CHEVROLET HAWKS 'BUMBLEBEE' CAMARO FROM 'TRANSFORMERS 3'

By Chris Woodyard, USA Today - As a Chevrolet Camaro returns to star as the autobot "Bumblebee" in Transformers: Dark of the Moon opening nationwide today, along comes another special edition to showrooms.

Chevrolet says its celebrating another turn in the latest of the Transformers movies with the Special Edition Camaro Coupe around the world -- the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, Europe, South America and the Middle East.

"The Transformers franchise has helped introduce Camaro -- and Chevrolet -- to a whole new generation of fans," said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. "Its role in the films helped make the Camaro the best-selling sports car in America and one of the best-known cars of any kind around the world."

The fifth-generation Camaro previously played Bumblebee in the 2007 film Transformers and in the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The films generated $1.5 billion in global box-office sales, and helped re-introduce the Camaro to consumers after a seven-year hiatus from dealerships. When it showed up in the first movie, Camaro was still far from being offered to customers at dealers.

The 2012 Transformers Special Edition will be offered as a $3,000 package on 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupes with Rally Yellow paint. It comes with features galore:

This Bumblebee pretender will feature black rally stripes that stretch over the hood, roof, decklid and unique high-wing rear spoiler; 20-inch, black-painted wheels wrapped in high-performance summer tires; and AutoBot Shield logos on the center caps and front quarter panels.

Inside, the Transformers Camaro has a black leather interior accented with yellow stitching on the instrument panel, center console, armrests and seats. Autobot Shield logos are embroidered on the front headrests, as well as the center console lid.

Two dealer-installed options are also available: exclusive, 21-inch, black-painted wheels and a black ground effects package.

BIG COUPES, SIX-PASSENGER SEDANS MAY PASS

Two types of cars that once dominated American
roads are on the verge of extinction.

By ninemsn.com - The six-passenger sedan may soon vanish entirely. Coupes, which once accounted for about half of car sales, have become a minor player, relegated to sporty and luxury models.

Both have been replaced by vehicles that serve the same purpose better and more efficiently. Some buyers still miss the old formula, though.

That raises interesting questions for Chevrolet, which builds the last six-passenger sedan and built the last affordable big coupe. Has the market moved on, or does demand remain to justify building versions of the old-style vehicles?

The Chevrolet Impala is the only six-person sedan you can buy. Other sedans -- regardless of how big they are -- have front bucket seats rather than the three-person front bench seat that was once common.

Until Chevy stopped building it, the Monte Carlo, which uses the same large-car platform as the Impala, was the last remaining big coupe with a mass-market price.

Chevy's not likely to replace the Monte Carlo, even after the next Impala goes on sale in 2013. Most buyers looking for a coupe want a smaller car, like the Scion tC, or a sporty model like a Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang. Buyers who demand steyle and room -- the ones who used to buy big coupes -- have found that sleek models like the Volkswagen Passat CC offer a coupe's visual appeal and the practicality of four doors. The big two-doors that used to fill American roads are gone forever.

The six-passenger sedan is also staring extinction in the face.

Car buyers have moved away from the layout that offered front and rear three-person bench seats. Front buckets give most people more comfort and adjustability, not to mention space for cupholders, power outlets and storage bins in the console between the seats.

Chevrolet is weighing whether to build a six-seat version of the next Impala. Weighing against it, the car will probably be narrower than the current model. It's based on GM's Epsilon II global platform. It's roomy, but probably not enough to fit three comfortably across up front. (The rear seat will accommodate three, of course. It's OK if backseat riders are shoulder-to-shoulder. You can't do that to the driver.)

About a quarter of Impalas sold last year were six-seaters. Very few of those are likely to carry six people on a regular basis. Customers are buying the appearance of space more than carrying capacity they actually use, said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics in Firmingham, Mich.

It probably makes sense for Chevrolet on giving the next Impala a comfortable and attractive front seat that appeals to the other 75 percent of its buyers and wins some new customers.

"The six-passenger car is disappearing because baby boomers didn't embrace their parents' sedans," Hall said. "They buy lots of six-passenger vehicles, but those are crossovers and minivans."

Minivans and crossovers are simply better people-movers. The sixth rider in either is more comfortable than the poor slob whose knees are jammed into the radio and climate controls in the front seat of a sedan.

In fact, the sixth passenger isn't likely to miss the six-passenger sedan at all.

