Hyundai-Kia: eight electric cars by 2022, dedicated EV platform

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric - frame from video road test

It's long been said in the auto industry that Hyundai-Kia is the only competitor that truly scares industry colossus Toyota.

Thirty years ago, the Korean company was a bit player, producing designs adapted from obsolete Mitsubishi technology.

Today it's a major global player, reacting fast to market swings—and its goal is to be second only to Toyota itself in global production of green cars by 2020.

One more example of Hyundai's adaptation to changing market conditions came today in an announcement Thursday that it would place electric cars at the center of its future product strategy.

As part of that shift, it will expand its portfolio of battery-electric vehicles to newly independent luxury brand Genesis, which will get a long-range electric car to compete directly with Tesla as well as several future German electric models.

The new Hyundai electric car will be a luxury sedan to arrive in 2021, according to a Reuters report early Thursday that expanded on the Hyundai release.

2017 Kia Soul EV

The future Genesis competitor for the Tesla Model S may be the company's first "long range" electric vehicle (meaning 200 to 300 miles on a charge), but it won't be the last.

Before that, an all-electric Hyundai Kona subcompact crossover utility vehicle will launch next year, perhaps with a range of 125 to 200 miles.

The combined Hyundai and Kia brands have added three further models to their green-car lineup (hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electrics, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles), for a total of 31 separate vehicle versions by 2020.

In 2014, when Hyundai announced its plan to become the world's second-largest maker of green cars by 2020, just two of 22 planned models were to be pure battery-electrics.

Now, fully eight of the expanded roster of 31 cars will be all-electric, with the Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Kia Soul EV already in production jointed by the battery-powered Kona and an all-electric Kia Niro that may replace the Soul EV.

While Hyundai also released images of its future hydrogen-powered large crossover vehicle, which will be formally unveiled next year, only two of the planned 31 vehicles will use fuel cells.

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric (European spec), 2016 Geneva Motor Show

The company also confirmed earlier reports that it would create its first dedicated electric-car platform, a strategy so far only followed by General Motors (with its Bolt EV and future derivatives), Tesla, and arguably Nissan for its Leaf.

Some coverage of Hyundai's announcement has presented it as a strategic shift, but it can be more accurately viewed as an evolution and expansion of the company's green-car plans.

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric, launched over the last 12 months in several markets around the world, has proven more popular than expected, Hyundai says, leading to short supplies in several countries.

With 124 miles of EPA-rated range, the electric Ioniq combines a conventional and intuitive interior design with a high-tailed hatchback body that doesn't particularly read as either "green" or "electric."

That may be a winning combination, and Hyundai's use of its underpinnings for a conventional hybrid (the highest volume model by far) and a plug-in hybrid variant as well should provide economies of scale.

Hyundai is historically strong in value for money even as new generations of its cars and crossovers go from strength to strength, and the Ioniq may be viewed as a cost-effective alternative for buyers who dislike the latest Prius design.

Subaru Will Add Electric Cars To Its Lineup

Subaru and Mazda are like twin sons of different mothers. Both are small players in the auto business who have carved out a niche of devoted followers by doing a few things really well. Both are happy to play at the margins while the big boys fight over the middle. Over the years, Subaru has gained a reputation for building reliable cars that offer a high degree of occupant safety. But to keep up with changes in the marketplace, particularly in China, it needs to add electric cars to its offerings.

To make that happen, the company’s CEO, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, told the press last week that his company will focus first on adding electric motors to its current models rather than creating a separate electric car division as Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz are doing. “If there’s already an attractive Subaru model, for example the XV crossover, and if a customer in Beijing wants one but is only allowed to buy an electric vehicle, if there’s no electric version then he can’t buy it,” Yoshinaga said. “Providing the choice of an EV means the customer can still desire the same Subaru.”

Subaru will invest $1.2 billion in research and development during the next 12 months, most of it aimed at getting a plug-in hybrid version of one of more of its cars into production by the end of 2018. Suppliers like GKN are already building complete EV powertrain components to speed the adoption of electric vehicle technology in the global marketplace and eliminate the need for each manufacture to design, test, and build its own hardware.

General Motors used to have a large stake in Subaru, but sold its shares some years ago to Toyota, which is also behind the curve when it comes to offering electric cars to its customers. It is likely some cross fertilization will take place between the two companies as each seeks to get in on the electric car future. Toyota will invest almost $9 billion in its research and development program in the coming year.

