PLANNING GM OSHAWA'S FUTURE TOGETHER

Stephen K. Carlisle

President and Managing Director

General Motors Canada

 

By General Motors of Canada - It is an honour to be back home in Canada as President and Managing Director of General Motors Canada.  I started my career at GM here in Oshawa, met my wife, played hockey and made many life-long friends here.  While this is just the second month in my new role, we have already reconnected with many old friends and met many new ones.  It's also fantastic to see the growth, spirit and the new health and education institutions that make Oshawa and all of Durham Region such a dynamic community.

Since my last work assignment in Oshawa, GM has of course been through a major restructuring that brought us back to being a strong, profitable and growing business in Canada and globally.  But, that only happened through an extraordinary effort of many people pulling together including people here in the community -- and particularly with our partners in the federal and provincial governments.  The restructuring in 2009 placed us squarely on the path as a competitive and highly disciplined business focused on serving our customers.

Recently, together with GM CEO Mary Barra, I had the opportunity to meet and thank our federal and Ontario Ministers of Industry in Detroit.  The Ministers raised questions about our future plans in Canada, in particular the timing of future decisions for our Oshawa operations.  We had a very productive discussion and we expressed our commitment to Canada and deep gratitude for their leadership and support.

Canada is one of GM's most important countries.  We sell vehicles in over 120 countries and Canada ranks 5th for GM country sales and 6th for vehicle production.  The first part of our commitment to Canada has been to fulfill and surpass the promises we made at the time of our restructuring agreement.  Since then, we have invested over $1 Billion dollars in St. Catharines, Ingersoll and Oshawa facilities and we plan to invest more.  By the time we complete our agreement with the governments in 2016, we expect to have surpassed our overall production targets by hundreds of thousands of vehicles.

But people also want to hear about future products and plans for Oshawa.  In any business, especially one as large and complex as an automotive company, there are detailed planning processes before investment and product decisions are made.  Just as you would before buying a house, you must study your costs and know what your mortgage's interest rate is going to be before you decide how much you are able to invest.

We have now begun that process for the Oshawa plant and it will extend through 2015 and 2016.  We start by examining the numbers and understanding the variables.  We must pay attention to how dramatically economic factors are fluctuating these days -- some of which we can control or predict more than others.  We are 'doubling down' on efforts to find efficiencies and we will be working with all our partners to address issues and build on our strengths.  We have a good relationship with our union Unifor and have every faith that their leadership understands the central role they will play as we move forward.  One key milestone is that we must complete our 2016 union contract negotiations before we can make any final decisions.

In short, we want our community to understand the timing for this next round of decisions.  We are going to be careful and are not expecting to be deciding on any major new mandates or investments in Oshawa until well into 2016.

For all this, I remain positive.  We are focused on excellence, innovation and serving our customers.  In Oshawa, we have award-winning employees, excellent product quality , exciting opportunities in our engineering and technology centre, supportive business partners and communities.  So, while we are often asked for definitive answers about the Oshawa plant today, we are going to work through our process with our partners and do what's needed to ensure we have the most productive, high quality and cost competitive operation possible.

I know Oshawa and Durham Region will be behind us as we do.

Stephen K. Carlisle
President and Managing Director
General Motors of Canada

ONSTAR REMOTELINK DEBUTS NEW USER EXPERIENCE

 

By General Motors, Oshawa -  The 1.3 million users who regularly use the OnStar RemoteLink mobile app will soon find an update with a new look and capabilities waiting for them in the app store.  The update, now available for Android and iOS users, is the result of years of customer feedback and includes a modern user experience to streamline access to information and application commands.

OnStar RemoteLink's new interface comes as more customers than ever are opening the app seeking their current tire pressures or requesting a remote start as winter enters full swing.  The app experienced record-setting use in December 2014, with nearly 7 million total requests.  Usage growth has continued since, with multiple days this month totaling more than 450,000 requests in a 24-hour period.

"The new version of the app is designed to be more intuitive for customers, with a simpler, cleaner design," said Dan Kinney, director, User Experience, Global Connected Customer Experience, General Motors.  "This new user experience should allow our customers to easily find and access all the features RemoteLink has to offer."

The updated app will provide customers with more information, including access to OnStar account details previously only available by phone or through OnStar.ca.  Consumers are increasingly relying on mobile devices to manage banking and shopping needs, and RemoteLink now offers access to key information and settings through a smartphone interface.

For Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles equipped with OnStar 4G LTE, RemoteLink includes the ability to view data consumption and see how much data is left on a particular plan.  Customers also can manage their Wi-Fi hotspot (if equipped) from the app, by either turning it on/off or changing their Wi-Fi SSID (hotspot name) and password.  Wi-Fi requires a paid data plan.

"RemoteLink use has been steadily increasing over the past year, as our customers realize the advantages of a remote connection to their vehicle," said Kinney.  "Whether they're warming their car up, cooling it down or checking vehicle information, the app has many practical uses."

The remote features of the app -- ability to remotely start/stop an engine with factory-installed remote start, lock and unlock automatic door locks and activate the horn and lights -- are included with no service plan cost for five years from delivery on most 2014 MY and newer GM vehicles.  The ability to manage the vehicle's Wi-Fi hotspot is also included for five years on properly equipped 2015 MY and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.  All other RemoteLink features require a paid OnStar service plan.

OnStar RemoteLink is currently available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry devices.  The update will be available for Windows Phone and Blackberry users in the upcoming weeks.  For a full list of supported vehicles and devices visit https://www.onstar.com/ca/en/services/remotelink.html



SHOULD GM NAME ITS BOLT ELECTRIC CAR THE 2018 CHEVROLET EV2?

 

By John Voelcker, GreenCarReports - Without a doubt, Chevrolet dominated the news in plug-in electric cars at the recent Detroit Auto Show.

It unveiled not only the new 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, but also a concept that showed what a 2018 battery-electric hatchback with a 200-mile range might look like.

The sub-compact concept was called the Bolt. No not Volt: Bolt.  Or, as reporters found ourselves saying by the end of the show: "Bolt-with-a-B, not Volt-with-a-V."

Which highlights the challenges that would follow if Chevy actually gave the electric car--which will reportedly go into production in mid-2017-a name so similar to "Volt" that many people don't hear the difference.  Especially some Spanish speakers, for whom "V" sounds are pronounced with a "B" anyhow.

One reporter noted that while interviewing GM executives about the concept, he was asked no fewer than four times what he thought about the name.

Clearly, Chevrolet is at least considering renaming the car.  So the problem then becomes what to call it.

That's where a few electric-car advocates come in, having floated the idea that it should be called the "EV2" on forums and in private discussions.

The name EV2 would be a nod to GM's long history in electric cars, making the Bolt the logical follow-on to the General Motors EV1.

Several hundred of the much-loved but ill-fated battery-electric two-seaters were leased in California from 1996 through 1999, after which GM took back the cars and notoriously crushed them.

GM's former CEO, Rick Wagoner, later said that killing the EV1 was the decision he most regretted from his tenure at the company (during which tens of billions of dollars of shareholder value were destroyed, ending in bankruptcy).

So calling the Bolt the EV2 might signal GM atoning for its sins, at least in the eyes of the electric-car faithful.  The name would likely mean little or nothing to the broader buying public.

But, it raises another question: What does GM have to do to be forgiven for killing the EV1?  In some eyes, it seems, there will never be forgiveness.

"I don't care how far you can drive on a Bolt, I would never buy a GM Electric car after what they did with the EV1 from 1996 to 1999," wrote one member of a Nissan Leaf online forum.

"For those of you who never knew of this vehicle, look it up.  I'm not bashing GM, I don't trust them."

Nonetheless, GM has sold more plug-in vehicles in the U.S. since Dec 2010 than any other maker, although Nissan could take that title this year.

Leaf sales are growing steadily, while the runout of the first-generation Volt will continue before the launch of the 2016 Volt in the second half of the year.

Electric-car advocates unwilling to move on may want to ask, however: Does the same logic apply to refusing ever to buy a Ford, given the well-documented and virulent anti-Semitism of Henry Ford during the first half of the century?

GM is clearly determined to be among the world's major electric-car makers, along with Nissan, Tesla, and a small handful of other global makers.

That's largely due to the tougher CAFE standards through 2025 that were enacted in 2009 and 2010--but GM undeniably retains huge institutional knowledge in electrified cars.

Whether it would not to the past with the name EV2, or set a fresh course with another name (not Bolt, please), may indicate how the company views its checkered past in electric vehicles.

We're betting against the name EV2 for several reasons:

• All Chevies (except the low-volume SS sport sedan) use words as model names
• The word "EV" is highly specialized (the public just says "electric cars") and
• We doubt very much GM has any interest at all in looing back to that episode

But, hey, we've been wrong before.

