General Motors

In a series of tweets today, Trump announced that General Motors will be selling their Lordstown plant to electric truck maker Workhorse. Lordstown was shut down in March of this year and formerly built the Chevrolet Cruze. The details of the plant sale have not yet been announced. Workhorse is a Cincinnati based company who builds EV pickups with a built in range extender, similar in concept to the Chevrolet Volt. Workhorse's sole model is the W-15, capable of driving up to 80 miles on a charge before a gasoline powered range extender kicks in. It uses two motors to provide all-wheel drive. The only configuration available is an extended cab with 6.5 foot bed. Th…

There will be one less engine option for the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain come the 2020 model year. The Car Connection first reported the news on the Equinox yesterday morning, while Autoblog followed with the Terrain news later in the day. Both stories reported the same reason for cancellation, they didn't sell. "We did discontinue the diesel engine option in the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox due to low demand," said Chevrolet spokesman Kevin Kelly. The news doesn't come as a shock to us. Diesel engines have gotten a bad rap since the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal came to light, causing sales to drop. The value argument was also tough for both models. A dies…

Buyers can't get enough of GM's midsize trucks. The company says that the Chevrolet Colorado only sit on dealer lots for an average 12 days before being snapped up. This is causing dealers to asking to ask for more trucks. GM's Wentzville, Mo plant is already pumping out as many as they can. But GM has a found a few ways to wring out a few more models. Automotive News reports that the plant has recently instituted a broader schedule reshuffling which saw a unpaid lunch break be cut to eliminate a six-minute production lull which means an extra 18 minutes of production in a three shift day and more importantly - an extra 3,500 trucks per year. GM is also hiring as man…

The industry's first true hands-free driver-assistance technology allowing drivers to travel hands-free over 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the U.S. and Canada is coming to 6 model year 2022 vehicles with new capabilities. Super Cruise New Capabilities: Trailering - Customers will be able to trailer their boat, camper and more while driving hands-free. Automatic lane change - The technology can indicate when a lane change is optimal and initiate the maneuver, while following signaling protocols. Enhanced navigation display - Super Cruise compatible roads will be displayed in the in-vehicle navigation systems for vehicles equipped with th…

General Motors and Bechtel are teaming up to form a new company to deploy a widespread fast-charging network. Neither company plans to put any money into the project, outside investors are being solicited. The network will help General Motors, which plans to introduce 20 new EVs by 2023. It will also help other manufacturers of EVs. General Motors will provide data to help decide where to locate the EV charging stations and Bechtel will use its own experts for the engineering and building of the stations. Much of the data will come from GM's OnStar system to help learn where people tend to park. Data from both electric and gasoline powered vehicles will be used. …

Today is not a pleasant day if you're a white collar employee at General Motors. Last Friday, reports came out that GM would begin significant layoffs on their white-collar workforce. Back in November, GM announced that it would be slashing 8,000 white-collar workers as part of plans to reduce costs. Already, 2,250 workers have agreed to voluntary buyouts. This leaves 5,750 workers waiting to be cut. But a GM spokesman Pat Morrissey said the number of people being laid off will be roughly around 4,000 people. Morrissey also confirmed that the layoffs will take around two weeks to complete. "This will be implemented staff-by-staff and location-by-location over t…

General Motors is dialing back on production as it currently has too many vehicles in inventory. The Detroit News reports that General Motors at the end of November had 874,000 vehicles sitting around - a number that hasn't been seen since the 2008 financial crisis. Compared to the same time last year, the number of vehicles has increased by 182,000 units. More worrying is that compared to October, the number of unsold vehicles rose by 40,000. Despite strong sales, more consumers are going with crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks. GM even increased incentives on a number of models to help relieve this glut, all to no avail. According to Autodata, this is amount …

General Motors will be heading to court on January 11th to face the first of several planned 'bellwether' cases over its defective ignition switch. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan rejected GM's claims to dismiss the case as the plaintiff provided sufficient evidence to justify letting a jury hear whether or not the switch caused or enhanced injuries in a crash. The case in question was brought to court by Robert Scheuer who crashed into two trees in Oklahoma on May 28, 2014. The Saturn Ion he was driving did not deploy the front airbags, which he says is a result of a defective ignition switch. Furman's decision "paves the way for t…

