volt

General Motors is giving a vehicle each to 10 winners of the PushOn sweepstakes. Contestants need to register through OnStar by May 31, 2011, to win a new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac models.

The sweepstakes rules allow anyone with a digital OnStar-equipped vehicle--regardless of whether they are a current OnStar subscribe--can enter to win by pressing the blue OnStar button. The eligibility doesn't include fleet vehicles (such as rental or media fleets), only personal vehicles, the company said.

An alternative way to register for the sweepstakes is to send in a hand-written postcard. Details of the contest rules, … Read more

There are cars that were born for the track and those that have absolutely no business there. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is one of the latter. But when given the opportunity to lap Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in GM's newest electrified vehicle, we jumped at the opportunity.

Imagine, for a moment, pushing your favorite dull midsize sedan (say a Toyota Camry or Chevy Malibu) at 8/10ths around your favorite back road with all of the understeer, body roll, and middling power-to-weight ratio. It's unoffensive, but few would call the experience "fun." This is the starting … Read more

We got a peek into the future of dashboard technology with Visteon at CES 2011 and again with Denso at the 2011 Detroit auto show. But you don't have to check out concepts to see the dashboard of the future, because it's here today.

From MyFord Touch to the Nissan Leaf's video game-inspired instrument cluster, more and more vehicles are digitizing and reinventing the dashboards of today before our very eyes. We've rounded up a collection of the coolest dashboards that we've come across for your perusal. Enjoy!

It looks like automakers will be required by law to add audible alerts to silent-running electric vehicles to keep sight-impaired pedestrians safe.

President Barack Obama this week signed into law the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (S. 841), which will protect the blind and other pedestrians from injury as a result of silent-vehicle technology, said the National Federation of the Blind.

The new bill, sponsored by Senator John Kerry, and 29 other co-sponsors, allows the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) begin crafting standards for an alert sound.

"The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that this critical legislation … Read more

LAS VEGAS--A techie and his smartphone are seldom separated, but even the most phone-obsessed of us have had moments where we've left for work or walked out of a bar without our precious phone.

On hand at CES 2011 is a neat little car tech gadget called the Bringrr, which wirelessly checks that your mobile phone is in the car when you embark on a trip. The Bringrr sits in your vehicle's 12-volt charger and pairs with your phone via Bluetooth. When it senses the car starting, it pings your phone wirelessly. If the phone is present, nothing … Read more

General Motors is looking ahead to next-generation battery packs that are lighter and have a longer life.

The Detroit automaker and LG Chem, today announced a new licensing agreement to use Argonne National Laboratory's patented composite cathode material for lithium ion battery packs for the Volt.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne has developed a suite of lithium ion battery inventions and patents that will reduce price and improve performance for the next-gen battery systems.

Cathy Zoi, acting undersecretary of energy and assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, said the DOE has been … Read more

General Motors has turned to YouTube to explain the EPA's new ratings system for alternative fuel cars, particularly for its new Volt.

Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency revamped its car rating system to offer MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) ratings.

It's a tool for comparing alternative fuel vehicles and hybrids to cars with gas-only combustion engines. So while a car may use electricity alone--as with the Nissan Think--the EPA still calculates an energy-equivalent consumption comparable to a gas-engine car.

The hybrid electric Chevy Volt, which was released in the U.S. last week, presents a particularly … Read more

The U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 841, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to set standards for alert sounds in electric or hybrid vehicles. The bill also creates a deadline for the safety protocols to be met by 2013.

"The passage of this legislation is momentous and marks over two years of vigorous advocacy by ACB membership that has resulted in consensus by the blind community, auto industry, and Congress," said Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind, in a news release.

The National Alliance … Read more

General Motors on Wednesday delivered its first consumer-ready Chevy Volt to Jeffrey Kaffee of Parsippany, N.J.

The Volt is GM's much-anticipated hybrid electric car that can run on electricity alone or a combination of electricity and gas.

As part of the deal, Kaffee, a retired airline pilot, traded in his old Toyota Prius at the Gearhart Chevrolet Dealership in Denville, N.J., to get the 2011 Chevy Volt.

GM said Kaffee is just one of 360 customers who will receive Chevy Volts this week. In addition to the New York metropolitan area, Volts straight from the company's … Read more