William Maley

Volvo Cars of North America's CEO Tony Nicolosi recently sat down with Automotive News and said the company wants to have one percent of the American marketplace within the five years. That represents around 150,000 to 160,000 vehicles. A bit ambitious considering the brand only sold 61,000 vehicles last year. To help reach this goal, the company plans on launching a product offensive that begins early next year with the XC90. "Once you see us get to XC90 next March, doors open and in dealerships, you will see a new product launch on an annual basis -- and sometimes less than every year. Within six months of the XC90 launch, we will have a plug-in hybrid version. We have told our dealers that by the end of 2017, the XC90 will be the oldest car in their showroom," said Nicolosi. Nicolosi also talked about Volvo's new Drive-E engine family, which are all four-cylinders that feature turbo or turbo/supercharging. He said the new family will appear in all Volvo models except the upcoming XC90. "It is no longer about cylinders; it is about performance and fuel economy. We can achieve the performance of a six- and eight- with a four-cylinder engine. The days of counting cylinders are behind us." As the V40, Nicolosi said the company has no plans on bringing the current one over, but could reconsider when the new one is due out in a couple years. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Lu Guanqiu is the chairman and founder of China's Wanxiang Group Corp., which happens to be the new owner of Fisker Automotive. In a interview with Bloomberg, Lu says the company will be making significant investments into the troubled automaker. "“I’ll put every cent that Wanxiang earns into making electric vehicles. I’ll burn as much cash as it takes to succeed, or until Wanxiang goes bust.” That's saying something in the least. But the question is when will we see Fisker vehicles coming off the production line? "The road is still very long. We want to concentrate for now on manufacturing in the US. If I don't succeed, my son will continue with it. If he doesn't make it, my grandson will," said Lu. The plan at the moment is for production of the Karma to come back online, followed by the introduction of new models. Source: Bloomberg View full article