General Motors is launching a new brand to sell electric bikes in Europe. The brand, ARĪV (pronounced Arrive) will launch first in German, Belgium, and the Netherlands, countries where lithium-ion powered bikes are already popular. Two models will be offered, the Meld at 2,800€ and the foldable Merge (shown above) at 3,400€. Both bikes include Bluetooth technology for riders to track metrics such as speed, distance, battery level, and more. A USB port is included to help charge riders phones while underway. GM's experience in automotive EV technology was used for developing the powertrain on these bikes. The motor provides top of the segment torque for it…

General Motors is the latest automaker that is preparing for an emissions-free future. Today at GM's technical center in Warren, MI, the company announced plans to introduce 20 electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2023. The first two models of this plan will launch in the next 18 months and will be "based off learnings" from the Chevrolet Bolt. “General Motors believes in an all-electric future. Although that future won't happen overnight, GM is committed to driving increased usage and acceptance of electric vehicles through no-compromise solutions that meet our customers' needs,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president of Product Development, Purchasing…

General Motors is planning to expand the use of start-stop systems across most of their range by 2020 in an effort to improve fleetwide fuel economy. The plan will see at one powertrain combination offered in a vehicle to have this system. Stop-start systems work by turning off the engine when the vehicle isn't moving. When the driver removes his/her foot from the brake, the engine will kick back on. This move comes as the EPA will start handing out credits towards compliance with corporate average fuel economy standards to automakers who use this system in their vehicles next year. "Everyone will end up adding start-stop. Now there's a benefit in the EPA cycle, w…

The news isn't getting any better at General Motors' CAMI plant where workers have been on strike for a month after the automaker and Canadian union Unifor were unable to reach an agreement. Already, the strike has caused GM to make adjustments and idle some of their plants in North America, and there are concerns about the shrinking stock of Chevrolet Equinoxes. But now the stakes have been raised. According to Reuters and Automotive News, General Motors issued a warning to leaders at Unifor that it will start winding down production of the Equinox at CAMI unless the strike is called off. Unifor leader Jerry Dias was told by GM officials that the automaker would be…

GM released power figures today for the new inline 6-cylinder diesel engine that will be available in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Available at the same price as the 6.2 liter model, GM promises the new engine will change perceptions about diesel performance and refinement. GM recently announced the delay of the 3.0-liter diesel until the 2020 model year due to emissions certification delays. Paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, the diesel produces an SAE-certified 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque with 95 percent of that torque being available at just 1,250 RPM. Torque peak comes at 1500 rpm and peak horsepower at 3750 rpm. The power…

William Maley Editor/Reporter- CheersandGears.com March 7, 2012 Last week, General Motors and PSA announced a new alliance that would have the two sharing components and give stronger purchasing power for both. The deal is "an additional tool to the toolkit in Europe" said GM Vice Chairman Stephen Girsky to reporters. When asked what would come next in GM's plan to save Opel, Girsky declined. "We can't tell you what our play is in Europe. We will tell you when it plays out over the next period of months and years ... I don't see the play in Europe showing up in one big bang." This has everyone worried about what the next move will be for Opel. Currently, European pro…

Negotiators have been meeting daily since the UAW went on strike on September 16th and according to sources, the two sides are nearing a deal as talks have intensified over the last 48 hours. All of the issues have reached the "Main Table" and are out of subcommittee which is a sign that a deal is imminent. The initial offer from GM included $7 billion in investments in eight of its US facilities, while also adding 5,400 new jobs. The UAW rejected the initial offer saying that it wasn't enough in terms of pay raises, healthcare, and tenure requirements. GM also offered an $8,000 signing bonus per member to accept the deal. The primary issues are GM's use of te…

With Ram offering a small diesel and Ford announcing that next F-150 will be considerably lighter, GM is considering all options with their pickups to raise fuel economy. One of those options happens to be a 4.5L Diesel V8 that was planned to go into their pickups five years ago. Steve Kiefer, GM's vice president of global powertrain tells Automotive News that GM is considering dusting off that engine and slip it into their new trucks. "We are looking closely at diesel entrees in that segment. In fact, I heard the terms 'dust off' that 4½-liter at one point. That is certainly one of the options. Clearly, we have a portfolio of diesel engines," said Kiefer. Source: Auto…

