1966 Chevy Nova 2 Dr. Sedan 327/350 L79 on 2040-cars

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GM extends production cuts, affects Cadillacs, Camaro and Acadia

General Motors is extending production cuts at some of its North America factories due to a chip shortage that has roiled the global automotive industry, the U.S. carmaker said on Thursday. The move's impact has been baked into GM's prior forecast that the shortage could shave up to $2 billion off this year's profit. GM's Lansing Grand River assembly in Michigan will extend its downtime through the week of April 26. The plant makes Chevrolet Camaros and Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans. It has been out of action since March 15. GM's Spring Hill assembly in Tennessee will shut down for two weeks starting the week of April 12. The plant makes the Cadillac XT5, XT6 and GMC Acadia. The company said it has not taken downtime or reduced shifts at any of its more profitable full-size truck or full-size SUV plants due to the shortage. The news was first reported by CNBC. Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Sriraj Kalluvila

GM is the latest automaker accused of diesel emissions cheating

Volkswagen and Ram need to make room on the diesel-emissions bench for General Motors. America's largest automaker was accused in a lawsuit on Thursday of rigging hundreds of thousands of diesel trucks with at least three so-called defeat devices to ensure that the trucks would meet federal and state emission standards, even if they generated more pollution in real-world driving. According to the complaint, on-road emissions testing conducted for the plaintiffs found that Duramax-equipped trucks produced NOx pollutants, comprised of nitrogen and oxygen atoms, two to five times higher than legally permitted, and "many times" higher than their gasoline counterparts. The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Detroit on behalf of people who own or lease more than 705,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks fitted with "Duramax" engines from 2011 to 2016 model years. The lawsuit seeks remedies including possible refunds or restitution for lost vehicle value, plus punitive damages. It adds to legal problems for Detroit-based GM, which has already paid about $2.5 billion in penalties and settlements over faulty ignition switches linked to 124 deaths. GM joins at least five automakers whose diesel emissions have been scrutinized by regulators or consumers. They include VW, which has admitted to cheating; Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Peugeot and Renault. GM spokesman Dan Flores called the claims "baseless," and said the trucks comply with US Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards and California's own tough standards. Shares of GM were down 69 cents, or 2.1 percent, at $32.50 in afternoon trading, after earlier falling to $31.93. The GM lawsuit was filed by several law firms, including Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, which helped reach multibillion-dollar settlements with VW on behalf of drivers and dealers. The case is Fenner et al v General Motors LLC et al, US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 17-11661. The named plaintiffs are Andrei Fenner of Mountain View, California and Joshua Herman of Sulphur, Louisiana. They said they would not have bought their respective 2011 Sierra and 2016 Silverado trucks, or would have paid less for them, had they known about the alleged rigging. Joseph Spak, an RBC Capital Markets analyst, in a research report said "negative publicity" from the lawsuit could drive buyers to trucks from Ford or even Fiat Chrysler's Ram.

2019 Nissan Leaf Plus vs. Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric: How they compare on paper

Buying an EV once meant choosing either a reasonably priced model with paltry range and weak power, or a massively expensive one with a decent range. But today we have not one, but three options with reasonable prices and healthy ranges of over 200 miles. The latest of which is the 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus, which brings a bigger battery and a more powerful motor over its entry-level counterpart. The question is, how does it stack up with the defending entries in this segment, the 2019 Chevy Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric? To get an idea, we've gathered up the specifications of each electric hatchback for comparison. We'll take a look at power, torque, electric range, charging options, interior space and the all-important pricing and incentives. You can see the raw numbers in the chart below, and additional insights in the text beyond that. If you'd like to compare these cars with other vehicles, be sure to check out our comparison tools. Range and power No matter how much electric cars improve their overall range, range anxiety is going to be an issue for a while, meaning every mile counts. The Kona Electric is the hands-down winner, managing 258 miles from its 64-kWh battery. Next is the Chevy Bolt EV at 238 miles from the group's smallest 60-kWh battery, followed by the Leaf Plus with 226 miles from a 62-kWh battery. For those who want to get really deep into energy usage, the Bolt EV and the Kona Electric have the same EPA rating for energy consumption of 28 kWh per 100 miles, meaning they're equally efficient. This is particularly impressive for the Kona, since it weighs nearly 300 pounds more than the Bolt. Something else to consider with these electric cars are charging options. All three have 120-volt level 1 and 240-volt level 2 charging capability standard, but only the Leaf Plus and Kona Electric give you DC fast charging capability for free. To get it on the Bolt EV, you'll spend an extra $750. Speaking from experience, you'll want DC fast charging if you plan on doing any long trips. 2019 Nissan LEAF e+ View 26 Photos As for the motors propelling these EVs, there's very little difference. The Bolt and Kona are neck-and-neck with 200 and 201 horsepower respectively. The Leaf has a few more horses at 216. In the torque department, the Leaf is last with 250 pound-feet, and the Bolt is just ahead at 266. The Kona is a serious twister with 290 pound-feet.