CHEVROLET'S SAFETY ALERT SEAT GOES TO WORK

 

By General Motors - Investment adviser Angela Cusmano is a road warrior who logs 40,000 kilometres a year to and from guiding clients through savings allocations and other money matters.  One of her best returns on investment is General Motors'-patented Safety Alert Seat.

"I am a very safe driver, but there are times when I've misjudged how quickly I'm approaching the car ahead or I've begun to move a bit out of my lane, and that seat gets my attention," said Cusmano, managing partner of Dahring, Cusmano and Associates.  "It is more subtle, and I love it."

In just two years, the available Safety Alert Seat has migrated from a General Motors' luxury-exclusive feature to selected 2015 Chevrolet models (Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe).  It works with other collision-avoidance warning technologies in the vehicle to vibrate the driver's seat bottom cushion if a crash risk is detected.

The Safety Alert Seat was designed to give customers like Cusmano an alternative to auditory alerts such as beeps, as well as to give hearing-impaired drivers an opportunity to experience crash avoidance system alerts.

Chevrolet's Safety Alert Seaat uses haptics, a tactile feedback technology that re-creates the sense of touch by using left and/or right "tapping" vibration pulses to direct the driver to the location of a crash threat.  Similar technology is used in space and military applications.

"Using the tactile sense to communicate crash threat direction can help cut through the clutter of visual and auditory sensory information that drivers routinely experience," said GM Active Safety Technical Fellow Raymond J. Kiefer.

"The best kind of safety protection we can offer are customer-focused features that help drivers avoid the crash altogether, and which are kept turned on for every trip," said Kiefer.

Here's how the Safety Alert Seat works in a vehicle equipped with a lane departure warning system:

When the camera detects the vehicle is leaving a lane without an active turn signal in that direction, small motors generate a vibration pulse in the left or right seat bolster that directs the driver's attention to the side of the lane encroachment.

When a vehicle is equipped with forward collision alert technology and the system detects the driver may strike the vehicle ahead, both sides of the seat vibrate.  Drivers can always select beeping alerts instead of seat vibrations.

"Safety technologies are only as effective as customers' willingness and ability to use them," said Kiefer.  "If the Safety Alert Seat encourages our customers to receive crash-threat alerts or give hearing-impaired drivers an opportunity to experience such alerts, we think that's good for them as well as other motorists."

CHEVROLET: IF CRASHES TURN YOU OFF, KEEP YOUR ALERTS TURNED ON

 

By General Motors - Safety belts, air bags and strong passenger compartment structures are responsible for saving more lives in crashes than ever.  But what if those collisions never happened in the first place?

Research shows 90 percent of crashes are caused by human error, and Chevrolet's new available crash-avoidance technologies are designed to help drivers maneuver around rear-end, backup, blind spot and lane-change collisions with systems that send alerts via beeps, flashing icons and even by vibrating the driver's seat.

"For decades, the focus has been protecting people from being injured or killed in a crash," said General Motors Active Safety Technical Fellow Raymond Kiefer.  "While we're still keenly focused on that, now we have a real opportunity to help prevent those crashes with technologies that warn drivers of potential dangers."

The alerts, however, are only as effective as a customer's willingness to keep them turned on.

At the North American International Auto Show, which opens to the public on Jan. 17, a safety experience in the Chevrolet Theater with a massive, high resolution 73-foot-long, 20-foot-tall display screen will show how Chevrolet vehicles are designed to prevent, protect and respond to help keep vehicle occupants safe on the road.

According to a consumer survey by AutoTrader.com and GM customer research, one of the more appealing crash-avoidance technologies is side blind zone alert, which helps drivers avoid striking a vehicle in their blind spot during a lane-change maneuver.  Improper lane changes account for about 9 percent of crashes reported to police each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States.

"With so many great technologies available to help consumers have a more enjoyable experience in the car, why not put them to use to keep them safe, too?" said Michelle Krebs, AutoTrader.com senior analyst.  "Drivers in high-traffic markets will do well with collision-avoidance features that keep them safe from wild drivers."

Side blind alert is available on the Chevrolet Cruze, Impala, Traverse, Tahoe and Suburban, and may be offered alone or with lane change alert technology.  When offered alone, the system uses one left and one right short-range radar - hidden in the rear corners of the vehicle - to monitor up to 11 feet back from the side mirror and one lane over from both sides of the vehicle.

An amber lane change alert icon is lit in the left or right side mirror when a moving vehicle is detected in the side blind zone, and it flashes if a turn signal is activated in the direction of the other vehicle.