GM FOUNDATION DONATES $2.5 MILLION TO COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES

By Joseph Lichterman, autonews.com - The General Motors Foundation announced a $2.5 million donation to the College for Creative Studies here this morning.

CCS, with an enrollment of nearly 1,400, is one of the world's leading art and design schools. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in 11 disciplines and Master of Fine Arts degrees in two majors.

The GM Foundation's grant will support the continuing $145 million redevelopment of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education. The Taubman Center is the former Argonaut Building, a one-time GM research laboratory.

"The quality of young designers that CCS educates and trains is a tremendous resource for Detroit and the world," GM North America President and GM Foundation board member Mark Reuss said in a statement. "Working to strengthen CCS is critical in our attempts to help Detroit rebound economically and for us to win in the marketplace."

GM donated the space to CCS in 2008 and the college opened the Taubman Center in 2009.

CCS President Richard Rogers said in the statement that more than $50 million has been donated to the redevelopment project by the CCS trustees, private foundations, corporations and individuals. Rogers said at least $4 million more in donations is needed to keep the project on track.

"In addition to developing world-class creative talent, the project is generating 200 jobs, bringing 2,000 people a day and creating a bustling ambience to Midtown, adding to this area's renewed vitality," Rogers said in the statement.

SONIC CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF CHEVROLET

By G. Chambers Williams III, Top Down Auto Blog - Chevrolet's all-new subcompact, the Sonic, arrives this fall with a starting price of $14,495 US for the sedan and $15,395 US for the hatchback, General Motors says. Both prices include freight.

Replacing the South Korea-built Chevy Aveo, the Sonic gives GM a quite credible entry in this fast-growing segment, where vehicles such as the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and the new Ford Fiesta have a foothold.

The Sonic will have the most standard safety equipment in its class, GM says, including 10 air bags, electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control, antilock brakes, collapsible pedal system and power rear-door child safety locks.

Other key amenities are standard as well, even on the entry-level models, including air conditioning, power door locks, keyless entry, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and alloy wheels.

Also standard is GM's great OnStar telematics system, which includes turn-by-turn navigation (free six-month subscription), automatic crash reporting, and remote vehicle unlocking and diagnostics, among other features.

The car's suspension system was designed by Corvette engineers to give it what GM says will be the best-in-class ride and handling.

"Sonic shares the spirit of Chevrolets like the Corvette by delivering athletic and agile performance," said Rick Scheidt, Chevrolet's marketing vice president. "Today's customers have high expectations for small cars. Sonic comes with an unexpected level of standard equipment so that every customer will have comforts and amenities they desire."

As with other newer entries in this class, the front-wheel-drive Sonic is designed to give near-hybrid fuel economy without having to use an expensive gasoline-electric hybrid drive system. Highway mileage will be as high as 40 mpg. Detailed EPA ratings have not been announced yet, however.

Also like most of the others in the class, there will be a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback, and both will have ample rear-seat and cargo space, Chevy says. There will be three trim levels - LS, LT and LTZ.

Lowest priced is the LS model, which comes with a 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine and a standard five-speed manual transmission. Also included are 15-inch alloy wheels. This engine produces 138 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque, outpacing such competitors as the Fit (117 horsepower) and Fiesta (120). A six-speed automatic transmission is available for $1,070 US.

Next in line is the LT, starting at $15,695 US for the sedan and $16,495 US for the hatchback. Extras with this model include a six-speaker premium audio system with CD player and XM radio; power windows with driver-side one-touch up/down; and power, heated outside mirrors.

At the top of the line is the LTZ, which begins at $17,295 US for the sedan and $17,995 US for the hatchback.

The LTZ adds a connectivity package with USB port, Bluetooth for select phones and streaming music, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, heated "leatherette" front seats, cruise control, fog lights and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Optional is a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission, a $700 US upgrade on the LT and LTZ models. It's rated at 138 horsepower and 148 foot-pounds of torque.

Inside, the instrument panel includes a large, round analog tachometer set insice an LCD readout, which includes a large digital speedometer. The panel is available in either dark titanium or brick color.

The shifter for the automatic transmission has a "cobra" head, GM says, while the manual gearbox has a chrome-finished shifter knob.

There are storage compartments in the center instrument stack and doors, and the rear seat folds completely flat to expand the cargo area significantly. Two bucket seats are up front, and there is a three-person bench seat in the rear.