Another twist in the General Motors' ignition switch recall story. Automotive News reports that the company may have a possible legal shield from lawsuits stemming from the recall. During the restructuring process, GM negotiated with state attorney generals and consumer groups to carry product liability on vehicle faults after it left bankruptcy in 2009. Those faults prior to 2009 would need to take it up with old GM. So far, any lawsuits brought against the company for pre-2009 faults have gone nowhere. "It is true that new GM did not assume liability for claims arising from incidents or accidents occurring prior to July 2009.Our principle throughout this process has be…

Last night, workers at General Motors' CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario went on strike. GM and Unifor Local 88 - the group that represents about 2,750 workers at the plant - were unable to reach a tentative contract before a deadline of 10:59 P.M. last night. This is the first time since 1996 that Canadian autoworkers went on strike against an automaker. "While General Motors of Canada and our Unifor partners have made very positive progress on several issues over the past weeks, the Company is disappointed that we were not able to complete a new agreement. We encourage Unifor to resume negotiations and to continue working together to secure a competitive ag…

Mary Barra, General Motors' CEO tells USA Today in an interview that the company is "among the leaders" in the development of self-driving cars. Now this claim seems a bit dubious since the only pieces of self-driving technologies that GM is working on is the Super Cruise system that will be debuting on the Cadillac CT6. and the company disclosing that it's running a fleet of driverless Volts at the Warren Technical Center. The remaining efforts are being kept confidential at the moment. "Things are moving quickly in autonomous (cars) because there's so many different pathways and the standards aren't even set. A lot of people can claim leads because people are making…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2013 Tesla has apparently gotten under the skin of General Motors' CEO Dan Akerson. As we reported back in July, Akerson created a group to study Tesla and how it could effect the company. Now, Akerson wants to take on Tesla with Cadillac. “If you want to compete head-to-head with Tesla, and we ultimately will, you want to do it with a Cadillac,” Akerson said to The Detroit News. Akerson went on to indicate that he would like to compete with Tesla Model S directly. “But I do think when the (Cadillac) ELR comes out late this year, early next — it’s certainly in the same postal code as Tesla, but now we’re …

By the end of next year, GM's self-driving car unit was planning to have a fleet of self-driving taxis available those in San Fransisco, California. But a new report from Reuters casts some serious doubts on this goal. Speaking to a number of current and former GM and Cruise Automation employees, and autonomous vehicle technology experts, Reuters' report paints a picture of various issues that could derail Cruise's goal. The driverless Cruise vehicles (Chevrolet Bolt EVs) have struggled to determine whether objects on the road are moving or stationary. Example: Vehicles have stopped or hesitated when driving past a group of parked bicycles or motorcycles. …

The Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Volt have entered that great used car lot in the sky as of February 15th according to a GM announcement. The Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala were originally scheduled to end production in June of 2019 but have now had their production schedules extended until January 2020. GM states that the reason for the extension is to allow for continued availability of the CT6-V, Blackwing Twin-Turbo V8, and Super Cruise. The Cadillac CT6 is also built in Jinqiao, China. GM had announced the closure of 5 plants back in November, including Hamtramck. Lordstown Ohio will be the first plant to be unallocated with production stopping March 1st. …

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 2, 2012 General Motors released their second quarter earnings report and the results are a bit disappointing. The company posted a net income of $1.5 billion and a revenue of $37.6 billion. Those numbers are significantly down from the same figures in the second quarter of 2011, when GM posted a net income of $2.5 billion and a revenue of $39.4 billion. That's a drop of 40% in income and a 4.6% drop in revenue. This announcement comes a day after GM released their sales results for July, which saw sales drop by 6% compared to 2011 sales. Part of the decline was due to declining fleet and rental sales. The other pa…

This story started back in January 2022 at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, where GM CEO Mary Barra revealed that the Cadillac CELESTIQ, the Halo top-of-the-line car for Cadillac, would debut the next generation of Super Cruise, Ultra Cruise. To ensure maximum coverage of its surroundings, vehicles equipped with Ultra Cruise would use the following: High-resolution cameras Short and Long-range radar Sonar Lidar Super Cruise a less sophisticated system is already available on almost all GM vehicles allowing for hands free driving on over 400,000 roadways that GM has mapped out. GM is claiming that with Ultra …

