Car Blog

Chevrolet is harnessing the power of the sun to install solar-powered electric charging stations for its Volts at dealerships in North America. The Green Zone initiative will generate electricity equivalent to 12 full vehicle charges per day and excess electricity created will help supplement the dealership’s power needs.

“The Chevrolet Green Zone will provide our U.S. dealers with added flexibility when it comes to charging their vehicles, while also reinforcing GM’s commitment to renewable energy projects,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Global Chevrolet Marketing and Strategy.

American Chevrolet in Modesto, Calif., and Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc, Mich., are the first U.S. dealerships to complete their solar charging capability by installing Green Zones on their property.

“The question isn’t whether to install a solar canopy, it’s where and how many,” said Joe Serra, president of Serra Automotive. “It’s a win for us because the electricity generated will help reduce operating costs, and it’s a win for the environment since solar power helps reduce our carbon footprint.” Read the rest of this entry »

Finished parts for prototypes and concepts come from powder and liquid in just hours

Deep inside the GM Design building where future products from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac take shape and substance, an elite team fashions components, intricate sub assembles and entire scale model cars from highly specialized three-dimensional rapid prototyping manufacturing equipment.

In an already secure building, access to the RP Lab requires additional clearance because of the work performed there, Operating around the clock, the highly trained team of technicians is vital to the global base of GM designers, aerodynamicists and engineers who achieve huge gains in creativity, flexibility and accuracy along with dramatic savings in time and money.

The Rapid Prototype Laboratory features two fabrication processes — selective laser sintering (SLS) and stereo lithography apparatus (SLA). Both processes build up finished products from raw material in layers. Read the rest of this entry »

Next-Generation midsize car to be sold in nearly 100 Countries on Six Continents

The all-new Malibu will transcend time zones and embrace the diversity of cultures around the world when Chevrolet simultaneously unveils it live at the Shanghai Auto Show and on Chevrolet’s Facebook page.

Consumers are encouraged to post questions during the reveal on Twitter using #MalibuReveal or on Chevrolet’s Facebook page in the Malibu tab. Members of the Chevrolet team will be on hand to answer questions during a live moderated question-and-answer session following the web reveal.

The timing of the Web reveal coincides with the April 19 auto show debut of the new Malibu in Shanghai. The Malibu show car will also be shown at the New York International Auto Show, which is open to the public April 23 through May 1.

“This Malibu takes Chevrolet’s established and award-winning nameplate to new places and introduces it to new audiences around the world,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet. “Whether the Malibu is sold in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia, it has been engineered from the ground up to meet the needs of customers around the world.”

The Malibu will feature a global family of fuel-efficient and powerful four-cylinder engines, along with six-speed transmissions that also contribute to efficient performance. The Malibu was designed to stand out in all markets around the globe, while its European-inspired driving characteristics were engineered to challenge the best in its class. The new Malibu is Chevrolet’s first midsize car to be sold globally. It will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents and built in multiple locations, including China and two facilities in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

Chevrolet sold 1.1 million vehicles worldwide in the first three months of 2011, a 15 percent increase over the first quarter of 2010 and the brand’s best first-quarter results ever.

“This is a great way to kick off Chevrolet’s Centennial year,” said Joel Ewanick, GM Global Chief Marketing Officer. “Our first quarter results are a clear indication that consumers are responding to our new product line, which only happens when you truly listen to the customer. Chevrolet has developed strong connections with consumers in key markets across South America, Europe, and Asia. We look forward to strengthening those connections as we introduce Chevrolet to Korea, and as we introduce a growing lineup of global vehicles that build on the successful launch of the Chevrolet Cruze.”

Chevrolet grows momentum around the world

Last year, Chevrolet was the only top-five global vehicle brand to grow total market share – accounting for about 5.8 percent of all vehicles sold worldwide.

That strong momentum continued in the first three months of 2011, as Chevrolet recorded double-digit sales gains over the same period last year in four of its five top markets, including: Read the rest of this entry »

Z06 Centennial Edition to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach sale

Chevrolet, founded by a racing pioneer 100 years ago, celebrates its performance heritage with the 2012 Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette, which features a sleek black color scheme, unique design elements and Corvette’s trademark sports car technology.

The 2012 Centennial Edition package will be available on all Corvette models – including Grand Sport, Z06 and ZR1 – starting this summer.

The special package was inspired by Chevrolet’s racing-bred foundation, which continues with Corvette’s international racing excellence and production sports car prominence.

“Racing and performance are the roots of Chevrolet, a tradition carried forward today by Corvette,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “The Centennial Edition not only celebrates our 100 years, it once again pushes Corvette forward for a new generation of sports car fans.”

Chevrolet will auction a Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 9, with the proceeds to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. It will be the 100th 2012 Corvette off the assembly line, with a vehicle identification number ending in “00100.”

The Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette expresses racing heritage, but does so with a sleek, modern, even sinister-looking appearance. The Centennial Edition package comes exclusively in Carbon Flash Metallic, with satin-black graphics and unique Centennial Satin Black wheels and red brake calipers. The wheels are constructed of lightweight cast-spun aluminum and include a thin red outline around the perimeter of its surface on the Z06. The wheels are specific to the respective Corvette models, including 18-inch/19-inch for Coupe, Convertible and Grand Sport; and 19-inch/20-inch for Z06 and ZR1. Read the rest of this entry »

40 Bloggers Participate in the Chevrolet and OnStar Road Trip Challenge

OnStar-equipped Chevrolet vehicles will come to life and join the social conversation by posting updates to dedicated Twitter accounts as they travel to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin this week.  Used for the first time in external testing, the tweeting cars along with their blogger drivers will tell their own stories of the Chevrolet and OnStar Road Trip Challenge to SXSW.

Ten teams of four bloggers will represent their city on the excursion. Equipped with OnStar Directions and Connections service, a mobile phone loaded with OnStar mobile apps and Autonet Wi-Fi units for passengers, teams will document their experiences as they travel from all directions doing good deeds and raising money for Adopt-A-Classroom through their social media outreach. The hope is the Chevrolet vehicles will build a social following along with their teams during the March 8-10 road trip.

“We are excited to make a number of our advanced OnStar social media interaction technologies exclusively available to our road-trip bloggers and get their first-hand feedback,” said Nick Pudar, vice president of business development and planning, OnStar.

“While it will be fun to see the cars join the conversation, the tweeting car demonstrates the potential we see for software that uses social media tools to create intelligent, customized mobility services that interpret drivers’ intent and help them to access highly relevant and personalized information in the vehicle.”

During the road trip, the drivers will have an exclusive opportunity to use and provide direct feedback on existing services like OnStar MyLink, a mobile application that provides remote vehicle connectivity to select 2011 Chevrolet vehicles. Bloggers will also review services that are in public testing including the Voice Communication App and Audio Facebook Updates. Through these tools, bloggers can send and receive text messages, Facebook updates and Twitter messages using only their voice so that they can keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Read the rest of this entry »