gm

MPG now! Automakers race to boost efficiency

DETROIT -- During the 18 months he worked on a new version of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Mike Danowski saw consumer tastes change before his very eyes.

When he started, studies showed that styling was the No. 1 reason people bought Cobalts. By the time the vehicle rolled out, fuel economy had leapt to the top of the list, the Cobalt XFE project manager says.

The Cobalt team's timing couldn't have been better.

A combination of revised gear ratios, engine recalibration, and low-rolling-resistance tires improved highway fuel economy 9 percent, from 33 miles per gallon in highway driving for … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 724: YOU are!

It's episode 724, wherein we argue, but in a happy way. MySpace wins a $234 million antispam judgment they'll probably never collect, and Google blurs faces in Street view, maybe just to be nice. Also, it turns out seniors are more acutely aware of the passing of time (or they hate commercials more than the youngsters do) and Qtrax makes four improbable deals. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 724

Note: We are making a change to our podcast feed system on Monday, May 19. However, you do not need to subscribe to a new feed. One … Read more

Marathon Oil, GM invest in ethanol maker Mascoma

In a step toward maturing the cellulosic ethanol business, Mascoma officially announced on Tuesday $61 million in third-round funding, which includes participation from Marathon Oil and General Motors.

Marathon Oil, a gas and oil refiner, will put $10 million into Mascoma to help construct a plant and to further develop the company's proprietary microbe that streamlines the process of turning wood chips or agricultural waste into ethanol.

GM's decision to invest in Mascoma--the second cellulosic ethanol company with which it has partnered--was disclosed last week. GM's amount, however, is under wraps.

As previously reported, Mascoma's … Read more

GM spreads bets with investment in second ethanol start-up

General Motors is opening its pocketbook to get ethanol to the pumps and into its cars.

The auto giant on Thursday announced a partnership and an undisclosed investment in cellulosic-ethanol company Mascoma. The Cambridge, Mass.-based start-up is developing a biochemical approach to converting wood chips and agricultural wastes into ethanol.

It's GM's second investment in a cellulosic ethanol company. Earlier this year, it formed a partnership and took a stake in Coskata, which will be testing its fuel at GM facilities.

For GM, the investments are part of its strategy to prime the pump for ethanol that … Read more

Wagoner: GM is not California's enemy

SAN FRANCISCO--General Motors' CEO Rick Wagoner braved protesters in San Francisco Thursday at an event designed to lay out GM's strategy for addressing global warming and energy security. During the event, entitled "Can GM really be Green Motors", Wagoner discussed the various alternative-fuel and advanced drive-train products that GM is working on including hybrids, ethanol-powered cars, fuel-cell vehicles, and plug-in electric vehicles including much-hyped Chevy Volt plug-in vehicle. Wagoner also defended GM's opposition to California's proposal for stricter emissions standards (which include a 30 percent reduction in tailpipe emissions by 2016), but stated that "… Read more

OnStar stops us from stealing its car

Our short life of crime ended abruptly as we tried to speed away in an OnStar-equipped Chevy Tahoe. The gas pedal went loose, the engine slowed to an idle, and we rolled to a stop. Fortunately, police didn't pounce on us as we stepped out of the car, we were merely greeted by OnStar representatives who wanted us to see how the system worked. We experienced this new OnStar service, called Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, in the parking lot of Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., at a special demonstration. With the service, OnStar can cut engine power to a vehicle. … Read more

Power struggle: GM lifts the veil on Volt battery testing

General Motors has shed some light on the reality of its race against the clock to develop and test lithium-ion batteries for its Chevrolet Volt plug-in car, which is scheduled for production in 2010. The automaker announced yesterday that it had created a new computer algorithm to test the batteries, which will be required to propel the four-seater Volt up to 40 miles under electric power alone. According to the project's engineers, the T-shaped prototype battery for the Volt is around six feet long, weighs a hefty 375 pounds, and will be built into the structure of the car, … Read more

GM calls for others to move the hydrogen highway forward

Which came first? Hydrogen fuel-cell cars or hydrogen filling stations? The answer depends on who you ask. General Motors yesterday called for a "collective resolve" to address the problem of infrastructure to support fuel-cell powered cars. Speaking at the National Hydrogen Association's annual meeting, GM's R&D honcho Larry Burns said that the situation with regard to fuel-cell cars had "now reached a point where the energy industry and governments must pick up their pace so we can continue to advance in a timely manner."

The other problem--which Burns failed to mention-- is … Read more

Why doesn't GM produce a 100 mpg car?

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 4, 2008, at 9 a.m. EDT, as GM's Bob Kruse will host a live chat on why automakers aren't making a 100 mpg car. The chat is open to the public at GMnext.com. Bob Kruse is GM's Executive Director of Global Vehicle Engineering Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Batteries, so should have some insight on the issue. We applaud his bravery for putting himself out there.

Global warming a 'crock'? Not so, says GM chief

Remember how Robert Lutz, vice chairman and design guru at General Motors, a few weeks back called global warming a "crock of s---?" Well, his boss, GM CEO Rick Wagoner, wishes Lutz hadn't made that comment, saying it does not reflect the auto giant's position.

Wagoner on Tuesday spoke to reporters in Washington, where he was lobbying for government policies to promote alternative energy efforts such as ethanol production and research on batteries.

He said he regretted Lutz's remarks, which were widely discussed on the Web. "The comments weren't coming out of our … Read more