Yoshinaga also said his company expects to have a battery electric car to sell to customers by the beginning of the next decade. He did not indicate whether the BEV Subaru would be an entirely new model or based on an existing car in the company’s lineup. Building a car designed from Day One for electric power is the preferred approach, but developing completely new models takes about 5 years. Subaru may not have time to wait, as it is already late to the cars with plugs party.

Source: Bloomberg

General Motors Confirms Sale Of Opel And Vauxhall To PSA For $2.3 Billion

Three weeks ago, rumors started circulating on the internet that General Motors was considering the sale of its Opel and Vauxhall operations in Europe to PSA, the holding group that owns Peugeot and Citroen. Today, those rumors were confirmed. PSA is buying Opel and Vauxhall for $2.3 billion.

The deal will make PSA the second largest automaker by volume in Europe behind Volkswagen. “We want to create a European automotive champion,” said PSA Groupe Chairman Carlos Tavares. “We will totally unleash the potential of the Opel and Vauxhall brands.”

Opel has been part of General Motors for 90 years. Letting it go is a bittersweet moment for The General. “This was a difficult decision for General Motors,” CEO Mary Barra said. “But we are unified in our belief that it is the right one.” GM has been losing money on its European operations for the past two decades.

GM will now limit its focus to North America and China. “For GM, this represents another major step in the ongoing work that is driving our improved performance and accelerating our momentum,” Barra says. “We are reshaping our company and delivering consistent, record results for our owners through disciplined capital allocation to our higher-return investments in our core automotive business and in new technologies that are enabling us to lead the future of personal mobility.

PSA’s Tavares was quick to assure Opel and Vauxhall workers that their jobs are not at risk. “We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall’s talented people have achieved as well as the company’s fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalizing on their respective brand identities.”

PSA will continue to supply some models to Buick in the US and Holden in Australia. The Buick Encore small crossover vehicle and Buick Regal sedan are both based on Opel engineering. There is no word on how the agreement will affect sales of the Chevy Bolt in Europe, where it is known as the Opel Ampera-E. Reservations for the Ampera-E have been particularly strong in Norway.

The deal means that GM now has only 8 total brands in the global marketplace. Three of them are exclusive to China. PSA and GM will continue to cooperate on the development of battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. What no one is talking about is whether the deal could open a path for PSA to resume sales in America, a market it abandoned more than 20 years ago.

Source: Autoblog

EV Battery Prices Falling Faster Than Expected

A report in Ward’s Auto dated February 7 says EV battery prices are falling faster than expected and could be lower than the magic $100 per kWh mark by 2020. Ward’s correspondent John McElroy says he learned some interesting things while talking to industry sources at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

He writes, “Back in 2010 the Department of Energy set a cost goal of $125 per kilowatt hour, because that would make electric propulsion systems equal to the cost of an internal combustion engine. At the time, no one saw a clear path of how to get to that cost. But at CES, several EV experts told me the DOE’s number is turning out to be a very conservative goal. They assured me those costs will be under $100 before 2020, and not long after that they will go down to about $80 per kilowatt hour.”

Let’s think about that for a moment. If you are an electric car advocate, what things need to change before EVs go mainstream? First, the price of the cars has to come down. The federal tax credit may not be around forever. In fact, it may not survive the Trump administration’s first 100 days. EV prices have to be affordable to mainstream shoppers even it there are no federal, state, or local incentives. Since batteries are the biggest chunk of an EV’s sticker price, reducing the cost of the battery is the fastest way to slash the sales price. Second, America needs more EV charging infrastructure.

General Motors product chief Mark Reuss has confirmed to Green Car Reports that the cells used in the new Chevy Bolt cost $145 per kWh. If that number dropped to $100, the battery pack for the Bolt would cost the company $4,000 less and that price decrease could be passed along to consumers. Keep in mind that cell prices and battery pack prices are two separate animals. The battery pack includes the individual cells plus the supporting structure, cell cooling mechanisms and battery management systems. According to the Institute for Energy Research, the price of Tesla battery pack today is $190 per kWh.