This week, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, and General Motors begin talks with Unifor, Canada’s auto workers union for new agreements. GM will likely have the most contentious talks as workers at GM's Oshawa plant don't know what the future holds after 2018. The plant has already lost a third shift and about 1,000 jobs when it moved production of the Camaro to Lansing last year. Next year will see the end of production of the Chevrolet Equinox, leaving just the Buick Regal and Cadillac XTS. GM has said time and time again for the past two years that it needs to know labor costs before making any decisions on the plant, only causing the worry to increase. “The com…

G. Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 9th, 2012 Despite its limited application as the basis for the Australian Holden Commodore sedan and Chevrolet Camaro coupe, GM North American President Mark Reuss says the rear-wheel drive Zeta platform is still a relevant global architecture for cars. Speaking to Australia’s GoAuto at this month’s New York Auto Show, the former Holden boss defended what has been called an “orphaned” platform, saying that Zeta would continue as long as sales in Australia would support it and exports remained healthy, and that it currently still figures in GM’s global strategy. “It’s still a global rear-wheel drive architecture, so w…

Last year, federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the F.B.I. opened an investigation into General Motors into its handling of the ignition switch defect. The investigation focused on whether the automaker failed to comply with federal safety laws stating that an automaker must disclose vehicle defects in a timely fashion and misleading federal regulators on the full extent of problem. The result of their investigation showed that GM did commit criminal wrongdoing. The New York Times reports investigators from the Justice Department have found criminal wrongdoing in the failure of GM of disclosing a defect tied to at least 104 deaths. People briefed on the inquiry say th…

Despite GM's recall of over 1.6 million vehicles due to faulty ignition switches, two new lawsuits allege that the company hasn't recalled them all. Bloomberg reports that one lawsuit has been filed in San Francisco's federal court states that faulty ignition switch problem is present in the 2010 Cobalt, a model that isn't in the current recall by GM. Another lawsuit filed in Alabama states that GM knew of defects with Cobalts built before April 2009 due in part to technical service bulletins issued to dealers. The TSBs stated that keys may "stick" or "bind" in the switch of non-recalled Cobalts and other vehicles. “We will not comment specifically on the suit or pendin…

Back in early May, we reported that electric truck maker Workhorse was in talks with General Motors to buy the shuttered Lordstown Assembly plant that formerly built the Chevrolet Cruze. The plan seemed founded more on hopes and dreams rather than actual financial reality. Workhorse's only model, the W-15 is a truck with an 80 mile range and a built in range extender, has not exactly been climbing the sales charts. In fact, the company booked only $6,000 in sales in the 2nd quarter of 2019, roughly $70 per day. Following that report, the company's stock plunged 35%. Deliveries of the truck are currently on hold and will resume in the 4th quarter this year. There is c…

Lordstown Motors, the outfit affiliated with the hybrid truck manufacturer Workhorse is still aiming to buy the Lordstown assembly facility from General Motors. They have been in talks with GM since the summer and are aiming to build their headquarters in Lordstown because of the availability of the workforce. It would not just include manufacturing, but sales, human resources, and engineering positions would be there too. The plant would be a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing. They want to design and supply EV components not just to GM, but to many manufacturers. Wiring harnesses, electric motors, and other components would all be manufactured at the plant al…

GM's Lordstown facility has been sold to startup Lordstown Motors. Lordstown Motors will produce the Workhorse Endurance pickup truck, an all-electric truck, at the site. The Endurance has all-wheel drive via 4 motors, one for each wheel. It also has outlets to allow for the use of power tools. Workhorse is also in the bidding to make plug-in mail trucks for the U.S. Postal Service. Workhorse has 6,000 orders for a truck based on the W-15 Prototype, and those orders would be moved to Lordstown for production. Workhorse is targeting fleet buyers. With fewer moving parts and lower fuel costs, it could translate to lower cost-to-own for fleet operators. Lordst…