General Motors has agreed to pay a $35 million fine over its handling of the ignition switch recall. This amount represents the maximum fine issued by the Government. "Safety is our top priority, and today's announcement puts all manufacturers on notice that they will be held accountable if they fail to quickly report and address safety-related defects," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx. The ignition switch recall covers 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Pontiac G5, Solstice, Saturn Ion, and Sky models built from the 2005 to 2011 model years. This problem is linked to 31 accidents and 13 deaths. "No excuse, process, or organizational structure will be allowed to stand in the way of any company meeting their obligation to quickly find and fix safety issues in a vehicle," said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman. "It's critical to the safety of the driving public that manufacturers promptly report and remedy safety-related defects that have the potential to lead to deaths or injuries on our nation's highways." As part of the agreement, GM will also, Share results of the internal probe into why the recalls were delayed with NHTSA Make "significant and wide-ranging" changes to how it finds defects and announces recalls Work on increasing efforts to contact owners of the affected vehicles about the problem Pay an additional amount of money to the Government for withholding information “We have learned a great deal from this recall. We will now focus on the goal of becoming an industry leader in safety. We will emerge from this situation a stronger company,” said GM CEO Mary Barra in a press release. Source: General Motors, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 GM Signs Consent Order with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) has come to an agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failing to report in a timely manner the ignition switch defect. As part of this agreement, GM will pay a $35 million fine. “We have learned a great deal from this recall. We will now focus on the goal of becoming an industry leader in safety,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “We will emerge from this situation a stronger company.” Working with NHTSA, GM has already begun reviewing processes and policies to avoid future recalls of this nature. “We are working hard to improve our ability to identify and respond to safety issues,” said Jeff Boyer, vice president of Global Vehicle Safety, who is assigned to integrate safety policies across the company. “Among other efforts, GM has created a new group, the Global Product Integrity unit, to innovate our safety oversight; we are encouraging and empowering our employees to raise their hands to address safety concerns through our Speak Up for Safety initiative, and we have set new requirements for our engineers to attain Black Belt certification through Design for Six Sigma.” Having signed this agreement, GM now has its sights set on effectively serving customers and completing the ignition switch recall. “GM’s ultimate goal is to create an exemplary process and produce the safest cars for our customers – they deserve no less,” said Barra. U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Record Fines, Unprecedented Oversight Requirements in GM Investigation Friday, May 16, 2014 General Motors agrees to pay maximum $35 million penalty for violating federal safety laws in Chevrolet Cobalt investigation WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that General Motors (GM) has agreed to pay a record $35 million civil penalty and to take part in unprecedented oversight requirements as a result of findings from NHTSA's timeliness investigation regarding the Chevrolet Cobalt and the automaker's failure to report a safety defect in the vehicle to the federal government in a timely manner. The defect resulted in the non-deployment of airbags in certain Chevrolet Cobalt and other GM models. This action represents the single highest civil penalty amount ever paid as a result of a NHTSA investigation of violations stemming from a recall. As part of today's agreement, set forth in a Consent Order signed with NHTSA, the agency also ordered GM to make significant and wide-ranging internal changes to its review of safety-related issues in the United States, and to improve its ability to take into account the possible consequences of potential safety-related defects. GM will also pay additional civil penalties for failing to respond on time to the agency's document demands during NHTSA's investigation. "Safety is our top priority, and today's announcement puts all manufacturers on notice that they will be held accountable if they fail to quickly report and address safety-related defects," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx. "While we will continue to aggressively monitor GM's efforts in this case, we also urge Congress to support our GROW AMERICA Act, which would increase the penalties we could levy in cases like this from $35 million to $300 million, sending an even stronger message that delays will not be tolerated." Federal law requires all auto manufacturers to notify NHTSA within five business days of determining that a safety-related defect exists or that a vehicle is not in compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards and to promptly conduct a recall. GM admits in the Consent Order that it did not do so. Today's action is historic in that the provisions of the Consent Order will be immediately enforceable in federal court if GM does not fully comply. The Consent Order will hold GM accountable, push the automaker to make needed institutional change, and ensure that replacement parts are produced quickly and recalled vehicles are repaired promptly. "No excuse, process, or organizational structure will be allowed to stand in the way of any company meeting their obligation to quickly find and fix safety issues in a vehicle," said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman. "It's critical to the safety of the driving public that manufacturers promptly report and remedy safety-related defects that have the potential to lead to deaths or injuries on our nation's highways." In the Consent Order, GM agreed to provide NHTSA with full access to the results of GM's internal investigation into this recall, to take steps to ensure its employees report safety-related concerns to management, and to speed up the process for GM to decide whether to recall vehicles. The Consent Order also requires GM to notify NHTSA of changes to its schedule for completing production of repair parts by October 4. GM must also take steps to maximize the number of vehicle owners who bring in their vehicles for repair, including targeted outreach to non-English speakers, maintaining up-to-date information on its website, and engaging with vehicle owners through the media. The Consent Order requires GM to submit reports and meet with NHTSA so that the agency may monitor the progress of GM's recall and other actions required by the consent order. Both in 2007 and again in 2010, NHTSA reviewed data related to the non-deployment of airbags in certain Chevy Cobalt models but each time, determined that it lacked the data necessary to open a formal investigation. However, on February 7, 2014, GM announced it would recall certain model vehicles for a defect where the vehicle's ignition switch may unintentionally move out of the "run" position that could result in the air bag not deploying in the event of a crash. GM had failed to advise NHTSA of this defect at the time of the agency's earlier reviews. After review and consultation by NHTSA, GM twice expanded the recall to include a total of 2,190,934 vehicles in the United States. The GM recall covers the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. Over the past ten years, NHTSA defect investigations resulted in 1,299 recalls involving more than 95 million vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment, which has helped the agency to reduce vehicle fatalities to historic, all-time lows. Including today's consent order, the agency has obtained record fines of $124.5 million in the last five years from automakers who have failed to promptly report defects to NHTSA. View full article

While many still think electric vehicles are a niche, a new study from IHS Automotive suggests that EVs are actually catching on more quickly than hybrids when they were first introduced. The study looked at the cumulative global sales of the first-generation Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt, and Nissan Leaf in the first four years. IHS Automotive found that the Toyota Prius moved 52,200 units from 2000 to 2004. However, the Volt and Leaf have sold more vehicles in their respective four-year timeframes. The Chevrolet Volt and all of its derivatives saw sales of 68,507 units, while the Nissan Leaf saw sales of 96,477 units. It should be noted that while Toyota Prius went on sale in 1997 in Japan, IHS Automotive uses 2000 as the starting point for figuring out sales as that is when Toyota launched the model worldwide. The IHS Automotive study also points out that early expectations for EVs may have been inflated a lot, causing many to think of early EVs and plug-ins as failures in sales despite the relative success in sales around the world. Source: Automobile Magazine William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