Electronic power steering is standard, along with power/antilock front disc/rear drum brakes and tire-pressure monitoring.

A hill-hold system is standard, as well, which keeps the vehicle from rolling backward when starting up after being stopped on a hill - a great feature for any vehicle with a manual gearbox.

Trunk volume in the sedan will be 14 cubic feet, which easily beats the 12.8 cubic feet of the Fiesta sedan. The Sonic also beats the Fiesta sedan in passenger space: 90.4 cubic feet versus 85.1 for the Fiesta.

The Sonic will be the only subcompact built in the United States. GM will assemble it at the Orion Township plant in suburban Detroit, which made the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6 sedans before being shuttered as GM went through its bankruptcy in 2009.

To land the Sonic for this plant, the United Auto Workers union agreed to lower wages for its workers to help GM stay competitive in the pricing of the car. Other vehicles in this class are made in Mexico and overseas.

GM spent $545 million US to upgrade the plant for the sonic, and the facility is expected to provide about 1,000 jobs in recession-battered Michigan. Those jobs are welcome even if they don't pay as much as before.

By Zach Bowman, autoblog.com - Chef Buddy Valastro has stepped up his cake game in a big way. Valastro stars in the TLC series "Cake Boss" and was recently approached to build a confection to celebrate both the Chevrolet Camaro and Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. He would up building a 2,000-pound cake sculpture that includes Bumblebee in both AutoBot and Camaro forms. To pull it off, Valastro and his team had to partner with special-effects gurus to create a special hydraulic system for the piece. As a result, Bumblebee's wings actuate up and down. The cake also features glowing eyes and fireworks.

The rest of the creation is made from vanilla pound cake and buttercream frosting. Valastro said that the cake was the biggest challenge of his career in more ways than one. The sculpture had to be crafted outside of the chef's bakery due to its height.

CHEVROLET BEAT E.V. HINTS AT G.M.'S ELECTRIC AMBITIONS FOR INDIA

By Ira Swasti, The New York Times - Absent the populist bombast that accompanied the introduction of the Tata Nano, General Motors India recently unveiled an electric vehicle prototype here based on the Chevrolet Beat, a microcar related to the Sonic subcompact coming to market in the United States and marketed elsewhere as the Spark. The Beat would be the likely platform if G.M. were to produce a purely electric car for India.

A dance-club remix of the Carl Orff composition "O Fortuna" accompanied the Beat as it rolled down the aisle of a ballroom in a five-star south Delhi hotel, awash in green laser light. The soundtrack seemed prescient, with its lyric, "O Fortune, like the moon, you are changeable." A multitude of variables will determine if G.M. decides to undertake an E.V. project here.

"General Motors is committed to providing customers around the world with electrification technologies that will reduce their fuel consumption, helping them save money," said Karl Slym, the president and managing director of General Motors India to reporters at the ballroom. In coming months, G.M. will show the prototype Beat E.V. in South Korea, Germany and China, he added.

The donor vehicle had its internal-combustion components removed and replaced with a 300-cell lithium-ion battery pack with a total energy capacity of about 20 kilowatt hours. G.M. claims that the battery takes about eight hours to charge fully on a 240-volt outlet (India has a 220-volt standard) and has a range of about 80 miles.

Mr. Slym would not reveal the Beat E.V.'s prospects for production, nor would he speculate on the car's price, but to be competitive in the electric-microcar segment, it would have to lure buyers away from the Reva i, the only mass-produced electric car available in India. That car, which resembles an enclosed golf cart, retails for the equivalent of about $7,500. A nonelectric Beat costs from $8,000 to $10,500, which includes a diesel variant that is expected to go on sale next month.

The Reva is produced by Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian manufacturer of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. General Motors was partnered with Reva Electric Car Company until May of last year, when Mahindra & Mahindra bought a controlling stake in Reva. After the deal, G.M. sold its Reva stake and said it would pursue its E.V. program independently. Mr. Slym claimed that the electric Beat prototype was developed "in parallel" with the Reva i and did not share hardware with the car.

Despite costing a fraction of a Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, the Reva i has not been a commercial success in India. Only recently did it receive a sales boost when the Ministry of New and Renewable Resources announced subsidies late last year for electric vehicles sold in India.

