66 Chevrolet Chevelle on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chevy already offering discounts on 2016 Volt

The second-generation Chevrolet Volt has a longer range than the first-generation version, but General Motors doesn't appear to want to take any chances of the extended-range plug-in not being well-received. The US automaker is already offering some cash incentives to make sure the 2016 Volt moves briskly. In fact, GM is offering incentives worth up to $1,000 through November 2 in some states, Green Car Reports says, citing CarsDirect. Most of the country won't get the second-generation Volt until next year, so GM is looking to keep all potential buyers satisfied. That means perks for folks in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont - the states where the new 2016 Volt will go on sale first. Buyers can pick up another $500 in incentives by luring a non GM-vehicle owner into buying a new Volt. And then, of course, there's the $7,500 federal-government perk, in addition to any goodies your particular state will throw in via tax breaks. For everyone else, GM is offering as much as $2,500 off the 2015 model year Volt. The 2016 Volt has an MSRP of $33,995, which is actually slightly less than the $34,170 sticker price on the 2015 model. The new version has a 53-mile all-electric range, 15 miles longer than the first-generation Volt. With a lower price and more electric miles, GM hopes to reverse falling Volt sales. Through September, GM sold 9,264 Volts, down 36 percent from a year earlier. You can read our First Drive impressions of the 2016 Volt here. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive View 24 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports Green Chevrolet GM Hybrid incentives volt

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW cars to share i tech, Jordan to build solar EV charging network

Jordan is looking to promote EVs and build a solar charging network. The country is waiving import tariffs on electric cars, and is spending $120 million on solar chargers. It plans to build 3,000 charging stations, along with 30 MW of solar power. Some chargers will be powered by solar canopies, while others will get electricity from nearby solar farms. Jordan's solar plan should also help to lessen the amount of energy it needs to import from nearby countries. Read more from Navigant Research, or at Green Car Reports. BMW's mainstream cars will benefit from technology borrowed from the i3 and i8, according to BMW sales head Ian Robertson. In an interview with Automotive News, Robertson said that next-generation cars will use carbon fiber more extensively, and that more cars will get plug-in technology. He said that about half of i3 buyers opt for the range extender and added that it is incorrect to refer to a range-extended electric vehicle as a plug-in hybrid. Read more at Automotive News. The ethanol market should remain healthy despite falling oil prices. While cheap oil could drive down ethanol prices, demand still remains due to the federal biofuels standard. Additionally, ethanol producers may find it cheaper to ship their products as domestic oil production drops and railroad shipping opens up. Ethanol byproducts like distillers grains continue to sell, and foreign demand continues as other countries impose their own renewable fuel standards. Read more at Yahoo News. Via Motors will launch the production of an electric Chevrolet Silverado. The company will convert the pickups into range-extended EVs at its assembly line in Mexico, near GM's Silverado plant. Via has the capacity to produce 10,000 vehicles per year at its Mexico facility. Via Motors Chairman (and former GM Vice Chairman during the early days of the Chevrolet Volt project) Bob Lutz wants to help make EVs mainstream in America, and believes that requires electrifying pickups and SUVs. Read more in the press release below. Bob Lutz to Announce Production Launch of the Electrified Chevy Silverado BY VIA Motors Media access to Bob Lutz, former Vice-Chairman of General Motors and father of the Chevy Volt Bob Lutz is now Chairman of VIA Motors who builds the "Volt Style" extended range electric drive system for the Silverado, the Express Van and is working on the SUV's (Tahoe, Suburban) 5 years in development. Now production Launch and Consumer Sales in 2015.

2018 Chevy Sonic caught testing in The Motor City

Despite its role as the entry point into Chevrolet's lineup of sedans in America, the Sonic can be a fun little urban runabout in the same vein as the Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit. It's also impressively fuel efficient. Suffice it to say, then, that the Sonic is way better than the Aveo it replaces. And, as you can see from these spy shots, the next version of the Sonic is currently being tested in the wintry climes of Detroit, Michigan. The 2018 Chevy Sonic will be based on an updated Gamma platform that will be shared with the all-electric Chevy Bolt. In place of that's car electric motor and massive battery pack will be either a naturally aspirated four-cylinder or small turbocharged engine. Our spy shooters suggest a three-cylinder engine is also a possibility. While it's clear from these spy photos that the development of the next Sonic is well underway, nobody is quite sure where it will be built. Last October, we reported that 500 workers at GM's production facility in Orion Township were being laid off due in part to slow sales of the Sonic – you can thank the growing popularity of crossovers for that – and that plant is now being retooled for production of the Bolt. It's entirely possible that GM has decided to move production of the Chevy Sonic to Mexico, which would allow it to build a more profitable vehicle at Orion Township alongside the Bolt. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Chevy Sonic Sedan: Spy Shots View 9 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams / SpiedBilde Spy Photos Chevrolet Economy Cars Sedan