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Chevy trademark for E-Ray may signal Corvette hybrid or EV

A spy photographer and friend of Autoblog Chris Doane spotted this trademark filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office, and there's not much to it: Chevy is calling dibs on the "Corvette E-Ray" name, and that raises more questions than answers. Being obsessed with this industry is an Autoblog core value, and Corvette is perennially a big deal. It's also historically, and famously, resistant to change. So what's going on here? Unless it's a pure show car, it's unlikely the E-Ray will be a C7-based hybrid. The current Corvette is a tightly-packaged thing, and batteries are bulky. That makes a concept of some sort all the more likely, especially with the Detroit Auto Show coming up. Unconstrained by the packaging of the real-world Stingray, this E-Ray concept may be a pure EV, or a hybrid, of any configuration. GM has built mid-engined Corvette concept cars in the past, and maybe we'll see one again in a few weeks. A gutted C7 with a pure EV drivetrain is also a remote possibility, although less likely – the Stingray wasn't engineered with that in mind, and we think GM's too big to show off a hack-job at a major auto show. Not that it is a Corvette competitor, but don't forget that the Tesla Model S P85D and it's P90D successor have taken pure EV performance into the mainstream – the upper end of the mainstream, to be sure. It has been enough to draw industry performance players into the genre. Look at Aston Martin's production-possible RapidE concept, a pure EV, and the confirmed-for-production Porsche Mission E. We've heard rumblings in the past that Corvette may become a marque unto itself, spawning a variety of variants (including the hypothesized mid-engined production car – don't hold your breath). Perhaps the gas-powered C8, in whatever form it takes, will be complemented with a greener version. We'll try to dig up insider information about what the E-Ray will reveal itself to be, but rest assured that if it shows up at Detroit we'll bring you analysis of every inch of it.Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Chevy Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition View 9 Photos Tip: Chris Doane/Facebook Green Rumormill Detroit Auto Show Chevrolet Electric Future Vehicles Hybrid Performance corvette stingray

2014 Chevrolet Cruze TD fires up its new diesel motor

Ever since General Motors confirmed plans to produce a diesel-powered Cruze back in 2011, we've been eagerly awaiting its arrival. And as part of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Chevrolet has pulled back the cover on its oil-burning compact sedan, set to go on sale in the near future with a starting price of $25,695, not including $810 for destination.
The heart and soul of the Cruze TD (that's its official name) is a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline four-cylinder engine rated at 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, mated solely to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine also has an overboost function that will increase torque to 280 lb-ft for up to ten seconds. The full brace of official specs haven't been released, but GM tells us that highway fuel economy will come in at 42 miles per gallon. If that number sounds familiar, it's because the Volkswagen Jetta TDI has the exact same rating. Unlike the Jetta, however, the Cruze TD can run on B20 biodiesel, where as the Volkswagen can only accept B5.
Model-specific changes to this 2014 Cruze TD include an aero kit and unique 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there's a full leather interior, and Chevrolet will provide two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance, not to mention a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Weekly Recap: GM plans massive new paint shop at Chevy Corvette factory

General Motors is laying out some serious green to maintain the Chevy Corvette's expansive color palette. The automaker is breaking ground on a new paint shop this summer that's part of a $439-million investment to upgrade the 34-year-old Bowling Green, KY, factory that builds the Stingray. The massive new structure will total 450,000 square feet, nearly half the size of the current 1-million square-foot facility. Construction is expected to take two years and won't impact Corvette production. The upgrades include new robots that save paint and create a better finish, longer, more efficient ovens to bake in the finish, and LED lighting. There's also a dry scrubbing booth technology with a limestone handling system that eliminates waste. GM has invested $135 million in the factory in last four years for the changeover to build the C7 and to relocate its Performance Build Center to Bowling Green. The improvements continue to modernize the Kentucky factory, which has become a tourist attraction in its own right, as more than 56,000 enthusiasts visited it last year. The upgrades are part of a $5.4-billion investment GM confirmed in April that will remake its US footprint in the next three years. The Bowling Green expansion underscores GM's continued commitment to the Corvette, which sold nearly 38,000 copies around the world last year, an eight-year high. "With this major technology investment, we can continue to exceed the expectations of sports car buyers for years to come," North American manufacturing manager Arvin Jones said in a statement. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Takata recall hits 34 million vehicles The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded the Takata airbag recall to an almost unthinkable 34 million vehicles on Tuesday. The recall is part of an agreement reached by the two sides where Takata admitted some of its airbag inflators have a defect, and the deal compels the company to comply with all future regulatory actions and investigations. Takata's airbag inflators were produced with "a propellant that can degrade over time" and lead to ruptures, NHTSA said. Six deaths have been attributed to the flaw worldwide. Investigations conducted by Takata, automakers, and others have not determined the exact cause of the inflator problem, but NHTSA said moisture appears to alter the propellant's chemical structure. It then ignites too rapidly, creates too much pressure that ruptures the inflator, and blasts shards of metal at passengers.