McElroy believes once battery prices fall below $100 per kWh, sales of battery electric cars in the US could grow to 1,000,000 vehicles a year, with plug-in hybrids responsible for another 1,000,000 sales. Suddenly, the market share of cars with motors would explode from about 1% today to over 10% and in just a few short years. Battery prices can’t do much about EV charging infrastructure, but more cars on the road would put pressure on utilities, governments, and entrepreneurs to make infrastructure catch up with demand. These are exciting times for electric car fans.

Source: Ward’s Auto

Trump Meets Big 3 CEOs Pledging to Dismantle ‘Unnecessary’ Environmental Regulations

Top executives from Detroit automakers met with President Trump on Tuesday to hear his statements on cutting back environment regulations to spur more domestic job creation.

Trump said he will curtail “unnecessary” environmental regulations and make it easier to build manufacturing plants in the U.S. He expects these changes to support bringing back more manufacturing jobs to Americans, a key theme from his election campaign.

“I am, to a large extent, an environmentalist. I believe in it, but it’s out of control,” Trump said.

The new administration will focus on “real regulations that mean something” while eliminating those that he finds unfriendly to business, he said.

Chief executives Mary Barra of General Motors, Mark Fields of Ford, and Sergio Marchionne of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles met with the president. Other top executives from the “Big 3” automakers were also there with some of Trump’s staff.

These executives declined to answer media questions after the meeting, including whether Trump spoke to any specific regulations he plans to cut.

Barra and Fields did make comments supportive of the meeting.

“There is a huge opportunity working together as an industry with government that we can improve the environment, improve safety, and improve jobs creation and the competitiveness of manufacturing,” Barra said to reporters after the meeting.

Fields saw positive signs in Trump’s decision the day before on the U.S. withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He sees it as a good example of the president’s desire to improve competitiveness and “create a renaissance in American manufacturing.”

Trump had set the tone for the meeting through a tweet soon before the meeting:

Trump has been clear about wanting to dismantle the Trans-Pacific Partnership and to stop renewal of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Since the election, he‘s been pressuring automakers to pull out of Mexico and bring back more jobs to the U.S., through a series of Twitter posts. Automakers have been responding to the pressure, including Toyota’s announcement yesterday that it will create 400 new jobs at its plant in Princeton, Ind.

The carmaker CEOs were advised yesterday by Trump to devise a “series of actions” that will boost U.S. manufacturing and to submit those plans to the administration within 30 days, according to Washington Post.

Auto executives have been in communication with the Trump administration over the Environmental Protection Agency’s abrupt decision to finish the midterm review of the 2025 fuel economy mandate. They’re asking for an easing up of the Obama administration and EPA’s targets for hitting fuel economy gains and emissions reductions that automakers say will cost them billions to reach and could result in job cuts.

Automakers will be interested in seeing whether Trump’s appointment for the EPA administrator will be approved. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said during the Senate confirmation hearing that he would be taking a thorough approach to reviewing the EPA head’s decision earlier this month to approve the fuel economy and emissions timeline.

“It merits review and I would review that,” Pruitt said during the hearing last week.

Some organizations had supported the EPA’s decision to move the fuel economy rules forward in January. Consumers Union, which owns Consumer Reports, sees the mandate as attainable, and constructive for cutting cost of ownership down significantly for consumers through fuel savings.

Daniel Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign advocacy group, told Washington Post that job creation doesn’t have to clash with regulations having a positive impact on the environment. Fuel economy standards can help consumers save money at the gas pump and free up the country from its oil dependence, he said.

“Despite the rhetoric, there is often reason behind regulations, and in this case there is overwhelming evidence of how beneficial they are for consumers, the industry and overall Americans,” Becker said.

Trump has also pledged to reduce corporate taxes. He advocates other measures that he says will support the U.S. economy and bring back jobs to Americans who have been watching them go overseas.

The president has been threating to enforce a 35 percent tariff on goods imported for sale. He’d threated to impose that hefty tariff earlier this month on BMW because of its new plant in Mexico and plans to import these vehicles into the U.S.

On Monday, Trump met with several business leaders from several industries, including Fields and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Washington Post

WiTricity Wireless Charging Will Partner With General Motors

Boston area start-up WiTricty will partner with General Motors to develop wireless charging systems that work with current and future electric car models from The General. Wireless charging is consider to be an essential part of the transition from conventional cars to zero emissions vehicles powered by renewable energy resources because of the greater convenience the technology offers drivers. Toyota has also licensed the WiTricity technology (thing WiFi for electricity) and invested in the company in 2011.

