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GM won't really kill off the Chevy Volt and Cadillac CT6, will it?

General Motors is apparently considering killing off six slow-selling models by 2020, according to Reuters. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we're skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. Four - the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt - are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year - down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They're older and don't sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other three seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM's latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All six of these vehicles are sedans, Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there's still a huge market for cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There's a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn't workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes.

Recharge Wrap-up: Indianapolis to switch 425 fleet vehicles to EVs, Chevy Corvette provides bat habitats

Indianapolis will deploy 425 battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles as part of its municipal fleet by 2016. The fleet will include such cars as the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and Ford Fusion Energi. The city will also reduce its overall fleet by 100 vehicles. In all, the revised group - called the "Freedom Fleet" - will save $8.7 million and 2.2 million gallons of gasoline over 10 years. Read more at Hybrid Cars. EVs with longer range would make vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid energy management systems more practical for the US. The idea of using EVs as energy storage for emergencies or times of high grid demand is currently being tested in Japan with Nissan's Leaf-to-Home system. The US is also interested in such capabilities, but the higher average energy use of American households would make larger batteries in EVs ideal for grid storage applications. Read more at Green Car Reports. LG Chem has broken ground on its EV battery plant in Nanjing, China. The factory, when constructed, will have a capacity of producing batteries for 100,000 cars per year according to the Korean company. The plant will supply batteries for Chinese automakers such as SAIC and Qoros. Construction is expected to be finished by the end of 2015 and LG Chem expects revenue of more than $933 million by 2020. Read more in the press release below. General Motors is using adhesive used in the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to create habitat for threatened bat species. Artificial bat caves could help alleviate white-nose fungus that leads to diminished bat populations. Leftover adhesive is used to create stalactites in the artificial caves, allowing them more structure to hang from. GM has also provided Volt battery covers to create nesting habitats for bats, which eat harmful insects and help pollinate plants. See the videos and read more in the press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. LG Chem officially breaks ground for China EV battery plant Seoul, Korea - Oct 30, 2014 – LG Chem, Korea's leading manufacturer of advanced batteries, held a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of electric-car battery plant in Nanjing, China, to meet growing demand in the world's biggest car market.

This week in EVs: Electric Jeeps, Chevy Equinox, reborn VW bus

There's going to be tons of car news next week as the Detroit Auto Show makes its return after 48 years. OK, so the pandemic and the show's shifting calendar only made it feel like 48 years, but January 2019 was still a long time ago. As we await that wave of headlines, let's look back at the substantial week that already was, specifically in terms of the electric car news that broke. Electric Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S blaze trail to brand's EV future Jeep declared Thursday to be 4xe Day as it revealed loads of previously unknown information about its future electrification efforts. The biggest surprise was the extremely cool and 100% electric Jeep Recon. Although it looks like a Wrangler, it's absolutely not a Wrangler replacement, and is indeed quite different for reasons besides its powertrain (independent front and rear suspension, fully enclosed fenders, fixed roof). As the photos attest, though, you'll be able to remove the doors and rear-quarter windows just like a Wrangler. And again, it's electric. Expect the Recon to be one of the most eagerly anticipated new vehicles over the next couple of years. Yes, years, plural. Production will start in 2024 with reservations accepted starting early next year. Jeep Recon View 5 Photos   There was then the Wagoneer S. Despite the name, it isn't a sportier Wagoneer variant or even an electric Wagoneer. In fact, the name is temporary according to chief designer Ralph Gilles. This sleek SUV, which sure looks like Jeep's attempt at a Range Rover Vilar (not a bad thing), will apparently have a 600-horsepower electric powertrain. It too will be produced in North America starting in 2024 with reservations starting early next year. Jeep Wagoneer S View 4 Photos   There actually WILL be an electrified Wagoneer, however: the Grand Wagoneer 4xe PHEV. That's good since the Grand Wagoneer gets pretty atrocious fuel economy. Details were light regarding specs, but we did get a half-decent photo. Finally, the first of these electrified Jeeps to launch will be the Avenger. Yes, Chrysler/Stellantis is dusting off an old Dodge name for a Jeep. That Dodge in question wasn't sold in Europe, though (good for them), which is important since the Jeep Avenger will only be sold on the other side of the pond. It's mechanically based on the same platform as several French Stellantis EV SUVs, and only goes 249 miles on the far more generous European WLTP test cycle.