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Chevy brings back Midnight Edition Colorado and Silverado for 2016

Chevrolet is capitalizing on the popularity of last year's shadowy Midnight Edition pickups with new versions at the Chicago Auto Show. The package's darker trim allows buyers to make their trucks look a little more menacing straight from the dealer. The 2016 Midnight Editions don't deviate from last year's monochromatic theme. The trucks feature blacked-out trim from the grille, badges, bumpers, and headlight bezels. The obsidian shades also appear on the side moldings and painted wheels. Chevy completes the dark theme with a black spray-in bedliner. Available with the Z71 package, customers can also get off-road equipment like an upgraded suspension, locking rear differential, and hill descent control – depending on the model. Chevy offered the Midnight Edition for the Silverado and Colorado last year, in addition to other models, and customers couldn't get enough of the dark trucks. "The Silverado 1500 Midnight was by far the most popular model in 2015, as demand outstripped supply in a matter of months. It only made sense to expand our special-edition offerings for 2016, including new Midnight editions," Sandor Piszar, Chevy's truck marketing director, said in the models' announcement. Chevy spokesperson Monte Doran told Autoblog the 2016 Midnight Edition pickups will be available this spring, but he wouldn't comment on pricing. You can get a good look at what to expect in the gallery above and expect live photos soon. Related Video: Chevrolet Trucks Back in Black for 2016 New Midnight Special Editions available on Silverado 1500 Z71, Colorado Z71 DETROIT – Chevrolet is expanding the popular Midnight Special Edition with new models available on 2016 Silverado 1500 Z71 and 2016 Colorado Z71. They join a growing portfolio of special-edition trucks whose popularity helped Chevrolet truck sales increase 27 percent last year – double the increase for the total truck market. "We introduced several special-edition trucks in 2015 – each combining equipment and appearance packages designed for specific enthusiasts in mind," said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet truck marketing director. "They clearly resonated with buyers, as the special editions sold in one-third the time, and to younger, more affluent buyers than the industry average. "The Silverado 1500 Midnight was by far the most popular model in 2015," Piszar continued, "as demand outstripped supply in a matter of months.

General Motors CEO Provides Few Details In Appearance Before Congress

It was only two months ago that Mary Barra, freshly crowned as the new General Motors chief executive officer, visited Washington DC as an esteemed guest of First Lady Michelle Obama for the State of the Union address. On Tuesday, Barra returned to the Capitol under more strained circumstances. For more than two contentious hours, she took questions from members of a House of Representatives subcommittee investigating General Motors years-long delay in initiating a recall of millions of vehicles that contained a defect that has killed at least 13 people. Why did GM accept faulty ignition switches that were below the company's set specfications? Why did GM learn about the problem in 2001 yet take no action until 2014? Will GM compensate victims' families even though the company's bankruptcy may limit its liability? Those were a few of the questions members of the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee asked. Few concrete answers were forthcoming. For her part, Barra sidestepped most of the questions, saying she wouldn't have information needed to answer them until an internal review is completed. David Friedman, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, testified after Barra. The biggest news that emerged from the hearing was that General Motors has retained attorney Kenneth Feinberg to advise the company on its civil and legal responsibilities. He has made a career of resolving disputes and serving in a 'fixer' role, serving as the chief of the federal government's September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, as an administrator of compensation fund for victims of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and a similar fund for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Barra, who has been GM's CEO since January but been with the company since 1980, expects to meet with Feinberg on Friday, and have a concrete plan within the next 30-60 days. Yet Barra would not say for certain Tuesday that GM would compensate the victims at all. Despite repeated questions from Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Barra did not outline the company's intentions. "I assume GM is hiring (Feinberg) to help identify the size of claims and then compensate the victims? Is that right," DeGette asked. "Is GM willing to put together some kind of a compensation fund for these victims that Mr. Feinberg will then administer?" "We've hired him to help assess the situation," Barra replied. "So really, there's no money involved at this point," DeGette asked.

Recharge Wrap-up: BYD unveils 60-ft electric bus, Honda sticking with hybrids in Europe

BYD has debuted a 60-foot electric bus at the American Public Transportation Association Expo in Houston, TX. The Lancaster bus, as it is called, has a 120-passenger capacity and can drive over 170 miles on a single charge. The articulated bus features low floors and no steps, thanks to in-wheel hub motors. BYD also displayed a 40-foot electric bus that drove the 1,500 miles to the show under its own power (recharging along the way, of course). Read more in the press release below. Honda says it will continue to sell hybrids in Europe, despite the fact that it has stopped selling the CR-Z and Insight due to slow sales. "Our focus at the moment is on our 1.6-liter diesel but we haven't forgotten about hybrid technology," says Honda Europe's Philip Ross. Honda will sell the next-generation Fit (badged as the Jazz) in Europe when it launches next summer, and will sell the next-gen hybrid version beginning in 2016. Honda sold 4,500 of the Jazz hybrid in Europe last year. Read more at Automotive News. XL Hybrids is selling its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System in California. The news comes after the California Air Resources Board issued an executive order allowing the aftermarket hybrid conversion for 2012-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. The XL3 Hybrid regenerative braking conversion increases real-world mpg by about 25 percent. Read more in the press release below. NRG eVgo has finished installing 60 charging stations at the Sony Pictures Entertainment studio lot and offices in Culver City, California. The Level 2 chargers, which will be managed by NRG eVgo, allow employees to charge their EVs during the workday. An average of 90 EVs and PHEVs park at the studio headquarters every day, thanks in part to Sony Pictures' Alternative Vehicles Incentive program for its employees. Learn more in the press release below. Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission will allow operators of EV charging stations to set prices based on kilowatt hour usage. This change ensures that drivers pay for the actual energy they use, rather than the time they spend charging, since different cars can charge at different speeds. Car Charging Group has already begun using the per-kWh fee structure at its charging stations throughout the state. Other states that allow kWh pricing are California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. Read more in the press release below.