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Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt named KBB "Best Buy," slow BMW i3 sales in Germany

The Chevrolet Volt has been awarded Kelley Blue Book's Electric/Hybrid Car Best Buy for 2015. KBB cited the car's electric commuter capabilities, extended range, acceleration, design and overall value as reasons to place it above the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and Toyota Prius. It works well in the real world, and doesn't leave drivers with range anxiety. Plus, it's comfortable, and a fun car to drive, according to KBB. Read more at Kelley Blue Book. The BMW i3 is seeing slow sales in Germany. BMW has sold about half the number of i3s it expected in its home country, with about 1,900 sold in the first nine months. BMW projected sales of 5,000 to 6,000 in the first year. BMW partly blames long shipping times for the slow sales, and the company is offering incentives in hopes of getting more people to adopt the electric car. In the US, BMW sold more than 1,000 units each month between August and October. Read more at Green Car Reports. Audi is pursuing new carbon-neutral synthetic fuels - or e-fuels - such as Audi e-diesel. Audi's newest project uses electrolysis of water to create hydrogen, which it then reacts with CO2 extracted from the air. The result is a liquid - called Blue Crude - full of energy from hydrocarbon compounds. The Blue Crude can then be converted into a sulfur-free synthetic diesel called e-diesel. This e-diesel can be used as a drop-in fuel, blended into fossil diesel for a more renewable fuel. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Uber is partnering with Spotify to allow passengers to choose what music they listen to during their ride. Users will be able to choose their own playlist that will be ready and playing for them when they are picked up. It offers a more personalized experience from the ride-hailing service, which, according to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, is "nirvana" for music lovers. Paying Spotify users will be able to use the feature initially in London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney and Toronto. Check out the video below and read more at Wired. Featured Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Volt View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2014 BMW i3: First Drive View 33 Photos News Source: Kelley Blue Book, Green Car Reports, Hybrid Cars, WiredImage Credit: Chevrolet Green Audi BMW Chevrolet Transportation Alternatives Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Videos recharge wrapup

GM earnings rise 1% as buyers pay more for popular pickups

DETROIT — General Motors said Thursday that higher prices for popular pickup trucks and SUVs helped overcome slowing global sales and profit rose by 1% in the second quarter. The Detroit automaker said it made $2.42 billion, or $1.66 per share, from April through June. Adjusting for restructuring costs, GM made $1.64 per share, blowing by analyst estimates of $1.44. Quarterly revenue fell 2% to $36.06 billion, but still beat estimates. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $35.97 billion. Global sales fell 6% to 1.94 million vehicles led by declines in North America and Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The company says sales in China were weak, and it expects that to continue through the year. In the United States, customers paid an average of $41,461 for a GM vehicle during the quarter, an increase of 2.2%, as buyers went for loaded-out pickups and SUVs, according to the Edmunds.com auto pricing site. The U.S. is GM's most profitable market. Chief Financial Officer Dhivya Suryadevara said she expects the strong pricing to continue, especially as GM rolls out a diesel pickup and new heavy-duty trucks in the second half of the year. "We think the fundamentals do remain strong, especially in the truck market," she said, adding that strength in the overall economy and aging trucks now on the road should help keep the trend going. Light trucks accounted for 83.1% of GM's sales in the quarter, and pickup truck sales rose 8.5% as GM transitioned to new models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, according to Edmunds, which provides content to The Associated Press. As usual, GM made most of its money in North America, reporting $3 billion in pretax earnings. International operations including China broke even, while the company spent $300 million on its GM Cruise automated vehicle unit. Its financial arm made $500 million in pretax income. Suryadevara said GM saw $700 million in savings during the quarter from restructuring actions announced late last year that included cutting about 8,000 white-collar workers through layoffs, buyouts and early retirements. The company also announced plans to close five North American factories, shedding another 6,000 jobs. About 3,000 factory workers in the U.S. whose jobs were eliminated at four plants will be placed at other factories, but they could have to relocate. GM expects the restructuring to generate $2 billion to $2.5 billion in annual cost savings by the end of this year.

Chevy finishes restoration of damaged 1 millionth Corvette

When a sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum devoured eight, rare examples of the iconic American sports car last year, some of the victims emerged better than others. While damaged, the 2009 Corvette ZR1 Blue Devil was able to drive out under its own power, making for a fairly straightforward restoration. Meanwhile, the one-millionth 'Vette came out looking like a pancake. Bringing the convertible back to perfection has taken four months and 1,200 man-hours, but the milestone car is finally on display again. After being a brief exhibit at the National Corvette Museum, the millionth 'Vette was moved to the General Motors Design Center. There, a 30-person team started on the difficult restoration. "When we disassembled it, we found that each employee involved in building it had signed a part of the car, which was fantastic and moving to see," said GM executive Mark Reuss. Therefore, the team tried to retain as many original parts as possible. The damage was extensive, and repairs included straightening the front sub-frame damage, patching the seats, and carefully restoring the dashboard pad to maintain the signatures below. The hood, front fascia, and side sills were replaced with parts from a donor vehicle. To keep the 'Vette perfect, the team scanned the names and put them on the new components. In one case, they even went back to an original employee to sign a replacement part. Surprisingly, the engine and transmission were fine. With the work done, the National Corvette's Museum's revived exhibit is nearly complete. Five of the other cars aren't being restored, and the museum is bringing the 1962 Corvette back to life. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> Chevrolet Fulfills 1 Millionth Corvette Restoration Pledge Sinkhole-damaged milestone returns to National Corvette Museum 2015-09-03 BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – After more than four months and 1,200 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship, restoration of the milestone 1 millionth Corvette – a white 1992 convertible – is complete. It was unveiled today at the National Corvette Museum, where it returns as part of the permanent exhibit. The car was damaged on Feb. 12, 2014, when it and seven other rare Corvettes tumbled into a sinkhole that opened beneath the museum's Skydome area. Chevrolet pledged to restore it.