WiTricity CEO Alex Gruzen kneels next to a Chevrolet Volt parked over a wireless charging pad.

Instead of having to hook up their cars to a charging cable that may be dirty, covered with ice, or otherwise unpleasant to handle, drivers will be able to simply park their cars over a charging pad and walk away. The pad can even be buried underneath a layer of asphalt or concrete to protect it from the elements and eliminate the need for an electrical cord to power it.

WiTricity was co-founded in 2007 by MIT professor Marin Soljačić, who helped develop the electromagnetic resonance technology that allows electric power to be transferred through the air. The company raised $23 million in an Otctober 2013 round of funding and introduced a wireless phone charging station in 2014.

The WiTricity system can charge at either 7.7 kW or 11 kW of power, although higher power systems are in the works. That may seem paltry compared to the 135 kW power level available at a Tesla Supercharger station or the 150 kW that the consortium behind the CCS charging standard hope to roll our soon. Tesla Motors quietly joined the CCS consortium earlier this year. 

High power charging is still critical for those travelling away from home, but the WiTricity systems are more than adequate to meet the needs of most drivers who charge at home or at work. One other technology that will give a boost to wireless charging is the autonomous driving car.

Once cars are able to drive themselves short distances, they could be driven remotely to an available wireless charging location, then moved to another place in the parking lot once charging is complete. Since there is no need to have a person actually connect and disconnect a charging cable, topping up the battery while at work would be as easy as tapping an icon on a smart phone.

Employers would find such a system highly attractive since their employees would no longer have to leave work to go outside and physically move their cars during the work day. It would also reduce the number of charging stations that have to be purchased and installed, since each wireless location would be able to charge many more cars during the day than a conventional charger ever could.

“The electric vehicle has been recognized as central to the future of mobility, and GM has been a leader, making EVs accessible to the broader market. The convenience of wireless charging will help accelerate adoption even further,” says bAlex Gruzen, CEO of WiTricity. “Our team is proud to work with GM on this project. Wireless charging for EVs, based on industry standards, is inevitable as we move toward a future of self-driving and autonomous vehicles, and this project brings us one step closer to realizing our vision of a world powered wirelessly.”

Source: Boston Business Journal   Photo credit: WiTricity

US Expands Takata Air Bag Recall To 40 Million Vehicles

Things just got worse for Takata, the Japanese company that makes airbag inflators for trucks and cars. It is already in the middle of a recall campaign to replace some 29 million inflators in US vehicles deemed to be defective. It is the largest and most complex recall campaign in US history. Yesterday, it got a lot bigger.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says up to 40 million more airbag inflators will need to be replaced by the end of 2019. “It’s going to force them into bankruptcy unless they can get a consortium of Japanese banks to bail them out,” says Scott Upham, president of Valient Market Research.

The problem is that Takata uses ammonium nitrate, a blasting agent used in open pit mining operations, as the propellant in its inflators. Unless that compound is mixed with a drying agent — a desiccant, as it is known in the trade — it can become unstable when exposed to temperature changes and high humidity over long periods of time.

NHTSA says it can take between 6 and 25 years for the changes in chemistry to take place, but the inflators do not pose an “unreasonable risk to safety” until they reach “a certain level of propellant degradation.”

When they do, the inflator can explode with greater than intended force, shattering the container around it, and sending shards of metal flying around. In other words, it can turn itself into a version of what the military calls a fragmentation grenade. Some Takata inflators have the desiccant mixed in, some do not. In total, there are about 85 million Takata inflators installed in trucks and automobiles in the US.

Defects in Takata airbags have been linked to 10 U.S. deaths and more than 100 injuries over the last several years. Just this week, Honda confirmed two additional fatalities in April and May, both in Malaysia. “The science clearly shows that these inflators become unsafe over time, faster when exposed to humidity and variations of temperature,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement.

The expansions announced today will take place in five phases prioritized by risk, starting in May and continuing through December 2019. Older vehicles in hot, humid climates will receive higher priority for replacement parts than newer vehicles in less-humid climates.