Aside from announcing fourth-quarter sales numbers, General Motors had another big announcement today. GM's Product chief Mark Reuss will succeed Dan Ammann as the company's president. The appointment is effective immediately according to the company. “I am very proud to have spent my entire career at General Motors, and to now take on this new role is truly a great honor. With our current lineup of outstanding cars, trucks, and crossovers around the world, I’m looking forward to keeping our momentum going at full speed,” said Reuss in a statement. In November, GM announced Ammann would step down as GM President to take charge of GM's Cruise Automation unit. …

Today at a media briefing, General Motors unveiled their next-generation EcoTec engine family. The family will go into production later this year and promises to be more refined and efficient than before. The engine family is made up of eleven different three and four-cylinder engines ranging in displacement of 1.0 to 1.5 liters. Both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged engines will be on offer and the engines have been designed with hybrid and alternate fuel configurations in the future. Power will range from 75 to 165 horsepower and 70 to 184 pound-feet or torque. "The new Ecotec architecture represents the most advanced and efficient family of small-car gas engines …

The US House Energy and Commerce Committee announced late this week that they have scheduled a hearing on the General Motors Ignition Switch recall on April 1st. Testifying in the hearing will be GM CEO Mary Barra and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head David Friedman. The hearing will look into the timing and response of GM and NHTSA over the problem and recall. "We look forward to hearing from both Mary Barra and Administrator Friedman. Their testimony is critical to understanding what the company and NHTSA knew about the safety problems, when they knew it, and what was done about it," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ov…

New documents released by congressional investigators last week are putting some doubt onto GM's own internal investigation and legal proceedings. The Wall Street Journal reports that new documents show Doug Parks, vice president of product programs was aware of the ignition switch problems on the Chevrolet Cobalt as early as 2005. At the time, Parks was the chief engineer on the Cobalt and Saturn Ion. On May 2, 2005, he was involved in a email chain with a dealer over a customer wanting the dealer to buy back his vehicle because the ignition switch moves out of the "run" position too easily. Parks responded by suggesting "coming up with a plug" to place on the key to re…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 17, 2012 While GM showed off the new full-size trucks this past week, they are still busy working on the new full-size SUVs. GM North American President Mark Reuss told the Detroit Free Press that redesigned versions of the automaker's full-size SUVs - Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL will be arriving in 2014. Reuss didn't give an explanation as to why there is a delay to the full-size SUVs. While the popularity of SUVs have falter somewhat, they still represent a important part of GM's lineup. Reuss said that GM owns a 70% share of the SUV market. Source: Detroit Free Press William Maley…

Yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced they would open a formal investigation into the timeliness of GM's ignition switch recall. The recall affects over 1.6 million vehicles which are, 2005-07 Chevrolet Cobalt 2006-07 Chevrolet HHR 2005-07 Pontiac G5 2006-07 Pontiac Solstice 2003-07 Saturn Ion 2006-07 Saturn Sky In a statement, NHTSA says “opened an investigation into the timeliness of General Motors’ recall of faulty ignition switches to determine whether GM properly followed the legal processes and requirements for reporting recalls.” This investigation could cost GM dearly. The Detroit News reports NHTSA c…

Order guides are an interesting guide as they give us information on what's coming down the pipeline for a certain models. Such is the case for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon that will be going on sale later this year. Truck Trend got their hands on the order guides for both models and found out some intriguing information. Extended Cab models of both trucks will come standard with the 2.5L direct-injected four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. That's up from the 193 horsepower and 184 pound-feet GM said earlier this year. A six-speed manual is standard across the range, with a six-speed automatic being optional. Max towing is rated…

If you are planning to order a Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon Diesel, you might want to put those plans on hold. Members on the ColoradoFans.com have been wondering where their trucks are. Originally, it was expected that the Colorado and Canyon Diesels would begin arriving at dealers this fall, but that time has passed and trucks aren't at dealers. Ask a member what their experience has been like and it will likely go like this: I ordered a truck weeks ago, the delivery date keeps getting pushed back, and GM and dealers aren't explaining why. The Truth About Cars decided to investigate. They got a hold of GMC spokesman Brian Goebel who said, "Those trucks are s…

PSA Group is demanding a refund from General Motors of between $711 million and $948 million stemming from the purchase of Opel by PSA. PSA is claiming that GM misrepresented Opel's emissions reduction strategy during the due diligence negotiations. EU Emissions regulations for 2021 set a target reduction of 130 g/km to 95 g/km. Regulators can fine manufacturers $113 per vehicle per gram over the limit. Any vehicle at the 130 g/km limit today would see fines of $3,955 per car sold. PSA claims that GM's plan for reaching that target relied on unrealistically high sales of the Opel Ampera-E, the European model of the US built Chevrolet Bolt EV, and extra rosy…

