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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

OnStar to offer 90-day driving assessment, possible insurance discount

General Motors has announced a brace of new features for OnStar, two of which could help you save money assuming you're willing to sign over some (more) personal details. The first is a driving assessment program in which OnStar takes note of certain driving parameters for 90 days, then provides the driver feedback on their driving, both individually and when compared to other drivers in the program, as well as driving tips. Think of it as OnStar's ICE version of the Nissan Leaf's CARWING feature that compares how efficient your electric driving is compared to other BEV drivers. In this case, though, certain drivers will have the chance to share their assessment with Progressive Insurance, and if the numbers are right they might get a "driving-based" discount from the insurance company. The assessment program is voluntary, and requires opting in. It will be available this summer on all new GM cars and some GM vehicles back to 2013. In case this sounds like Big Brother, let's not forget that Big Brother is already here and moved in so long ago that he's a member of the Kiwanis club and is hosting neighborhood block parties. Progressive already has a million enrollees in a program called Snapshot that tracks OBD II data to offer usage-based insurance to provide annual pricing based on how much you drive your car, with discounts of up to 30 percent. The OnStar effort is just another way to do that. The second feature is proximity offers through AtYourService, which notifies drivers to deals and information on their driving route and provides coupons from RetailMeNot and Entertainment Book. Beyond that, a deal with Priceline will let OnStar agents book hotels for you starting this year, there's a tie-in with Dunkin' Donuts, too, but we're fuzzy on those benefits, and third new feature lets Chevrolet owners know when certain parts need replacing. News Source: Detroit NewsImage Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio Chevrolet GM Technology

Supercharged 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 takes the C7 beyond the ZR1

The Z06 is just about everything we got in the last ZR1, but better.
After a bright-yellow false start, here is the real thing: the fourth-generation, 2015 Corvette Z06. If Chevrolet makes a ZR1 version of the C7 Corvette, it's going to be absolutely mega, because the Z06 is just about everything we got in the last ZR1, but better.