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Nissan Leaf sales drop, new Chevy Volt climbs in November

This is probably just how things are going to be from now on. With the second-gen Chevy Volt available in some states and Nissan dragging its heels on getting a true new version of the Leaf onto dealer lots, it's no surprise that plug-in vehicle shoppers are turning to the Volt in a big way. Yes, we know that a pure EV and a PHEV are not the same and that the Volt and the Leaf are quite different cars, but after all of this time tracking the two plug-in sales champions, we feel obliged to continue our monthly look at who's selling how many of what. Here goes. We'll start with the mediocre news. That'd be the Leaf sales, which came in at just 1,054 units last month. That's the lowest monthly sales total for all of 2015 and, in fact, the lowest month of Leaf sales since February 2013. It's also a 60.8 percent drop from November 2014's sales of 2,687. This despite the fact that you can now get a new Leaf with a longer range of 107 miles (vs. 84) for a higher cost. The new Volt (along with the first-gen Volts that are still being sold out there), on the other hand, was up 49 percent, to 1,980 sales. That gave the Volt its best November ever, "on both a total and retail basis," GM says. The Volt beat the Leaf in October, too, and we suspect this is going to be the story until Nissan figures out how to get people excited about a five-year-old model or introduces the second edition. As always, we'll have a fuller wrap-up of US green car sales in our By The Numbers report soon. Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid ev sales

2017 Chevy Bolt charged up for production

Chevy's decision to call its new electric car the Bolt has stirred controversy and confusion, but regardless, it's well on its way to becoming a production reality. The prototype captured in these shots is heavily camouflaged, but the crossover/hatchback styling cues are still evident. The car also has a tall greenhouse, slight creases in the sides, and a sloping roofline in back. There's a rapidly rising body line that makes for less glass for rear passengers, but that's probably part of the camo. The Bolt is expected to arrive for 2017 and will be sold in all 50 states. The Chevy Bolt carries the promise of bringing EV technology to a broader audience. Chevy said the car will cost about $30,000 after possible tax incentives and could have a range of 200 miles. It will be assembled at General Motors' Orion Assembly factory north of Detroit. The Bolt will augment the plug-in hybrid Volt in Chevy's green fleet, and it will compete against vehicles like the BMW i3 and Nissan Leaf. Related Video:

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Quick Spin [w/video]

The Silverado 1500 gets what most would consider an early update for 2016. Just two years into this generation, the half-ton Chevy truck has been given a visual overhaul and a handful of feature upgrades. Chevy reps say they didn't wait the usual three years for a refresh because they knew the domestic competitors were planning updates of their own for 2015. We're told the fast refresh was always in the plans, and that it wasn't a response to critics (like us) saying "meh" to the new truck's design, which some felt hewed too close to the GMT900s that came before. If a Ford grille that reaches halfway into the headlights is good, a Chevy grille that cuts the units clean in two must be better. That's at least how we imagine the designers' thought process went. Those new split lights use HID projectors on lower models and full-LED tech on the upper trims, with all versions getting LED daytime running lights. LED taillights are also included on the fancier models. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> Each of the eight trim levels has its own look, and the differentiation goes beyond the placement of chrome and the color of cladding. Look closely and you'll see that elements of the various grille treatments are repeated within the headlights. It's a neat touch, and proof that attention to detail is still a thing. Chevy also reshaped the hood, with sharp lines and pockets that look like they'll do a great job of collecting snow come winter. We get why a Corvette has troughs in its hood (you know where the wheels are and see through the valley to the road) but the surfacing on the Silverado's engine hat has only aesthetic benefits. On the feature front, almost all 2016 Silverado models get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support; the 7.0-inch screen includes both, while the available 8.0-inch screen will add Android Auto through an update in March of 2016. The top High Country trim gets new power-articulating side steps as an option. In addition to swinging down to help you hoist yourself in through the door, the steps have a button at the rear that, when pressed, motors them down and rearward to give you a foothold at the front of the bed. Chevy also catches up to the competition with an available remote-locking tailgate. Chevy also gets further into the competitive numbers game for 2016 with expanded use of its eight-speed truck transmission.