k Cobalts for side airbag non-deployment

Chevrolet is recalling 73,424 examples of the 2010 Cobalt in the US and Canada because the driver's side curtain airbag might not deploy in a crash. These vehicles carry build dates between January 4 and June 23, 2010, and, specifically, 59,474 of them are in the US. "GM is aware of one crash with one injury that may be related to this condition," the company said in a statement. The problem occurs because of improper routing of the side-impact sensor wiring harness in the driver's door, and there can be a short circuit causing the curtain airbag not to deploy. The campaign to fix the issue will begin on August 26. Dealers will inspect the vehicles and will repair the issue on any affected examples. Related Video: GM Statement: General Motors is recalling 59,474 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt sedans in the U.S. because some of them may have been built with improper side impact sensor wire routing in the left front door. Dealers will inspect all suspect vehicles and any found with the condition will be repaired free of charge to the customer. GM is aware of one crash with one injury that may be related to this condition. Including vehicles sold in Canada, the total recall population is 73,424. RECALL Subject : Improperly Routed Side Impact Wire Harness Report Receipt Date: AUG 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V500000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 59,474 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) CHEVROLET COBALT 2010 Details Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles manufactured January 4, 2010, to June 23, 2010. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an improperly routed Side-Impact Sensor (SIS) wiring harness in the driver side front door. The misrouted wiring harness could cause an electrical short that disables the driver side curtain air bag. CONSEQUENCE: A disabled driver side roof-rail air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of that air bag, increasing the risk of injury to the driver. REMEDY: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sensor's wiring in the driver's door and make repairs as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 26, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15075.