Some critics question whether using ammonium nitrate is ever safe, even when mixed with drying agents. NHTSA says Takata must prove that all its airbag inflators are safe before the end of 2019 or face the possibility of  replacing yet another 50 million units.

The new recall affects vehicles manufactured by Jaguar-Land Rover, Fisker, and Tesla Motors for the first time. Fourteen other auto companies, including American Honda, Ford, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, General Motors, Nissan and Fiat-Chrysler are already affected by the recalls.

It can be argued that airbags have saved far more lives and prevented far more injuries than they have caused. While that may be true, the idea that there may be a ticking time bomb inside the steering wheel or dashboard has to be cause for concern for many drivers, particularly those with older cars used in hot, moist climates.

Source and photo credit: Automotive News

Elio Motors Starts Work On 5th-Gen Prototype

Elio Motors has begun work on its 5th generation prototype. It plans to build 26 prototypes before production begins in mid-2016. The three wheeled car will sell for $6,800 and get 84 miles per gallon, according to the company.

The 5th generation car includes a number of upgrades over the 4th generation prototype. Some styling changes have been made to improve aerodynamics and a multi-mode manual transmission has been sourced from Aisin. But the big news is the newest prototype is fitted with the company’s bespoke 0.9 liter 3 cylinder gasoline engine. This represents the first time in 60 years that a start-up car company has designed and built its own engine, according to Green Car Reports.

Elio Motors has formed a partnership with Comau to build the car at a manufacturing facility in Shreveport, La., where General Motors previously built the Hummer H3 and Chevy Colorado. Comau is part of the FCA group that builds FIAT, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo automobiles, so they have a fair bit of experience in how to manufacture an automobile.

To date, 43,000 people have said they want to buy an Elio when it goes on sale. That’s about double the number who have signed up for the Tesla Model X. When production begins, the company will employ 1,500 workers at the Shreveport factory. The car contains 90% North American content, which will fuel the creation of another 1,500 jobs at the companies who supply parts for it. Combined, the new jobs are expected to create another 18,000 jobs for people who are indirectly involved in manufacturing or supply parts.

With all the buzz in the auto industry focused on electric and plug in hybrid cars, will there be a place for an inexpensive, basic car that gets great gas mileage? The last company to try that was a little Korean manufacturer nobody in America had ever heard of. Its name was Hyundai and things worked out pretty darn OK for it, didn’t they?

2016 Chevy Volt Is Quieter, Handles Better, Says Latest Teaser Video

As General Motors works to stoke interest ahead of its 2015 Detroit Auto Show debut, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt is getting more teasers than a Hollywood blockbuster.

While the last video confirmed that the new Volt can do something virtually every car can do--drive on snow--this one highlights some even more basic features.

Namely, that the 2016 Volt is quieter and handles better than the current model--something that automakers aim for with every redesign.

That assessment comes from GM product chief Mark Reuss, who took the wheel for this short video.

Chief engineer Andrew Farah with camouflaged 2016 Chevrolet Volt prototype

Reuss previously appeared in a video showing off the Volt's variable regenerative braking. Along with the video above, that makes four released so far under the hashtag #NextGenVolt.

The teases started back in August, when GM released a carefully-edited photo of the new Volt's back end and badging.

Then in October, the company released a photo of a fully-camouflaged prototype Volt--and discussed the technique for camouflaging test vehicles driven on public roads.

Roughly a month later at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, a photo of the Volt's partially uncovered front end was released after an owner preview event.

2016 Chevrolet Volt sneak peak for owners, Los Angeles, Nov 2014

That's quite a few teases so far, and it's possible GM will squeeze at least one more in before the new Volt is finally revealed to the public.

The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will be formally unveiled Monday, January 12, at the Detroit Auto Show.

Source: Green Car Reports

GM Wants Just Four Global Platforms By 2025

General Motors is in a three-way race with Volkswagen and Toyota to be the world’s largest automaker, and it’s taking cues from its competitors in a bid to save billions. Reuters reports that by 2025, GM wants to pare down the number of vehicle platforms used globally from 26 down to just four.

This move will cut down on the complexity of GM’s massive parts supply chain as well as simplify the complexity of engineering new vehicles. While GM will only have four platforms to pull from under this plan, these platforms will come with a huge amount of flexibility to serve the needs of specific markets. This will make engineering new cars a lot simpler and much much cheaper.