Presuming the Beat E.V. is manufactured, it would easily beat the Reva on interior volume. The Reva is a two-door hatchback with only enough space for two adults and two children, but the electric Beat is a four-door hatchback with sufficient room to accommodate four adults and a child, a significant advantage in India, where extended families live under one roof and average household sizes are larger than in the West.

In a ride-along with Mr. Slym following the press conference, over roads that weave through a series of new shopping malls, the Beat E.V. rode smoothly, with good acceleration. Mr. Slym said the car, which would be intended for city driving, could reach 25 m.p.h. in a "few seconds."

Mr. Slym stressed that the Beat E.V. was a "learning vehicle" and would be used to solicit feedback from potential customers around the world. Irrespective of customer reactions, improving infrastructure to support such a vehicle might be the bigger roadblock.

"We have no plans to launch this immediately because we do not have the right infrastructure for electric vehicles in India yet," said P. Balendran, vice president of General Motors India, at the conference.

CRUZE LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE

By Harry Pegg, Autonet.ca - The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, named Canadian Car of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, has a new tree-hugger sibling.

It's named Eco and, aside from the badge, you have to look closely to find any differences between this and the regular Cruze.

Aerodynamics is high on the difference scale. For instance, the upper grille has more "closeouts", the lower front air dam extension is lower, ride height is lower, underbody panels have been added to smooth airflow and there's a rear spoiler that actually makes a difference.

Look closely, and you'll see a lower front grille air shutter that closes at higher speeds to reduce drag and opens at low speeds to provide better engine cooling. Finally, the light polished-aluminum 17-inch wheels are fitted with ultra-low rolling resistance tires.

It all adds up to a 10% reduction in drag compared to the regular Cruze.

The green gang of engineers also cut back on fat, making more than 40 weight reducing changes on the Eco, bringing the weight down from 1,462 to 1,365 kg.

They made weld flanges a mm shorter and used sheet metal 0.1 mm thinner in some components -- all without sacrificing strength. Wheels and tires weigh 16.6 kg each, 2.4 kg less than the regular Cruze's 16-in wheels.

Inside, there's ample room for four to ride in reasonable comfort. There's more tire noise than I like, but put that down to the low rolling resistance rubber. Wind noise is not an issue.

From the driver's seat, visibility is excellent and gauges and switches are intuitive and easy to see and to operate. Seat adjustment leaves something to be desired and the split rear seatback does not fold flat.

My tester comes with the Cruze connectivity package that hooks easily to Bluetooth devices and has a driver information centre that provides plenty of data. I like the included steering wheel-mounted controls. The package is $745 well spent -- besides, you can make that up in a hurry with the fuel dollars you'll save.

Under the hood is a 1.4-litre Ecotec four-cylinder engine that uses turbocharging to produce 138 horsepower. I like the idea of having 148 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,850 and 4,900 rpm.

Hooked up to the standard six-speed manual transmission, the little four-banger puts a lot of fun into being green.

Aggressive first and second gear ratios give the Eco a satisfying burst off the line although there is some turbo lag. Sixth gear is too high to be useful in passing, but it sure is economical. Downshift a couple of gears and the torque reappears once the turbo spools up to make getting past slower traffic a snap.

While all this is going on, the Cruze Eco scoffs at service station stops ... who needs 'em when you're cruisin' along sipping fuel at a rate of 5 L/100km? In an automotive version of a tummy tuck, an electronic returnless fuel system manages fuel delivery to the engine. It raises or lowers fuel line pressure by speeding up or slowing down the fuel pump to prevent excess fuel delivery to the engine. Standard fuel systems have fuel pumps that run full speed continuously.

(I do find it interesting that the Eco doesn't shut down at intersections.)

The six-speed transmission is slick and smooth, handling is crisp and the suspension affords a comfortable ride even on rough roads.

And there's one more plaything: the fuel economy read-out. In an "eco" car, it's a bit of a challenge to see just how low you can get the reading.

At the risk of infuriating other motorists, I take the Cruze out for a cruise. At the speed limit. On a busy four-lane highway.

The result? A reading on this outing of about 100 km of just 4.9 L/100km.

There's something to be said for life in the slow lane.

CHEVY CAMARO TURNS 5 MILLION UNITS OLD

By Chris Shunk, autoblog.com - The Chevrolet Camaro has been red hot since it was reintroduced for the 2010 model year, and last month, the pony car celebrated a milestone that dates all the way back to 1967. General Motors built the five-millionth copy of the sporty coupe in May. In case you're keeping track, only 225,844 of those sales come from the current-generation model. The remaining 4,774,156 models arrived between 1967 and 2002.