A lit icon means it may be unsafe to change lanes.  Drivers still need to check mirrors, glance over their shoulder and use turn signals.

"Technologies like side blind zone alert provide an extra set of 'eyes' to drivers with limited mobility due to an injury or chronic condition," said Kiefer.  "It's also helpful to drivers who may find it more difficult to see around head restraints and pillars."

Rear cross traffic alert has your back

Another available technology that allows drivers to 'see' better is rear cross traffic alert, which can help drivers avoid hitting approaching traffic when backing up, such as in a parking lot or where the driveway meets the roadway.

Rear cross traffic alert uses short-range radar on the left and right rear corners of the vehicle.  When approaching left- or right-cross traffic is observed, red flashing triangles appear in the rear vision camera screen, and three left or right seat pulses or beeps occur.  It's available on 2015 Cruze, Impala, Traverse, Tahoe and Suburban.

Fender-bender ender?

Using the speed of the vehicle and input from a forward-facing radar mounted in the front grille or camera mounted in front of the rearview mirror, Chevrolet's available forward collision alert system provides alerts to drivers who approach a vehicle they are following in front of them too quickly.  It's present on 2015 Volt, Malibu, Impala, Equinox, Traverse, Colorado, Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban.

The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that basic forward collision alert systems have reduced rear-end crashes by 7 percent.  Applying the technology across the passenger vehicle fleet could prevent 879 fatal crashes a year.

"Customers can configure our system to adjust the alert to a near, medium or far timing setting" said Kiefer.  "Our goal is that our customers leave safety systems on and take full advantage of the potential safety benefits."

BOB LUTZ BUILDS THE CASE FOR A MID-ENGINED CORVETTE

 

By Chris Bruce, Autoblog.com - Rumors of a mid-engine Corvette are like automotive industry folklore at this point.  Every once in a while, news pops up that it might be happening or is under development, but nothing actually ever comes to fruition as something people can actually buy.

The latest spy shots strongly suggest a mid-engine 'Vette is in the cards, yet again, possibly for 2018.  Now, an op ed by former General Motors executive (and definite performance car fan) Bob Lutz in Road & Track gives the inside scoop on the history of one of these proposals and lays out how to make it happen today.

According to Lutz, the company's engineers believed the C6 ZR1 was at the limit for front-engine, rear-wheel drive performance in that package, and the only solution was to move the powerplant behind the driver.  Lutz even got then CEO Rick Wagoner on board.  The scheme made it at least as far as clay models for mid-engine versions of the 'Vette and Cadillac XLR.  Eventually, a lack of money got in the way, though, bringing the project to an end.

Lutz puts a lot of faith in GM's current leaders, especially Mary Barra and Mark Reuss.  He thinks the chances of a mid-engine 'Vette happening this time are better than 50 percent.  The model, rumoured to be named Zora, could offer over 700 horsepower in an ultra lightweight body and be priced at about $120,000 to "suck the doors off everybody".  Head over to Road & Track to get some insights from this highly respected and entertaining auto industry veteran.


CHEVROLET INTRODUCES ALL-NEW 2016 VOLT

 

By General Motors - Chevrolet today unveiled the all-new 2016 Volt electric car with extended range, showcasing a sleeker, sportier design that offers up to 80 kilometres of EV range, greater efficiency and stronger acceleration.  The Volt's new propulsion system will offer a significantly increased total driving range.

"The 2016 Chevrolet Volt provides our owners with a no-compromise electric driving experience," said Alan Batey, president of GM North America.  "We believe our engineering prowess combined with data from thousands of customers allows us to deliver the most capable plug-in vehicle in the industry."

The 2016  Chevrolet Volt's technology and range advancements are complemented by a design that blends sculpted, muscular proportions with aerodynamic efficiency, and an all-new interior with seating for five and improved functionality.

Everything from charging the battery and checking the charge status, to the intuitiveness of instrument panel controls were designed for easier use.

"According to independent surveyors, Volt owners are the most satisfied in the industry and they were our compass for developing the next-generation model," said Batey.

2016 Volt highlights:

• New two-motor drive unit is up to 12 percent more efficient and 45 kg (100 pounds) lighter than the first-generation drive unit
• Two-motor design enables 19 percent stronger zero-to-48 km/h acceleration
• Battery capacity has increased to 18.4 kWh using 192 cells (96 fewer than current generation) with weight reduced by more than 9 kg (20 pounds)
• Regen on Demand feature enables driver control of energy regeneration via a convenient paddle on the back of the steering wheel
• New 1.5L range extender, designed to use regular unleaded fuel, offers a GM estimated combined fuel consumption rating of 5.7 L/100km
• Stronger body structure and quieter ride
• New braking system with improved capability and blended Regen feel
• New, five-passenger seating with available rear heated seats
• Location-based charging capability
• 120V portable cord set has a simpler, compact design with more convenient storage location
• Available illuminated charge port

 

The 2016 Volt goes on sale in the second half of 2015.