Cadillac has announcing the pricing of the upcoming 2015 ATS Coupe before it goes on sale at the end of this summer. It will begin at $38,990 (includes a $990 destination charge) for the base 2.0L turbo-four with 274 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Compared to the comparable ATS sedan with the 2.0T, the coupe is around $2,970 more. The ATS coupe can be equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic, the 3.6L DI V6 with 321 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque; and all-wheel drive. At the time of writing,we don't have pricing on those options. Source: Cadillac Press Release is on Page 2 Low, Long, Wide Coupe Enhances Cadillac ATS Line Pricing starts at $38,990, including destination charge DETROIT – For the 2015 ATS Coupe, Cadillac engineers and designers made a number of changes from the award-winning ATS Sedan to deliver the performance and styling traits luxury coupe buyers expect. When the ATS Coupe goes on sale at the end of this summer, it will start at $38,990, including a $995 destination charge. To create a more personal expression of the brand's compact luxury car, the 2015 ATS Coupe rides on the same 109.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan, but features its own bodywork, longer vehicle length, lower height and wider front/rear tracks. The roof, doors, rear fenders and trunk lid are unique to the Coupe, along with a specific front fascia and front fenders to accommodate the wider track. 18-inch wheels are standard on the Coupe. "All of the surface development unique to the ATS Coupe was done with aerodynamics in mind," said David Masch, ATS chief engineer. "We are able to achieve lift and downforce requirements to insure, at top speed, we retain handling without having to add a rear spoiler." The Coupe has an aggressive stance, with wider front/rear tracks and a lower roofline than the sedan. At 60.3 inches front and 61.7 inches rear, the two-door has a 0.8-inch wider track. Overall vehicle height is 1.1 inches lower than the Sedan. The wider stance and lower roofline provide the proportions coupe customers want. "The wider track also helps improve steering precision and direct response," said Cadillac Executive Chief Engineer David Leone. "The lower roof contributes to a lower center of gravity height, which also reduces roll and improves steering response." The 2015 ATS Coupe is also 0.8 inches longer than the sedan; although it rides on an identical wheelbase. The extra overall length helps to further enhance the ATS Coupe's dynamic appearance, resulting in a swept-back look to the front and rear end appearances. The Cadillac ATS Coupe is intended to be a more personal addition to the award-winning ATS product line. Designed to be lighter, more agile and more engaging than its competitors, it extends Cadillac's product-driven growth and the brand's tradition of dynamic luxury Coupes. The 2015 ATS Coupe goes on sale this summer, offering drivers the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and the power from a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder or a 3.6L six-cylinder. View full article