Typically, when an automaker builds a milestone vehicle, it is optioned to the gills and carries a massive suggested retail price. Not so for Camaro number five million. Instead, The General"s Oshawa plant opted for a 1LS Coupe in black, with steel wheels, six-speed manual transmission and a 312-horsepower 3.6-liter V6.

Want to know more? We can't name any names, but we do know that the lucky owner of Camaro number five million resides near Lexington, Kentucky.

EVS REV UP FOR ACT 2

By Mike Colias, Automotive News - After years of preproduction buzz, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are generating interest among the people who count most: buyers.

Most owners are charging their cars at home without any issues. They brag about cruising past the gas station. They're buying, not leasing.

Drivers of the plug-in hybrid Volt are averaging 900 miles between fill-ups of the 9.3-gallon tank, General Motors says. Worries that the Leaf's 100-mile top range would be inadequate are proving unfounded, with owners only having to charge their electric sedans for two hours a night on average -- and occasionally going two days on one charge, Nissan says.

But those are early adopters, the true believers. Many have solar-assisted chargers installed in their homes. They take meticulous steps to conserve juice, such as programming their cars to start and turn on the air conditioning while still plugged in.

To rearch mass-market volumes, electric vehicles will have to break through to a broader audience. And many average-Joe consumers still view the Volt and the Leaf as little more than glorified range the cars have, says Cristi Landy, product marketing manager for the Volt.

The mainstream market is "still really confused", Landy told the Automotive News Green Car Conference last week. "We need more customer education. It is not an easy task."

Early adopters: Seven months of real-world data offer a clearer picture of who's buying these cars and how they're using them. For example:

• Of 2.1 million Volt miles driven, about two-thirds used electricity from the grid; the rest were driven using the onboard gasoline-powered generator.


• Leaf drivers average fewer than 60 miles a day.


• 90 percent of Leaf owners bought their cars, despite Nissan's earlier prediction that 90 percent would lease. One-third of Volt owners lease.


• 86 percent of Volt buyers formerly drove non-GM vehicles, including a combined 33 percent from Toyota and Honda. The Leaf is poaching some owners of Toyota Priuses.

Testimonials from friends, family and neighbours are the most powerful selling tool, says Paul Scott, co-founder of Plug In America, an advocacy group. He's also a Leaf salesman at Santa Monica Nissan, in Santa Monica, Calif. The dealership has sold about 230 Leafs and delivered more than 80.

"We're starting to get this secondary wave of people who have kind of heard about it ... but their friend just got one," Scott says. Still, Scott is amazed by how many people know little about the technology. He says automakers need "marketing that really shows what these cars can do."

A survey released in March by research from Synovate says that of nearly 1,900 vehicle shoppers polled, 58 percent didn't realize that plug-in hybrid EVs can run in all-electric mode. More than a quarter thought all hybrid EVs need to be plugged in.

Get behind the wheel: Automakers and advocates agree that the best way to clear up the confusion is to get people behind the wheel. That's why GM requires dealers to keep at least one Volt on hand as a demo.

In December, Mark Frost, general manager at Jim Ellis Chevrolet in Atlanta, put two Volts on display that he bought from a dealer in Long Island. "We were packed for weeks," he says.

Landy says upcoming Volt ads will focus more on how the car works. The car is being rolled out nationwide, expanding from seven launch markets.

Barriers to bigger EV sales go beyond confusion and ambivalence. Cost is the most obvious one. The sticker price for a 2012 Volt is $39,995US, including freight; the price for a 2011 Leaf is $33,630US, also including freight. Both qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

A lack of home charging options is another hurdle. Jon Bereisa, a consultant and former GM engineer who played key roles on the Volt and the EV1 electric car in the 1990s, says only 47 percent of US residents can conveniently plug in at home.

Auto executives say more EVs on the road will lead to better public infrastructure and awareness. That's why Nissan welcomes coming entrants such as the electric Ford Focus, says Mark Perry, Nissan North America Inc.'s director of product planning for the Leaf.

Says Perry: "Let's compete on the things that, as car companies, we like to compete on: design, style and performance, rather than public infrastructure and charging stations."

CHEVROLET ORLANDO NAMED BRITAIN'S BEST VALUE TOWING CAR

By carpages.co.uk - The Chevrolet Orlando has been named Britain's Best Value towing car in the 2011 Towcar Awards.