GM reported an income of $2.5 Billion for the third quarter of 2018 today with strong showings in North America, China, and GM Financial. Automotive operating cash flow was up by $1.3 billion to $2.5 billion. Overall earnings per share diluted was $1.75. In North America, margin is up to 10.2% driven mostly by sales of all-new full-size trucks and continued good sales of crossovers, China reported equity income of $0.5 billion, while GM Financial reported revenues of $0.5 billion. During the period, GM delivered nearly 700,000 vehicles in the US with average transaction prices of $36,000. In China, sales were up 10% year to date to nearly 836,000 vehicles. In…

Revealed! 2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer Concept By "black-knight" C&G Editor/Reporter 9th November, 2011 Dinosaurs. Sabre-Toothed Tigers. Megalodons. Cheap V8-powered, mid-sized muscle coupes. Large, rear-drive Cadillacs. Truck-based mid-sized SUVs. These are all things that have wound up extinct or virtually endangered to the point of complete extinction. But once in a rare while, sometimes a species can save itself and rise triumphantly from the point of sinking completely into the primordial ooze (organic, automotive, or otherwise). Out of the groups mentioned above, one may just do that. Of course, I'm talking about truck-based mid-sized S…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 12, 2013 General Motors has unveiled today its next-generation of full-size SUVs, including the 2015 Chevy Tahoe, Suburban, and the GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, and Yukon Denali. Much like the Silverado and Sierra, the Chevrolet and GMC SUVs have different styling on the front ends with different front clips and headlights. From the A-Pillar back, the SUVs are the same with inlaid doors that tuck into the door sills to provide better aero and refinement. General Motors also used aluminum for the hood and tailgate to help reduce weight. Inside, the SUVs get massive changes. The second and third-row seats now fold flat…

Ford pulled off a bit of coup at the Detroit Auto Show last month with the introduction of the 2015 F-150 which features an all-aluminum body to help meet the upcoming fuel efficiency standards. Now, another truck maker looks to be following in the footsteps of the blue oval. The Wall Street Journal has learned from sources familiar with the matter that General Motors is working on making the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra have aluminum bodies. The company has secured contracts with with Alcoa and Novelis Inc. to supply aluminum for the next-generation trucks, due out in late 2018. GM's global product development chief, Mark Reuss hinted at the compa…

We've known for some time that both Tesla and General Motors would soon be reaching the 200,000 sales mark for electrics, meaning that $7,500 tax credit would begin phasing out. Yesterday, we reported Tesla cut prices on their 2019 model year vehicles to soften the blow. But what about GM? A source told Reuters that GM hit the 200,000 model milestone during the fourth quarter of last year - most likely happening in December. This begins the 15-month phase-out which will see the credit drop to $3,750 in April, $1,875 in October, and then disappear next April. GM declined to comment about this, but we're likely to find out later this morning as the company will be anno…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 12, 2012 Motor Trend is reporting that General Motors and Aisin have come to an agreement dealing with transmissions. The report says General Motors is working on eight-speed transmissions for longitudinal (RWD/AWD) and transverse (FWD/AWD) applications. A source tells the magazine that the eight-speed transmissions for longitudinal applications aren't quite ready. The source goes onto say that General Motors have reached an agreement with Aisin to supply transmissions for one year. The transmissions would be likely used in the Cadillac ATS, and the upcoming Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Corvette. Source: Motor T…

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 28, 2012 Last Wednesday, we reported on talks between General Motors and Peugeot-Citroën on a possible alliance. Now, Reuters is reporting the talks have gone into advance stages and General Motors could be buying up a small share. Reuters has learned from a couple sources at both companies that General Motors would purchase 5% of Peugeot-Citroën as part of their alliance deal. The stake could be worth $240 million dollars at Peugeot's current market value of $4.8 billion. Sources say the deal could be announced within the next few days, but caution that an agreement has not been reached and the talks could…

