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Why the Corvette is Chevrolet's billion-dollar baby

Edmunds has worked up a piece that tries to figure out just how much the global Chevrolet Corvette economy is worth, a spitballed guesstimate putting the number at more than $2.5 billion with the proviso that the number is probably low. It starts by taking Corvette's new car sales of 14,132 units last year, which would equate to $714,725,900 (including destination) assuming ever car sold was a base coupe with no options. In the final tally, a little extra padding gets that number up to $750,000,000.
But that's not all. Consider this: Many of the almost 1.4 million Corvettes produced over the model's history are still on the road. There are new parts being produced and aftermarket companies like Mid-America Motorworks deaing business, that single Illinois company doing more than $40 million a year in sales. There are the Corvette events large and small, restorers who do nothing but Corvettes, salvage yards that deal only in used Corvette parts and the Corvette magazines where owners find all this stuff.
And then there are the Corvette-themed tchotchkes, every single one of which provides a tiny contribution to the huge licensing royalties that General Motors collects every year. The article admits there's no way to come to an accurate number, but it just goes to show how valuable one specific model can be to a company.

Chevy Bolt name just might get through US trademark office

UPDATE: GM told AutoblogGreen on June 1 that, "Our Chevrolet Legal team has been working closely with the USPT on the Chevrolet Bolt trademark. As of last week, our legal staff received consent from Yamaha to use the Bolt name. According to our legal team, our USPT application is back to active status." Also, it appears that GM has further trademarked Bolt EV and Chevrolet Bolt EV. Chevy wants to sell a 200-mile electric vehicle for around $35,000 in a few years. The Detroit automaker wants to call that car the Bolt, not to be confused with the company's other plug-in, the Chevy Volt. Unless something changes, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is going to crush GM's Bolt-flavored dreams. The USPTO has suspended GM's trademark application. The USPTO said in its suspension that there was a "likelihood of confusion" with another Bolt trademark, No. 4429759, which applies to a Bolt trademark filed by Yamaha on August 09, 2012. That's well before GM's effort to trademark the Bolt name in 2014. GM's application will remain suspended, the USPTO said, "until the earlier-filed referenced application(s) is either registered or abandoned." Maybe GM will use this setback to respond to the many criticisms of the Bolt name we've heard since it was first announced. There is another page on the USPTO's website that says GM's Bolt application is still live, but we assume that just hasn't been updated yet. Related Video:

GM might share the Chevy Volt's powertrain tech with rivals

Car shoppers might eventually find the award-winning powertrain from the second-generation Chevrolet Volt under the hood of another automaker's vehicle – at least if General Motors global powertrain chief Dan Nicholson gets his way. According to Automotive News, Nicholson would be open to partnerships with other companies to share the range-extended setup. "We want to be the partner of choice in propulsion system development in this complex and turbulent era we are approaching," he told the trade publication. For an automaker that wants an electrified solution, the Volt's system would be an easy choice. It combines a 1.5-liter four-cylinder with two electric motors and an 18.4-kWh lithium-ion battery. The EPA estimates the setup is good for 106 MPGe combined and 53 miles of EV range in the Volt. Wards selected the powertrain for its 10 Best Engines list for 2016, and the Chevy won the Green Car of the Year Award. According to Automotive News, a partnership could have serious financial implications for GM and its collaborator. Rival automakers could get a competitive powertrain without the huge expense of research and development. Meanwhile, The General would benefit from larger economies of scale to drive down prices. Don't look for the Volt's powertrain to arrive in other vehicles too soon, though. GM spokesperson Kevin Kelley told Autoblog that he was "not aware of anything going on" in regards to negotiations with other automakers. In the meantime, we'll keep our eyes open for companies borrowing the Bowtie's advanced tech. Related Video: Related Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive View 24 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Chevrolet GM Technology Hybrid Videos Sedan