A panel of testers from Practical Caravan, What Car? and the Camping and caravanning Club recognized the Chevrolet Orlando for towing stability, pulling power and all-around practicality. The car was also evaluated on owner appeal when not towing, including factors such as curbside appeal, quality, comfort and running costs.

"You get a lot of car for your money with the Chevrolet Orlando," said Practical Caravan editor Nigel Donnelly. "It's very stable, has plenty of space for a family's luggage and is sturdily built. It's an impressively roomy and capable towcar."

Accepting the award, Chevrolet's National Sales Manager, Daniel Gregorious, said: "The Orlando already encapsulates everything the family motorist would want from a car, so to receive recognition for its towing ability, and from such prestigious publications and organizations, is a real bonus. It's yet another area in which the Orlando excels, not to mention its tremendous value for money."

The Chevrolet Orlando launched in February 2011 provides a maximum towing weight of 1500kg, with an 85 per cent match between curbweight and towing weight of 1471kg, which equates to being able to tow most medium-to-large touring caravans.

CHEVY DROPS BASE PRICE OF VOLT, NOW TAKING ORDERS NATIONWIDE

By FoxNews.com - Chevrolet has begun taking orders for the 2012 Volt nationwide, as the automaker expands the availability of the plug-in hybrid from its initial launch markets to all 50 states. The automaker has also lowered the base price of the car to $39,995 from $41,000.

Even as the plant that builds the Volt is offline for the month of June to undergo upgrades that will increase its output and enable production of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu to be added, customers can now configure and reserve their Volt for delivery later this year. Vehicles will be available all along the East and West Coasts, as well as Michigan, Texas and Hawaii by the end of September, and in all other states by November, a year after the Volt first went on sale.

Chevrolet was able to lower the price of the Volt by changing its level of standard equipment and creating several new options packages. The first Volts were available in only a few, simplified configurations as production of the high-tech vehicle was ramped up. The most notable change is the elimination of standard in-dash navigation and high-end, energy-efficient Bose audio system, which are now $1,995 and $495 standalone options, respectively.

The 2012 Volt still comes with an eight-year/100,000 mile warranty for its battery pack and five years of roadside assistance. General Motors' OnStar telematics service also continues to be included in the base price, but for only three years, rather than the five that the 2011 models offered. A $7,500 federal tax credit and various state incentives continue to apply to Volt purchases.

A configurator for the 2012 Volt is not yet live on Chevrolet's website, but customers can place their orders at brick and mortar dealerships.

GM INVESTS $6 MILLION IN ELECTRIC BUS MAKER PROTERRA

By Automotive News - A General Motors Co. unit has invested $6 million and taken an undisclosed stake in Proterra Inc., which makes electric commercial transit buses.

GM Ventures is part of a group led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers that will invest a total of $30 million in Proterra. Golden, Colorado based Proterra, which was founded in 2004, makes zero-emission, electric buses at a temporary plant in Greenville, South Carolina, GM said.

When fully loaded with 68 passengers, the vehicle achieves the equivalent of about 24 miles per gallon -- 600 percent better than the typical diesel bus, GM said. It has a 40-mile range and can recharge in about 10 minutes using the company's fast-charging technology.

"This equity investment further demonstrates GM's commitment to electric propulsion," Jon Lauckner, president of GM Ventures, said in a statement.

GM has garnered attention with its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt car. The U.S. automaker's push into electric vehicles is partly aimed at seizing the green mantle Toyota Motor Corp. earned with the roll-out of its popular Prius hybrid vehicle.

The investment marks the seventh by GM's venture capital arm, which was established last June with $100 million in funding. The investments have ranged in size from $3 million to $7 million.

One of GM Ventures' areas for investment focus is in technologies involving the greening and electrification of vehicles. Other areas include in-car information-entertainment technologies, sensors or processors, and "smart" or advanced materials that can improve vehicle performance or cut costs.

GM Ventures is headed by Lauckner, a veteran GM engineer, and overseen by GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky, a former investment banker in charge of strategy at the automaker.

Three of Proterra's buses are in a test fleet near Pomona, California, with more to be added, GM said. New buses and charging stations are also headed to San Antonio, Texas and Tallahassee, Florida, later this year.

