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2015 Chevy Spark will have lighter, smaller battery

As General Motors gets ready to release the 2015 Chevy Spark EV, it is retooling the Brownstown Battery Assembly to build a new battery system for the chirpy little electric car. The new Spark will lose a few pounds and kWh from its lithium-ion pack, but it will keep all of it's performance specs. The current Spark EV uses a 21-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with bits made by A123 Systems (known as B456 Systems during bankruptcy). For the 2015 model, GM is going to build a 19-kWh battery system in-house that will use 192 LG Chem cells. Losing a bit of energy capacity means that the battery system for the 2015 Spark EV will be 86 pounds lighter but it will keep the EPA-rated 82-mile range and 119 MPGe. The 2015 Spark EV also keeps its $26,685 (plus destination) starting price from the 2014 model. The car will once again qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. LG Chem also supplies the cells for GM's other plug-in vehicles from its facility in Western Michigan. The Brownstown production line currently builds the battery packs for the Chevy Volt, the Opel Ampera and the Cadillac ELR. You can read our first drive of the 2014 Chevy Spark here. Brownstown Battery Assembly Expands Capabilities Will build battery system for 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV 2014-05-14 DETROIT – General Motors will bring all its electric vehicle battery building capabilities in-house with production of battery systems for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV at its battery assembly plant in Brownstown, Mich. "Using our in-house engineering and manufacturing expertise enabled us to deliver a battery system that is more efficient and lighter than the 2014 Spark EV without sacrificing range," said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM global transmission and electrification engineering. "Our successful working relationship with LG Chem has allowed us to deliver a new battery system for the Spark EV that helps us to better leverage our economies of scale." A newly designed battery system features an overall storage capacity of 19 kWh and uses 192 lithium ion cells. The cells are produced at LG Chem's plant in Holland, Mich. The battery system weight of 474 lbs. is 86 pounds lighter than the system in the 2014 Spark EV. The Spark EV battery is built on a dedicated production line at Brownstown, which also manufactures complete battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera and Cadillac ELR.

2016 Chevy Volt sneak peek at CES

Here it is, folks – your first real glimpse at the 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The gasoline-electric sedan will officially debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week, but Chevy gave us a sneak peek of its redesigned Volt at a media event in Las Vegas late Sunday, as part of its CES festivities. There isn't a ton to see here, and sorry about the low quality video (and for us not standing front and center during the reveal). But we can clearly see the car's redesigned front fascia – something recently previewed at a fan event in Los Angeles. For another view, check out a high-res photo of the new Volt from our friends at The Verge, here. Chevy even tweeted a photo of the Volt's new nose on its official Volt Twitter account, which you can see below. The automaker didn't divulge any details about its new Volt, but we already know quite a bit. For starters, the Volt will use a new, 1.5-liter gasoline engine and won't require premium fuel. It'll have more EV range and a bigger battery, too. We'll have a whole mess of information when the 2016 Volt is fully revealed in Detroit in about one week's time. In the meantime, here are some more looks at the Volt, courtesy of the Twitterverse. We're so excited about #NextGenVolt we brought it out early at #CES2015! Full details on 1/12 at #NAIAS. pic.twitter.com/hPCbTFGSV4 - Chevrolet Volt (@ChevyVolt) January 5, 2015 Take a look at the new Chevy Volt http://t.co/laCvWLRMXk pic.twitter.com/uOzRh5XCrP - Engadget (@engadget) January 5, 2015 The very first look at the 2016 Chevy Volt doesn't disappoint: http://t.co/PM0HcnyQOo pic.twitter.com/WFtoyd0utH - Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) January 5, 2015 Chevy just gave @Tim_Stevens a very quick look at the next-gen Volt at #CES2015. #CNETatCES http://t.co/3n6EK1yOrC pic.twitter.com/7KDYh0VSg0 - CNET (@CNET) January 5, 2015 Related Gallery 2016 Chevy Volt at CES Related Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Volt Teaser Images Green CES Detroit Auto Show Chevrolet GM Alternative Fuels Green Automakers Electric Hybrid Videos Sedan 2015 Detroit Auto Show CES 2015

GM trucks get hybrid versions, but you'll probably never see one

A few years ago, General Motors sold hybrid versions of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. They weren't very good, using GM's old two-mode hybrid system that resulted in only negligible fuel economy gains. But GM's trying again, launching eAssist models of the 2016 Silverado and Sierra that are said to offer 2-mpg improvements in city, highway, and combined fuel economy ratings. Problem is, you probably won't be able to get one. Only 700 eAssist trucks will be made for the 2016 model year – 500 Silverados and 200 Sierras. When you consider that GM moved 824,683 examples of its light-duty pickups in 2015, this small run represents 0.08-percent of all Silverado/Sierra production, and GM says it "will monitor the market closely ... and adjust as appropriate moving forward." But that's not the only limitation. The eAssist trucks will only be sold through California dealers. For the Silverado, eAssist can only be optioned on the 1500 Crew Cab 1LT 2WD model, and for the Sierra, the fuel-saving technology is solely available on the 1500 SLT Crew Cab 2WD model with the SLT Premium Plus package. Granted, in terms of the Sierra, that means you get niceties like LED headlights and taillights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bose premium audio, heated seats and steering wheel, lane keep assist, and more. In the trucks, eAssist combines a small electric motor and 0.45-kWh battery pack with the pickups' 5.3-liter V8. GM estimates total output of 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque – no more horsepower than the non-eAssist trucks, but three more pound-feet of torque. GM says the eAssist trucks can tow up to 9,400 pounds, and the battery only adds 100 pounds to the trucks' weight. The electric motor provides 13 hp and 44 lb-ft of torque for a boost of acceleration off the line, or during passing. It also allows the engine to run in four-cylinder mode for longer periods of time. eAssist uses regenerative braking to help power onboard electrical systems, and adds start/stop to the powertrain. Finally, the so-equipped trucks have a six-percent improvement in aerodynamics, thanks to a soft tonneau cover and active grille shutters in the front fascia. Great news is, the eAssist option is relatively inexpensive, only costing $500. But good luck getting your hands on one.