It’s the same gameplay Toyota and Volkswagen are also following, and while the cost savings are huge, the plan isn’t without its risks. GM has issued recalls for some 30 million vehicles this year alone, and further unifying platforms means that one problem could potentially affect a huge number of vehicles. It also requires an initial investment that is intimidating to say the least, and neither of its two main competitors have implemented their platform-sharing plan without trouble.

GM wants to base its cars around four basic “vehicle sets” that broadly cover every category. There will be a front-drive platform, a rear-drive platform, one for crossovers, and one from trucks. This will cover all four brands and all six continents that GM sells cars on. It’s a bold and ambitious plan, though carrying it out will be more difficult than planning it. Every level of the manufacturing process needs to be included, and there’s the chance that GM loses the flexibility to respond to market demands.

Do the benefits outweigh the risk? GM is betting that’s the case, and fewer platforms is almost certainly the way to go. But can you really boil down the world’s largest automaker to a handful of platforms?

Source: Gas 2.

2015 Chevy Corvette Performance and Design

The seventh-generation Chevy Corvette’s due to appear late 2014. The prototype actually appeared much earlier, though, in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. giving us a look at it’s striking new appearance in comparison to earlier generations. General Motors president Mark Reuss said the new Corvette would be “completely different,” but only time will tell.

Performance
There were speculations that the new Corvette might make the switch to a mid-engine layout, but engineers have defended the sixth generation’s front mounted engine and it seems that the rumors have no merit. The seventh generation, 2015, Corvette will have the standard front engine, rear-wheel-drive setup, just as it always has, but with a couple possible changes.

The 6.2 liter V8 engine producing 498 horse-power is most likely to stay right where it is under the front hood, but there is the possibility that it’ll be downsized, somewhere in the 5.5-liter range engines similar to the fifth generation small-blocks. The newer engines, while smaller, produce more power and torque while achieving better fuel economy, something that even the sports car drivers are looking for.

Another engine possibility is the 3.6 liter V6 engine, in a single- or twin-turbocharged design, something that might appeal to world markets a little more than the big V8s. This might seem strange to Corvette fans, but it’s a move General Motors is going to have to take in order to meet the stricter emissions regulations both here in the United States and in Europe.

There is in the works a new seven speed manual transmission, trying to keep up with one of its main competitors, the Porsche 911, which is offering a seven speed transmission in 2012. There were rumors of an optional dual-clutch automated transmission, but it seems likely General Motors will stick with a standard automatic system.

Design
General Motors design chief, Ed Welburn, admits that the sixth generation interior is a disappointment but is promising that the seventh generation is going to be absolutely world class. The new Corvette has a slightly longer wheelbase, something that will help improve the car’s handling and ride comfort.

The body won’t be radically different than the sixth generation, with a long and low hood, fighter-cockpit cabin styling, and high and wide rear end to accommodate the wide axle and big tires. Tail lights are inspired by the Camaro’s rear end, and four center-mounted exhaust tips similar to the concept car seen in 2009.

The car will be available in both hard-top and soft-top versions. Using new materials, an aluminum space frame, and carbon-fiber and fiber-glass body, might be expensive, but it will cut the overall weight of the vehicle. Less than 3,000 pounds, this is a move that will trim some more off fuel consumption and make for a more sporty driving experience.

The Final Word
For a while, there were rumors and speculations going about the actually appearance of the new 2015 Chevy Corvette, but nothing concrete. In a facebook post, after someone posted some renderings of the as-yet-unreleased car and it’s final design, General Motors responded, “We appreciate their enthusiasm but you’ll have to wait a little longer to see what the next Corvette will actually look like.” So it seems we’ll have to wait for the 2013 or 2014 International Auto Show circuit to see Corvette’s true form.

GM to double models with 40 mpg highway or better by 2017; ongoing manufacturing efficiency improvements

Describing its product goals and tracking progress toward its 2020 manufacturing priorities in its 2012 Sustainability Report, General Motors reaffirmed its commitment to further reduce the energy used and the environmental impacts of building and operating an automobile.

GM has made three product commitments for 2017 related to its sustainability strategy: to have 500,000 vehicles on the road in the US with some form of electrification; to double the number of US models that can achieve an EPA-estimated 40 mpg US (5.9 l/100 km) highway or better; and to reduce the average CO₂ tailpipe emissions of its US fleet by 15%. Opel also estimates it will reduce the average carbon tailpipe emissions from its fleet by 27% by 2020.