Sleeker, sportier design

The 2016 Volt has an all-new, muscular design that incorporates Chevrolet performance vehicle DNA inspired cues refined in the wind tunnel.

New features, including active grille shutters, help balance design with efficiency.

Volt's flowing, dynamic shape is inspired by the toned physiques of athletes and even the natural shapes of wind-swept sands, with carved body sides and fenders that blend into the hood.  The front-end appearance retains the iconic Volt identity, with bright upper and lower grille pads.

Greater attention to detail in the design cues, materials and colours also lends a more premium, contemporary aura to its appearance.  It also retains the distinctive Volt signature on the upper front doors, carrying over one of the first-generation model's identifiers.

Inside the new Volt includes seating for five.  Fresh colours exude an inviting upscale aura - complemented by blue ambient lighting - while the controls are more intuitively placed and simpler to operate.

The Volt retains its signature dual digital colour displays with an eight-inch-diagonal reconfigurable screen in the instrument cluster to relay driver information.  An additional eight-inch-diagonal touch screen in the centre of the instrument panel controls the Chevrolet MyLink system.

Fewer icons on the centre dash make it easier to operate.  Separate climate control knobs and buttons below the centre display offer clear, convenient operation.

New Voltec propulsion system

An all-new, second-generation Voltec extended rang electric vehicle (EREV) propulsion systm is the power behind the 2016 Volt's increased all-electric driving range, greater efficiency and stronger acceleration.  It was engineered based on the driving behaviors of first-gen Volt owners.

"Volt owners complete more than 80 percent of their trips without using a drop of gasoline and they tell us they love the electric driving experience.  Putting that experience at the centre of the new Voltec system's development helped us improve range, while also making the new Volt more fun to drive," said Andrew Farah, vehicle chief engineer.  "We established a precedent when the original Voltec propulsion system debuted and this newest iteration sets the EV technology bar even higher."

The Voltec system includes the battery, drive unit, range-extending engine and power electronics.

GM's industry-leading battery technology has been reengineered for the next-generation Volt.  The 2016 Volt will use an 18.4 kWh battery system featuring revised cell chemistry developed in conjunction with LG Chem.  While overall system storage capacity has increased, the number of cells have decreased from 288 to 192 as the result of a revised chemistry.  The cells are positioned lower in the pack for an improved (lower) centre of gravity and the overall mass of the pack is 9.8 kg (21 pounds) lighter.

Like the battery system, the next-generation Volt's two-motor drive unit delivers increased efficiency and performance along with reduced noise and vibration.  The drive unit operates up to 12 percent more efficiently and weighs 45 kg (100 pounds) less than the current system.

Both motors operate together in more driving scenarios, in both EV and extended-range operation.  The ability to use both motors helps deliver a 19 percent improvement in electric acceleration from zero to 48 km/h (30 mph) in 2.6 seconds and a 7 percent improvement from zero to 96 km/h (60 mph) in 8.4 seconds.  GM engineers designed the Voltec electric motors to use significantly less rare earth materials.  One motor uses no rare earth-type magnets.

More convenient location-based charging

Using real-world experiences of today's Volt owners, Chevrolet made the charging system in the next-generation Volt more convenient for customers to recharge the battery - and to check the charge status.

The new and enhanced features include:

GPS location-based charging:  "Owners will now be able to set their charging preferences exclusively for "home" charging and the vehicle will automatically adjust to that setting when it is at "home" based on GPS date," said Farah, the chief engineer.  "The new Volt will give owners greater flexibility for charging on their terms and make public charging easier."

This will allow owners to pre-set their 120V charging level (eight amps or 12 amps) and whether they wish to charge immediately, set a departure time for each day of the week, or set a departure time and a utility rate schedule to charge only at off-peak rates.  These settings will only have to be programmed once and the Volt will default to them when the vehicle returns to its home location.

New, more intuitive charge status indicators:  The next-generation Volt makes it easier for owners to confirm their Volt is charging and gauge charge status.  The new status system features a specially designed tone that indicates when charging has begun, with additional tones for delayed charging.  It will even indicate if the charge port door was left open after unplugging but before entering the vehicle.