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 20, 2013 Edmunds has learned from industry sources that General Motors is considering a three-cylinder engine for the Cadillac ELR and Chevrolet Volt. The reason for the three-cylinder is to help reduce fuel consumption and vehicle weight, something CEO Dan Akerson mentioned during a speech at a Houston energy conference a couple weeks ago. The proposed idea would have the 1.4L four-cylinder that is used in the Volt and ELR to be replaced by either a 1.0 or 1.2L three-cylinder engine that is currently being developed by GM and its partners in China. If given the green light, the engine would appear in the Volt r…

General Motors has put a rush on the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra to counter Ford's F-150. According to Reuters, GM has pushed up the launch date of their next-generation pickups, codenamed T1XX, by nine months to the fall of 2018. The new trucks will undergo a diet much like the new F-150. Full-size SUVs will follow a year after. While this will trail the next F-150 by four years, supplier sources says GM has a lot in store for its next-generation trucks, including a ten-speed automatic being jointly developed with Ford, direct-injection, turbocharging, and auto stop/start technologies. In the meantime, some of GM's current trucks and SUVs will ge…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 21, 2012 The folks at Camaro5.org got their hands on General Motors service document on decoding VIN number on 2014 model year vehicles for dealers and found some interesting information. First is the 2014 Camaro which features a listing of the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine from the current Corvette Z06 (505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque). Speculation has it being for a new Camaro model, the rumored Z28 model. Next, the document references a LF3 engine which is noted as "ENGINE GAS, 6 CYL, 3.6L, SIDI, DOHC, VVT, ALUM, TWIN TURBO". In plain English, it could be the long rumored 3.6L twin-turbo V6. The document doesn't…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 14, 2013 General Motors' current CEO, Dan Akerson, could be stepping down as early as next year, according to a report from Reuters. Sources tells Reuters that Akerson hasn't formally notified GM's board of directors of any plan to step down, but could come to fruition some next year. "I assume at some point he (Akerson) will decide he has done what he has wanted to do and will step down, but no one has a date for that," said a source. Now the board has a succession plan in place if Akerson makes a decision to step down. But according to sources, the board hasn't set a timeframe to begin a search for a new CEO…

The tentative agreement between General Motors and Canadian union Unifor has a $400 million investment going to Oshawa for a new product. Unifor President Jerry Dias said at a press briefing yesterday morning that Oshawa would be the only GM plant that will build cars and trucks. Neither side is saying what that product might be. But Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail has learned from sources that Oshawa will be handling the final assembly of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Truck bodies from GM's Fort Wayne Assembly in Indiana will travel to Oshawa to have interiors installed and final assembly. The Detroit News reports something similar, although their so…

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 16, 2012 There is a new report from Australia saying Holden will be announcing a new export program to bring the next generation of the Commodore sedan codenamed VF to America as the new Chevrolet SS sedan. If and when this announcement, this could end the long running speculation, ranging from a U.S. trademark filling to an OnStar leak. The report from News.com.au also ties the announcement to it being the replacement for the current NASCAR Impala. Also, the report brings up Holden doing tests of left-hand drive models of the Commodore and comparing it to the Dodge Charger. Source: News.com.au View full ar…

General Motors might have figured out what caused the Volt to catch on fire in a NHTSA storage yard back in June. A source tells the Associated Press the cause of the fire is the coolant used in batteries to help keep them cool. The coolant didn't catch on fire, but crystallized and caused a short circuit. But just as that information was coming out, Reuters learned from a couple sources that GM is closing in on a package of proposed fixes for the battery pack. The fixes include laminating the circuitry in the Volt's 400-pound battery pack, reinforcing the case surrounding the lithium-ion battery and better protecting the coolant system from leaks in a severe crash. Th…

Yesterday, we brought forth some spy photos of a new GMC subcompact crossover. At the time, we couldn't be certain to this as the two mules caught were under a lot of camouflage. But today we are confident in this as a fresh set of spy photos have come in revealing next Buick Encore and Chevrolet Trax. Both of the mules seen in the photos were caught testing on General Motors' proving grounds outside of Detroit. The Encore appears to be taking the evolutionary approach with its redesign. There is still the rounded shape and rising glass on the rear doors. A similar grille design to the Regal is up front. Chevrolet is taking a more drastic approach with the next Trax.…