The investment by GM and others allows Proterra to complete federal validation testing of its bus, roll out additional pilot fleets and reduce costs at the manufacturing plant, where it will have capacity to build 400 buses a year, GM said.

GM INVESTS BIG IN FOUR-CYLINDER, V-8 ENGINE PRODUCTION

Back in May GM announced it would invest
$2 billion to upgrade 17 facilities in eight states.

By Jason Udy, Automobilemag.com - Last Friday, GM announced that almost a quarter of that amount -- $47 million -- will be invested in its Defiance powertrain plant in Ohio. The powertrain plant was upgraded last year so it could build Ecotec 1.4-liter engine parts.

GM says it needs to purchase more tooling and equipment for the Ecotec 1.4-liter because of "the growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Cruze, Volt, and the upcoming Sonic," GM Manufacturing manager Arvin Jones said Friday. "The products produced here will help our customers deal with rising fuel prices."

GM is addressing both the entry-level as well as the performance and truck segments with this latest investment, as tooling and equipment is also being purchased to produce parts for GM's highly-anticipated next generation of small-block V-8 car and truck engines.

"We appreciate the tremendous support we have received from the Defiance community over the years," said Jones. "This investment is possible because of the teamwork between GM, the UAW, the Defiance community, and the great State of Ohio."

The 63-year old plant currently employs 1277 people who produce 5.8 million parts annually.

CRUZE ECO: PRETTY DARN GOOD FOR COMMUTING

By Peter Bleakney, Special to the Star - You may not want to hear this, but what we're currently experiencing at the gas pumps might well become the "good old days" sooner than we think.

Wasn't it just yesterday when predictions of gasoline reaching a buck-a-litre had us in a panic? If gas dropped back down to that price, we'd be in a panic all right -- to fill up every container we could find.

Fuel economy is on the minds of most buyers, and a question I'm fielding a lot these days is: "How's the mileage?"

In the case of the 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco I recently tested, the answer was "Pretty freakin' good."

Chevy's four-door compact sedan arrived in Canada last fall and the LT model promptly took the whole ball-of-wax at AJAC's TestFest, winning its category and later being named 2011 Canadian Car of the Year. It impressed with its smooth ride, big car feel, upscale interior and efficient 138 hp, 1.4L turbo four.

Since then the Cruze Eco has come along -- a model tweaked for increased fuel economy. As I was looking at a 180-km daily roundtrip commute for the month of May, I booked one for a week.

With a very un-hybrid base price of $19,495 for the six-speed manual equipped car, the Cruze Eco posts some impressive fuel economy numbers. Rated at 7.2 L/100 km city and 4.6 L/100 km highway, it betters every one of its competitors in both categories save for the Hyundai Elantra that ekes out a 6.8 L/100 city rating.

Fit the Cruze Eco with the optional six-speed automatic and its consumption rises to 7.8 city and 5.1 highway. For comparison, the "non Eco" LT with six-speed auto posts 8.5 city and 5.5 highway. All Cruze variants run on regular grade fuel.

So it looks like my manual-equipped Cruze Eco is the highway champ among this crew of compact sedans. Perfect for my mission.

As the engine is unchanged from the Cruze LT (the base $14,995 LS gets a less efficient naturally-aspirated 138 hp 1.8L four), the Eco's increased efficiency comes from taller gearing, low rolling resistance tires on lighter forged 17-inch alloys, and an aero package that adds underbody panels and a clever shutter system in the grill that closes off airflow to the engine and radiator when not needed.

As a weight saving measure, the spare tire is ditched for a tire inflator kit. Perhaps one of the best compliments a car can receive is it looks and feels more expensive than it is.

This was the case with the Cruze. Everyone who rode in the Eco was surprised to hear of its 20 grand sticker. This impression comes largely from its exceptionally quiet cabin, refined ride and quality interior.

In conmparison, the Hyundai Elantra's ride is harsh and noisy, and the refreshed Honda Civic's cabin is a sea of hard plastic.

Another deciding factor here is the smooth power delivery from the 1.4L Ecotec turbo. While the 138 horses are down from some rivals (Elantra 148 hp, Ford Focus 160 hp, Mazda3 148 hp), it's the Cruze's turbo torque that does the talking, giving a class-leading 148 lb.-ft. of twist at only 1850 r.p.m. No high-revving thrashiness needed here.