With a glance through the windshield, an updated charge status indicator light on top of the instrument panel will show the approximate charge level through a series of flashes.  An available illuminated charge port makes it easier to plug in after dark.

Portable cord set enhancements:  A new 120V portable cord set has a simpler, compact design with more convenient storage location.  The storage bin for the cord is now located on the left side of the Volt's rear cargo area, above the load floor, for improved accessibility.

Safety features:  The new Chevrolet Volt offers new standard and available safety features that work with an all-new body structure to provide crash-avoidance and passenger protection capability.  Highlights include:

• Standard rear-vision camera
• Ten standard air bags, including driver and front-passenger knee air bags
• Available active safety features offering lane keep assist with lane departure warning, side blind zone alert with lane change alert, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision alert with following distance indicator, front automatic braking, and advanced park assist with front and rear park assist (semi-automatic parallel parking)
• Expanded use of high-strength steel throughout the body structure improves strength and reduces weight
• More effective structural load paths in the frame, along with reinforced rocker panel structures and side structure reinforcements.

 

The new, active safety technologies and structural enhancements build on the Volt's legacy of top safety performance, which include a 5-Star overall New Car Assessment Program rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the current model.

Manufacturing

GM is investing $435 million in the production of the next-generation Chevrolet Volt at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant and at the Brownstown, (Mich.) Battery Assembly Plant, where its lithium-ion battery pack is produced.

The new drive unit will be manufactured at GM's Powertrain plant in Warren, Mich., and the 1.5L engine will be manufactured at GM's Toluca, Mexico engine plant for the first year of production, then shift to the Flint, Mich. engine plant.

Since its introduction in late 2010, the Volt has established southeast Michigan as the hub of vehicle electrification development and manufacturing.  The next-generation Volt will feature approximately 70 percent U.S. and Canadian components within its first year of production, a nearly 20-percent increase from the first generation.

FOUR CHEVROLET MODELS ARE 2015 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICKS

 

By General Motors, Detroit - The 2015 Chevrolet Spark, Volt, Malibu and Equinox have been named 2015 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Picks.

The designation goes to models that achieve a good or acceptable rating in the challenging small overlap front test - introduced in 2012 - and a good rating in each of the Institute's four other crashworthiness evaluations - moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints.

"Receiving this recognition from IIHS for the 2015 Spark, Volt, Malibu and Equinox is great news for Chevrolet and even greater news for our customers," said Steven Majoros, director, Chevrolet Cars and Crossover Marketing.

IIHS is a nonprofit organization wholly supported by auto insurers.  For 2015, the number of models earning either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ awards rose from 39 to 71 compared to a year ago.

"Consumer metric programs such as IIHS Top Safety Pick and NHTSA NCAP provide our customers with information to make comparisons across vehicle manufacturers for a given market segment.  Having these four vehicles named 2015 IIHS Top Safety Picks is a great achievement," said Jeff Boyer, GM vice president, Global Vehicle Safety.

GM HOPES DYNAMIC SKIP FIRE WILL NET 15% MPG IMPROVEMENT

 

By Chris Bruce, Autoblog.com - Cylinder deactivation seems poised to get a major upgrade in improving fuel efficiency thanks to a solution called Dynamic Skip Fire from Tula Technology.  As opposed to the traditional approach of shutting off a fixed set of cylinders, DSF constantly monitors all of them and decides whether or not to apply spark based on the driver's torque demand.  It can allegedly improve fuel economy by around 15 percent without changing an engine's overall power output.

The key to DSF is using signal processing software to monitor the entire engine.  It's primarily a software solution, but some extra complexity is added because each cylinder needs to be equipped with deactivation hardware.  However, according to Tula CEO Scott Bailey, this is fundamentally the same equipment that exists today; the processing power just wasn't available before to make these types of dynamic decisions happen.

Of course, altering the fire order constantly could introduce some pretty gnarly vibrations to the engine.  According to Bailey, the software is constantly asking, "Do we need to fire for torque or not?"  If the answer is year, then the affect on vibration is also considered, and the software allows the appropriate cylinder to spark.  It can work on practically any multi-cylinder engine whether inline or in some other configuration.

Bailey couldn't specifically say when we might see DSF on sale in production vehicles, but "the technology is viewed as production worthy."  General Motors Ventures is among Tula's investors, and the company says the technology could appear in some of its future models.  The business is also working with other global automakers to possibly bring the solution to market.