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Chevy teases next-gen Volt at fan event in LA

Barely two months before its planned debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, Chevrolet has released yet another batch of teaser images of its second-generation Volt. Unlike the first image, though, which just showed the car's rear badge, there's a lot more to this quartet of shots. The first three images show off the nose of the next-gen model and come from a fan event in Los Angeles. What we can see is a sleeker front end, with an evolution of the silver grille inserts previously seen on the original Volt and Spark EV. Gone is the current car's split upper grille, in favor of a more conventional arrangement. The sharper, more angular headlights are also an evolution of the lamps seen on the current Volt. Chevrolet also took the opportunity to announce a new location-based charging system that uses GPS to adjust the vehicle's charge settings, including the charge level, while also announcing that the next-gen car will feature more intuitive charge indicators that will be better able to inform owners of their car's charging level. The tech will mean that the Volt 'knows' when it is parked at home, and can thus automatically optimize charging for off-peak times, and so on. Take a look at the teaser images at the top of the page, and then head below for Chevy's press release announcing the new features. Next-Gen Chevy Volt Offers More User-Friendly Charging 2014-11-20 GPS makes charging more convenient Portable charger is easier to access Intuitive visual cues show charge status DETROIT – If there's one thing Chevrolet Volt owners love about their cars, it's being able to recharge the battery easily. Evidence of that is a U.S. Department of Energy study that shows more than 80 percent of all trips by Volt owners did not use the range extender. Chevrolet has made the charging system in the next-generation Volt even easier for customers to recharge the battery – and to check the charge status. The next-generation Volt debuts in January at the North American International Auto Show. "Chevrolet used the real-world experiences of today's Volt owners to make the charging process simpler and more convenient in the next-generation Volt," said Andrew Farah, chief engineer for the Volt.

Next-generation GMC Canyon, Chevy Colorado spied together

With the debut of the next-generation GMC Canyon coming in a couple of months (in off-road-ready AT4 guise no less), it's no surprise that both it and the Chevy Colorado are out testing without the heavy coverings of early prototypes. One of our spy photographers caught examples of both trucks with close-fitting vinyl wraps. This gives us a great opportunity to see each pickup more clearly, but also to compare and contrast the designs. From the front, the GMC features a narrower, but seemingly taller grille. At the top are slender lamps. They seem to be daytime running lights, though, and below them are much larger units that will function as the actual headlights. The prototype shown seems to be one of the AT4 variants, based on the lack of a lower air dam and the opened up corners of each bumper. Small fog lights show up in the lower bumper, too. As for the Chevy, its grille is wider, and it blends into the headlights. The lights are at the top of the grille, and they seem to incorporate the actual headlights, not just running lamps. The grille mesh has some interesting detailing, and there are auxiliary lights below the main headlights. This one seems to be a more mainstream Colorado model since it still has a front air dam, possibly a Z71 model, considering the chunky tires. Not surprisingly, the two trucks are very similar from the sides and the rear. They have cabins that look lower, longer and more squared-off than the current models. The fenders look more punched out and aggressive, too. The main differentiator between the Chevy and GMC are the wheel openings. The GMC has sharp corners and the Chevy has more rounded ones, as is the case with the full-size trucks. As previously mentioned, the GMC Canyon AT4 will be revealed this summer, so likely in just a month or two. The Colorado will likely be revealed this summer, too. It's expected that it will use the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder shared with the Silverado. Naturally, it will be available with two- and four-wheel drive and a variety of trim levels including the AT4 and ZR2 off-road versions. Related video:

GM recalls 330,000 fullsize trucks for airbag replacement

General Motors has announced a recall of 330,198 fullsize pickups in the US in the aftermath of the announcement made on May 19 that doubled the number of vehicles being called in to replace Takata's defective airbag inflators. That announcement expanded the nationwide recall to an estimated 33.8 million vehicles in the US. Heavy Duty versions of the 2007 and 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are included in GM's move, for the purpose of replacing the passenger airbag inflators. The announcement made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association cited long-term exposure to moisture as a possible cause of the inflator issues. GM says it isn't aware of any problems with the recalled pickups due to moisture, nor has it had any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities, and has not received any complaints. GM will notify owners, who can then take their trucks to the dealers to have them repaired free of charge. You'll find a statement from GM and the recall notice from NHTSA below. Related Video: General Motors Statement General Motors is recalling 330,198 2007 and 2008 model year full-size Chevrolet Silverado heavy duty and GMC Sierra heavy duty pickup trucks in the U.S. to replace the passenger air bag inflators manufactured by TK Holdings Inc. (Takata). This recall implements Takata's air bag inflator equipment recall announced on May 19, 2015 (NHTSA recall number 15E-041). GM is not aware of any humidity-related ruptures in Takata air bag inflators in any GM-badged vehicles in the field and knows of no crashes, injuries, fatalities or complaints regarding air bag performance in these vehicles. Including Canada and exports, the total number of vehicles being recalled is 374,715. Population breakdown: United States 330,198 Canada 39,630 Exports 4,887 Total 374,715NHTSA RECALL NOTICE: Report Receipt Date: MAY 28, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V324000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 330,198 Manufacturer: General Motors LLCSUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD trucks manufactured November 28, 2006, to August 29, 2008, and 2007-2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD trucks manufactured November 27, 2006, to August 29, 2008.