GM’s electrified vehicles today include the extended-range electric Chevrolet Volt, Spark EV and Buick LaCrosse, Regal, Chevrolet Malibu and Impala with eAssist. On the 40 mpg+ highway side, in addition to the Volt and Spark EV (with the Cadillac ELR coming), GM also currently has the Sonic and the Cruze Eco and Cruze Diesel.

GM’s fuel-economy plan through the 2016 model year focuses on a reduction in vehicle mass and aggressive investment in advanced materials, such as high-strength steel, carbon fiber and aluminum, enabled in part by our industry-first aluminum welding technology.

The company is also the thermodynamic efficiency of gasoline engines using a suite of technologies that include downsizing, turbocharging, direct injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation.

The rollout of these technologies in new GM US models between 2011 and 2016 is expected to improve the fuel economy of our fleet by more than 18 percent, which will translate into a more than 15 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions.

—2012 Sustainability Report

In 2012, GM invested more than $7.3 billion in the research and development of next-generation technologies, nearly all of it linked to efforts that will make driving a safer and more efficient experience. The company received more clean-energy patents during 2011 and 2012 than any other organization, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index of US patents.

GM is focusing its long-term innovation efforts on five key areas:

• Automotive Cleantech that is focused on improving fuel economy and decreasing mobile emissions through advanced engine and transmission technology, next-generation batteries and electric motors, and power electronics.
• Connected Vehicles that leverage data, enhance vehicle safety and connect drivers with their digital worlds in a responsible way.
• Advanced Materials that lead to more fuel-efficient vehicles through reduced weight and mass. With efficient designs and the right combination of materials, many future GM vehicles have the potential to be up to 15% lighter than comparable vehicles on the road today.
• Sensors, Processors and Memory that can accelerate the advent of the autonomous vehicle. Over the past decade, the amount of digital code in vehicles has increased exponentially to enable features such as lane departure warning and forward collision alert. GM anticipates this trajectory continuing as it explores concepts such as vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and other autonomous technologies.
• Manufacturing Technologies that yield cost and quality improvements while decreasing the use of resources and materials.

Manufacturing energy use and emissions. GM’s energy management and renewable energy programs have helped reduce carbon intensity of manufacturing by 5.3% since 2010, making progress toward its 20 percent reduction commitment by 2020.

In 2012, the company realized energy-efficiency improvements of 2% from 2011, and carbon emissions intensity decreased 2%. Also during the 12-month period, renewable energy use decreased from 73 MW to 62.3 MW, as overall energy consumption dropped during this time period. GM has a goal of 125 MW renewable energy. GM also reduced the amount of energy required to build one vehicle by 7 percent and avoided $66 million in energy costs through conservation initiatives since 2010.

In 2012, GM’s energy intensity per vehicle manufactured was 2.30 MWh per vehicle, down from 2.47 MWh/vehicle in 2010. The 2020 target is 1.97 MWh/vehicle.

Carbon intensity per vehicle in 2012 was 0.88 metric tons CO₂e, down from 0.92 in 2010. The 2020 target is 0.75 tonnes/vehicle.

Carbon intensity includes all manufacturing and non-manufacturing CO₂ emissions reported in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Scope 1&2 categories, normalized by vehicle production. This data includes data from some GM JVs. Note that the 2010 base year has been adjusted from 0.88 to 0.93 to reflect divested assets and current GHG protocol emission factors. The 2020 target was raised from 0.70 to 0.75 to reflect this change.

Many of the most recent energy-savings initiatives have been within GM International Operations (GMIO) in China, India, Kenya, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Thailand. The latest data shows that GMIO’s average total energy usage is 1.14 MWh per vehicle, less than half the industry average of 2.37 MWh per vehicle.

GM’s landfill-free program continues to grow around the world and produce bottom-line benefits, with an industry-leading 105 facilities that recycle, reuse or convert to energy all waste from daily operations. By recycling and reusing 90% of its manufacturing waste worldwide, the company generates about $1 billion in revenue annually. GM has reduced total waste 25 kilograms, or 55 pounds, per vehicle since 2010.

Source: Green Car Congress