Another week, another set of recalls from General Motors. The company announced today that it's recalling a total of 2.7 million in five different recall campaigns that cover eight different models. Here are the recalls: A total of 2.4 million vehicles that include the 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura for a faulty control module. The module could cause tail lights to either not turn turn on when the brakes are applied or turn on all by themselves. Other items such as the cruise control, traction control, stability control, and panic braking assist may be affected. 111,889 Chevrolet Corvettes from the 2005-2007 model years are being recalled due to the loss of low-beam headlights because of a fail due to a bent wire. 2008-2013 Corvettes appear to have this same problem, but are not part of the safety recall. They'll get an extended warranty. 140,067 Chevrolet Malibus from the 2014 model year and equipped with the 2.5L four-cylinder are being recalled due to the hydraulic brake booster failing and causing a driver to put more pressure on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. 19,225 Cadillac CTS from the 2013-2014 model year where the wiper motor could break if the vehicle is being jumpstarted and there is ice or snow on the windshield. 477 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra from the 2014 model year, and the Chevrolet Tahoe from the 2015 model year for a manufacturing defect that could cause the front tie rod and steering gear to fail, leading to a crash. Owners are being ask to have their vehicles towed in. “Customer safety is at the heart of how GM designs and produces vehicles, and these announcements are examples of two ways we are putting that into practice,” said Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Vehicle Safety. “We have redoubled our efforts to expedite and resolve current reviews in process and also have identified and analyzed recent vehicle issues which require action. These are examples of our focus to surface issues quickly and promptly take necessary actions in the best interest of our customers.” Source: General Motors Press Release is on Page 2 GM Announces Five Safety Recalls 2014-05-15 DETROIT – General Motors said Thursday it has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of five safety recalls covering about 2.7 million vehicles in the United States. The recalls cover: - 2,440,524 previous generation passenger cars for taillamp malfunctions - 111,889 previous generation Chevrolet Corvettes for loss of low-beam head lamps - 140,067 Chevrolet Malibus from the 2014 model year for hydraulic brake booster malfunctions 19,225 Cadillac CTS 2013-2014 models for windshield wiper failures - 477 full-size trucks from the 2014 and 2015 model years for a tie-rod defect that can lead to a crash "Customer safety is at the heart of how GM designs and produces vehicles, and these announcements are examples of two ways we are putting that into practice," said Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Vehicle Safety. "We have redoubled our efforts to expedite and resolve current reviews in process and also have identified and analyzed recent vehicle issues which require action. These are examples of our focus to surface issues quickly and promptly take necessary actions in the best interest of our customers." The largest recall involves 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 and 2007-2010 Saturn Auras model cars in U.S. to modify the brake lamp wiring harness. Affected vehicles could have corrosion develop in the wiring harness for the body control module due to micro-vibration. The condition could result in brake lamps failing to illuminate when the brakes are applied or brake lamps illuminating when the brakes are not engaged. Additionally, cruise control, traction control, electronic stability control and panic braking assist operation could be disabled. GM is aware of several hundred complaints, 13 crashes and two injuries but no fatalities as a result of the condition. The company issued a technical service bulletin in 2008 and conducted a safety campaign for a small population of 2005 model year vehicles in January 2009. The second safety recall covers 111,889 Chevrolet Corvettes from the 2005-2007 model years for potential loss of low-beam headlamp operation Models from 2008-2013 will be covered under a Customer Satisfaction Program. All repairs will be at no cost to customers. When the engine is warm, the underhood electrical center housing could expand, causing the headlamp low-beam relay control circuit wire to bend slightly. After the wire is repeatedly bent, it can fracture and separate. When this occurs, the low-beam headlamps will not illuminate. As the housing cools and contracts, the low-beam headlamp function may return. This condition does not affect the high-beam headlamps, marker lamps, turn signals, daytime running lamps or fog lamps. Loss of low beam headlamps when they are required could reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. GM is aware of several hundred complaints as result of the condition but no crashes, injuries or fatalities. The third recall covers 140,067 Chevrolet Malibus from the 2014 model year with 2.5L engines and stop/start technology. These vehicles are subject to the disabling of hydraulic brake boost that can require greater pedal efforts and extended stopping distances. Dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module. The issue was discovered in testing of a future model with similar technology. GM is aware of four crashes but it is not clear that these are related to the condition. No injuries are known from those crashes. The fourth recall covers 19,225 Cadillac CTS from the 2013-2014 model year for a condition in which the windshield wiper system may become inoperable after a vehicle jump start with wipers active and restricted, such as by ice and snow. Potential lack of visibility could increase the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the front wiper module free of charge. GM is unaware of any crashes or injuries due to the condition. The fifth recall involves certain 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light duty pickups and 2015 model year Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. The tie rod threaded attachment to the steering gear rack in these vehicles may not be tightened to specification. With this condition, the tie rod can separate from the steering rack and a crash could occur without prior warning. Customers are being contacted and told to have their vehicles taken by flatbed to their dealer, where the inner tie rods will be inspected for correct torque, and, if necessary, the steering gear will be replaced. The repair procedure was being sent to dealers and owner letters sent by overnight mail to customers on May 14. The issue was discovered and corrected during assembly after the small number of vehicles was released. GM expects to take a charge of up to approximately $200 million in the second quarter, primarily for the cost of recall-related repairs announced in the quarter. View full article

Rolls-Royce looks to be the next automaker to join in on the SUV craze that is currently engulfing everyone in the luxury car class. Autocar had the chance to speak with the company's design boss Giles Taylor who said the company is currently assessing the idea of an SUV. As he put it, Rolls-Royce is "sketching to assess the viability of the concept. We are not yet grappling with three dimensions and proportions.” One thing for certain is that Rolls-Royce will not be doing a 'crossover-coupe-thing'. “I’m interested in function and functionality. I’m looking to create a properly functional vehicle – a shooting brake, not a crossover with a sloping roof. A proper SUV,” said Taylor. Autocar speculates that if Rolls go forwards with this, the SUV will be revealed in 2017. Source: Autocar William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

One of the biggest critics of hybrid vehicles happens to be Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. But even he realizes that with upcoming fuel economy regulations, hybrids will have to play a key role in achieving this. “The house will make it” to the 2025 model year fuel economy targets, Marchionne said to the press today. “Hybrids become a very large component of that fleet. You can’t get it without the hybrids. It’s impossible.” Last year, Chrysler was ranked last among large automakers in the U.S. for fuel economy. Marchionne said the company is on track to meet the long-term fuel economy requirements by using such items as diesels and nine-speed automatic transmissions. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

