Chevrolet Nova Chevy Ll on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM starting to talk seriously about 200-mile EV

We've been hearing word of a 200-mile EV from Chevrolet for a while now. First, there was General Motors then-CEO Dan Akerson hinting at a $30,000, 200-mile EV that would take the competition by surprise. Then Akerson confirmed that GM is working on a 200-mile EV in a speech in March. LG Chem, which supplies batteries to GM and other automakers, recently said it was working on batteries for EVs with a range of 200 miles. GM's head of global product development Mark Reuss just re-confirmed that there are plans for an EV with a 200-mile range, and sources have told Automotive News what that car will be. While Reuss didn't mention anything about a specific model or platform, two undisclosed sources with knowledge of GM's plans have said that an EV with a range of about 200 miles is indeed in the works, and that it will be based on the Chevrolet Sonic. The sources also gave a timeline for the car, saying it is slated for sometime in 2017. According to Reuss, the plan is for Chevy to offer a lineup of electric cars, with the 200-mile EV joining ranks of the Chevrolet Volt and the Spark EV. He didn't hint at a timeline, but if the sources are correct, we could see a Sonic EV being built within a few years. Reuss sees demand for it, too. When speaking of the Spark EV, currently only available in California and Oregon, he says that "people wish we would sell it all around the country." If he's right about that, it's not difficult to imagine people taking interest in Chevrolet's 200-mile electric car, whether or not it's a Sonic.

Watch Evo pick its 2015 Car of the Year in this epic video

With just a few days left in 2015, it's the perfect time to check out Evo's annual Car of the Year test to determine the greatest performance vehicle of the last 12 months. The writers' picks for the 11 finalists spanned a breadth of engaging models and included: Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Seat Leon Cupra Sub8, McLaren 675LT, Porsche 991 GT3 RS, Porsche Cayman GT4, Honda Civic Type R, Ferrari 488 GTB, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Lotus Evora 400, and Mercedes-AMG GT S. For the venue to test the mettle of these performance machines, Evo stuck close to home this year and visited the twisting roads at the beautiful north coast of Scotland. Racing brothers Marino and Dario Franchitti also came along for the ride to provide two more voices in the competitive challenge to determine a winner. Evo's video explains why each model deserves to be among such rarified company but doesn't gloss over their faults either. There can be only one winner, though. We don't want to spoil it, so check out the clip for magnificent views of these performance machines through the Scottish countryside.

Six-week production shutdown planned for 2016 Chevy Volt

It's no surprise that GM is winding down production of the first-gen Chevy Volt as it prepares to start building the second-gen for a launch in the second half of this year, but for now, things are proceeding as planned, according to Chevrolet spokesperson Michelle Malcho. Malcho told AutoblogGreen that GM "is still making first generation Volt" and that there has been no announcement about when that will change. The only details she would divulge is that, "It will be this summer." "Halting Chevrolet Volt production in anticipation of the all-new 2016 model year is a smart move for GM," Akshay Anand, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, said in a statement. "[The move] allows for less inventory and incentives on the outgoing model. Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle sales have been declining for some time now, with gas prices well below the summer prices of 2014." Volt production will cease in the weeks before the traditional two-week auto plant shutdown over the July 4 holiday. A high inventory of Volts is a factor in the production cuts, but not the only one, Malcho said. The plant construction, engineering changes and pre-production plans for the new Volt and CT6 all were part of the decision, she said. Nationwide, there is about a 200-day supply of Volts on dealer lots (roughly 100 days in California, the car's biggest market), according to the Detroit Free Press, which says there will be a six-week retooling period (twice as long as normal, but other sources say the shutdown will be four weeks long) at GM's Hamtramck plant this summer to get ready for the second-gen model. The 2016 Volt will get an increase in all-electric range to 50 miles and will then get 41 miles per gallon when the battery runs out. It also has a fifth seat that straddles the battery tunnel and a larger li-ion battery. Related Video: The AP contributed to this report. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevy Volt View 16 Photos News Source: GM, Detroit Free Press Green Plants/Manufacturing Chevrolet Electric Hybrid