I found the front seats a bit saggy for my tastes, but as for the rest of the bits where your body interfaces the car, all is well. The Cruze's European roots shine through in the well-placed shifter with reasonably short and positive throws. Clutch take up is smooth (albeit long) and the steering wheel is nicely contoured, transmitting a decent amount of information.

This is an easy manual transmission to operate. Helping you along in the quest for better mileage is an upshift light that coaxes you into the next gear very early.

While we usually equate manual transmission with sporty driving, the gears are so widely spaced in the Eco's cog-swapper there's a dramatic drop in revs with every upshift. So you're not really inspired to play girl/boy racer here.

The payoff, of course, is a super tall sixth gear that has the mill spinning a lazy 2200 r.p.m. while cruising at 120 km/h. Thanks to the low end turbo torque, the Eco never feels flat-footed.

So I chose well for my week of motorway commuting. The Cruze Eco is a stellar highway role -- tomb quiet, rock solid, and again, showing a level of big-car maturity that belies its price point. Fuel mileage came in at 5.8 L/100 km.

Remember, this was 80 per cent highway duty and the Eco's mods are largely in place to benefit this type of motoring.

The only option on this tester was the $745 Connectivity Package that adds Bluetooth, six months of OnStar, USB port, steering wheel audio controls and up-level driver info centre.

As you have probably deduced, the Cruze Eco is no sportster. A Mazda3 and Ford Focux dish out more drive involvement but, that said, throw the Cruze into a bend and the chassis shows good balance. It just doesn't inspire you to do so.

While EVs and hybrids are getting all the green ink these days, it's cars like the Chevy Cruze Eco that will be doing more real world duty in delivering fuel consumption.

It's all about incremental steps, and the Eco is a good example of how a few tweaks here and there can make an already fuel efficient car just that much better.

Yes, you'll do better with a VW Jetta TDI or Toyota Prius, but the Eco's price tag puts it in reach of a lot more buyers.

CRUZE CAN CRUISE WITH THE BIG BOYS

By Autonet.ca - While the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze may not have GM's rivals quaking in their boots, neither are they laughing up their sleeves. Designed and engineered in Korea and Germany and made in America, Cruze is a good example of just what the General can do when it uses all its global assets. As proof, there are all those international awards Cruze has won.

Accolades: If you look at the numbers recorded by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) in its 2011 Canadian Car of the Year competition, you'd wonder how the Cruze won its Best New Small Car over $21,000 category. Each of its four competitors was faster, both from zero to 100 km/h and from 80-120. The Honda CR-Z delivered superior fuel economy, the Scion tC had better braking, the Kia Forte5 more cargo space and the Nissan Juke generated far more horsepower and torque.

But Cruze is a very pleasing package. So pleasing, in fact, the AJAC judges named it not only the winner in its category, but then 2011 Canadian Car of the Year.

Cost: The fact it cost just $21,190, as tested, certainly had something to do with its victory, but no more than the overall quality of the car with its handsome interior, surprisingly good handling and class-leading safety features.

Cruze prices start at $14,995 and only the entry level LS gets a normally aspirated 1.8-litre inline four cylinder engine that generates 136 hp and 123 lb.-ft. of torque.

Power: Our test car is an LT Turbo identical to the models AJAC evaluated for Car of the Year. On a 600-km round trip, where time is of the essence, I register 7.6 L/100km. Slowing it down a little, I average 6.9 for the last 365 km -- on a combination of city streets, country roads and superhighways.

Looks: Cruze looks like a smaller version of the midsize Chevrolet Malibu. It drives like a much bigger car and has been engineered to be ultra quiet.

For heated power seats, automatic climate control and leather you have to spend $24,780 and move up to the LTZ Turbo.

CHEVROLET TO SPONSOR SIMON COWELL'S X FACTOR

Chevrolet has inked a deal with Fox to become the official
sponsor of X Factor, the latest talent show from
within the machinations of Simon Cowell's war machine.

By Blake Z. Rong, autoguide.com - Chevrolet vehicles will appear throughout the season as produce placement, as well as the usual barrage of ads. X Factor differs from American Idol in that there will be a lot of traveling involved, and "a lot of telephoning of judges and discussions of the groups they represent," says Keith Hindle, CEO of producing company FremantleMedia Enterprises. "That gives us the ability to amp that up a bit and feature in-car technology. That was one of the key hooks."

Nobody has divulged how much Chevrolet spent on marketing, but if it's anything like Pepsi's X Factor sponsorship, it would be around $60 million.