A new study finds that General Motors is dead last when it comes to relationships with suppliers. Automotive consultant group Planning Perspectives Inc (PPI), released the results of their annual study which asks the biggest suppliers to rate the six automakers who sell more than 85 percent of vehicles in the U.S. Suppliers rated GM low in many key areas such as communication skills, protection of intellectual property, unwillingness to adjust prices due to unforeseen increases, and overall trustworthiness. "As a result, GM is now the least preferred customer of suppliers," PPI said. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

It's not easy being number three. Especially in the class of the midsize sedan where the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry rule the roost. But there is a model which has been making itself at home in third place. That model would be the Nissan Altima. In its current incarnation, the Altima has been making a name for itself among the likes of the Accord and Camry. But why does the Altima end up sitting in third place in sales at the end of year? Well I spent a week with a 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL and I think I have an answer to that. The Altima’s exterior sits somewhere in the middle of the midsize sedan design spectrum. It isn’t as exciting as a Kia Optima or a Mazda6, but it isn’t as bland as the Toyota Camry or Volkswagen Passat. The Altima’s front has has a trapezoidal-shaped grille and front headlights that carry a boomerang-shape as seen on 370Z. The boomerang light idea continues in the back where the rear taillights carry the same design. One other cue to take note of on the Altima is the flowing front fenders. The Altima’s interior follows the same design as the exterior. Nothing too flashy, nor too bland. The layout is very simple with leather, fake wood and metal trim lining parts of the interior. This makes it feel very upscale when compared to competitors. One of the big selling points on the Altima its zero-gravity seats which they say helps put less of a load on on the spine, pelvis and muscles on long trips. Now I cannot say whether or not the seats provided less stress to my back, but I can say they were comfortable. Back seat passengers will find a surprising amount of head and legroom. The center stack featured a seven-inch touchscreen which comes as part of the SL Tech package. The touchscreen features the latest version of the automaker’s infotainment system which includes NissanConnect, a way for certain apps such as Facebook to be used in the vehicle via your smartphone. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to play around with this. What I did get to play around with was the system itself. The interface looks somewhat old, despite it being a brand new system. However, the system is really easy to comprehend with large touch points, hard buttons on either side of the screen, and simple layout. But in my tester, the system had some problems that ranged from slowness to the entire system doing a reboot. I don’t know if this was an odd occurrence or a common problem at the time I had the vehicle. I need to spend some more time with Nissan’s system before I can really answer this. For Thoughts On The Powertrain and Ride, See Page 2 Like Honda and Toyota, Nissan is sticking with a four-cylinder and V6 engine lineup for the Altima. My tester, was equipped with the 2.5L four-cylinder which makes 182 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. It's paired up with the company’s Xtronic CVT. The 2.5 is pretty peppy with power being always there and offering decent acceleration. What I wished for was a bit more refinement from the engine. Apparently Nissan’s engineers had listed on engine requirements was to make sure everyone in the interior knew the engine was working. Well that has been accomplished. The CVT for the most part is unobtrusive and is able to deliver the power smoothly. The only downside is that when you push down on the accelerator pedal, the CVT makes itself known. On the fuel economy front, the EPA rates the Altima equipped with the 2.5 at 27 City/38 Highway/31 combined. I averaged 30.5 during my week-long test. Taking the Altima out on the open roads, it proved to be a fine cruiser. Whether on the freeway, in the city, or out in the suburbs;, the suspension does a very good job of smoothing out the bumps and imperfections. As for noise isolation, the Altima sits in the middle once again. A decent amount of road and wind noise is contained, but it cannot compare to the likes of the Chevrolet Malibu. Out on the curvy stuff, the Altima once again sits in the middle. The suspension is capable enough to keep the Altima level and the steering has a nice response and feel. To go back to the question I asked earlier about why the Altima sits in third place, I think I have the answer. Nissan has most of the pieces together with the Altima. But there are a couple of stumbling blocks for the model with the engine needing some more refinement and the buggy infotainment system. Because of these problems, it puts the Altima right in the number three spot. If Nissan were to fix these problems, then we might have a three-horse race for #1. Disclaimer: Nissan Provided the Altima 2.5 SL, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2014 Make: Nissan Model: Altima Trim: 2.5 SL Engine: 2.5L DOHC Inline-Four Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive, CVT Horsepower @ RPM: 182 @ 6000 Torque @ RPM: 180 @ 4000 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 27/38/31 Curb Weight: 3,206 lbs Location of Manufacture: Smyrna, Tennessee Base Price: $27,760.00 As Tested Price: $30,625.00 (Includes $790.00 Destination Charge) Options: Technology Package - $1,090.00 Moonroof Package - $890.00 Carpeted Floor and Trunk Mats - $185.00 William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article