Chevy Volt to get U.S.-made battery cells

Published May 06, 2013

Associated Press

• 
• 

Next Slide Previous Slide

HOLLAND, Mich. –  An advanced battery maker said it plans to launch commercial production of automotive lithium-ion battery cells in western Michigan in July.

LG Chem Michigan Inc., a subsidiary of South Korean company LG Chem, announced Sunday night that test runs have begun at the facility in Holland and that it anticipates shipping products by the end of the summer.

The plant initially will manufacture batteries for General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt, it said, and production volume is expected to increase depending on the electric market and additional contracts. The company said it is working to expand future production.

“LGCMI remains committed to achieving the vision on which our Holland facility was built,” Sain Park, president at LGCMI, said in a statement.

LG Chem drew attention during its 2010 groundbreaking, when President Barack Obama traveled to Michigan for the event.

LG Chem had originally planned to install five assembly lines in Holland, and has set up three lines so far. The company said it is planning on finishing the remaining two lines by September 2015 and will proceed with the plan as they study market demand and other circumstances.

“Our plan is to operate the Michigan plant as a strategic location to meet customer needs, secure future orders and compete aggressively in the … battery market,” Park said.

In February, LG Chem said it reimbursed $842,000 in funding that federal officials say was misused as part of $150 million in stimulus money. A U.S. Energy Department audit said the company wasted federal funds and failed to move production to Michigan from South Korea.

View the original article here

Chevy Spark EV named most efficient car at 119 mpg

• 

General Motors said Wednesday that the battery-powered version of its Chevrolet Spark mini-car can travel up to 82 miles on a single charge, putting it among the leaders in mass-market electric vehicles sold in the U.S.

The Spark EV also gets the equivalent of 119 miles per gallon in testing monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. GM said that makes it the most efficient car available for sale to the public. The figure is for combined city and highway driving.

The tiny electric Chevrolet goes on sale in July in Oregon and California. GM hasn't released the price but has said it will be less than $32,500, excluding a $7,500 federal tax credit. The company also hasn't said when it will go on sale in other states.

The Spark enters the market at a time when gasoline prices nationwide are relatively low. The average price of a gallon of regular gas on Wednesday was $3.52, 33 cents less than the same time last year, according to AAA. Lower gas prices and a limited range have held down U.S. electric car sales.

Automakers sold almost 4,900 fully electric vehicles in the first quarter of this year, nearly three times the number from a year ago, according to the Edmunds.com automotive website. But that's only 0.13 percent of total U.S. car sales.

Other electric cars can travel farther on a single charge. The Fiat 500e, for example, can go 87 miles on a charge according to EPA estimates, while versions of the Tesla Model S can travel up to 265 miles per charge.

GM's Chevrolet Volt can go 38 miles per charge, which is less than all-electric cars because the Volt has a smaller battery and a gas-powered generator that kicks in after the battery is depleted. The Volt gets the equivalent of 98 miles per gallon on both electricity and gasoline, according to the EPA.

The EPA calculates the gas mileage equivalent for electric cars like this: One gallon of gasoline creates the same energy as 33.7 kilowatt hours of electricity. It then determines how far an electric car can travel on that amount of battery power.

The Scion IQ EV has a higher gas mileage equivalency figure than the Spark EV at 121 mpg, but Toyota said it is offered only to partners for testing purposes.

The motor and other driveline parts for the Spark EV are made in Baltimore, but the car is assembled in South Korea along with the gasoline version.

View the original article here

Chevy Camaro joins Dubai Police

Published April 15, 2013

FoxNews.com

• 
• 

Next Slide Previous Slide

Exotic cars are nice, but when you need to exhibit real authority only American muscle will do.

The Dubai Police department has added a Chevrolet Camaro to its growing fleet of high performance police cars. The Camaro SS coupe was supplied to the force by the local Chevy dealer, Al Ghandi Auto.

It may be the only police car in town (or the world, for that matter) with a red leather interior, as its original white over red color scheme has been retained under the green decals of the Dubai Police and a roof-mounted light bar.

Last week, Dubai unveiled its new Lamborghini Aventador patrol car, which wasn’t picked up for its speed as much as its flamboyance. The force looking to reflect the uniqueness and extravagance of the Emirate it serves.

While the Lamborghini retails for about $400,000 in Dubai, Camaros go for just $40,000, so they can definitely fill up the fleet with them for a lot less.

Not that money is an issue.

In addition to these two hot wheels, the police are planning the addition of an unspecified Ferrari model expected to cost upwards of $550,000.

With all of these flashy cars in the parking lot, the Dubai Police might want to think about hiring some extra security.

View the original article here

Chevy builds last sixth-generation Corvette

Spring cleaning came early in Kentucky this year.

The last of the sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvettes (C6) rolled off the assembly line in Bowling Green yesterday morning, as the automaker began prepping for the launch of an all-new ‘Vette later this year.

The final car built was a white over blue 427 convertible, which was also the last version of the C6 introduced, created to celebrate the model’s sixtieth anniversary in 2013. The 7.0-liter V8 of this particular example hand-assembled by Corvette executive chief engineer Tadge Juechter

It was the 215,100th C6 built since 2005.

But don’t go looking for it in showrooms hoping to snag a future collectable, the drop top is on its way o the GM Heritage Center in Michigan, where it will join GM’s collection of historic vehicles.

And while it’s gone and not forgotten, just 26 mins after the car came off the line, workers started retooling and remodeling the plant for production of the 2014 Corvette Stingray.

They hope to have the work done in record time, just four weeks, and the new car on the road by the end of the summer.

Test Drive: 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427

View the original article here