Read the rest of 13 Things We Learned from Some of the World’s Smartest People at Fortune Brainstorm Green 2013

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General Motors has announced that Chevy Volt owners have collectively driven more then 100 million all-electric miles since the Volt went on sale two years ago. GM estimates that the average Chevy Volt owner travels more than 65 percent of the time in pure electric mode, with most owners driving around 900 miles between fill-ups.

Read the rest of Chevy Volt Owners Drive Over 100 Million Electric Miles in Two Years

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Post tags: chevy, chevy electric car, Chevy plug-in, chevy volt, electric car, GM, GM electric car, gm hybrid, green transportation, hybrid car

General Motors has announced that when the 2014 Chevy Spark EV arrives next summer it will have a starting price under $25,000 after the available tax rebates. The 2014 Spark EV is based on the Spark minicar, but it’s powered by an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery that is expected to have one of the longest electric driving ranges in its segment.

Read the rest of Chevrolet Announces 2014 Spark EV Will Be Priced Under $25,000

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Post tags: automotive, chevy, Chevy electric vehicle, chevy spark ev, electric car, electric motor, GM, green car, green transportation, lithium ion battery

The Solar Energy Industries Association has just named General Motors as the #1 automotive user of solar power in the United States. It also ranks No. 13 of the top 20 solar-powered companies in the United States. SEIA, along with Vote Solar Initiative, determined the industry rankings by cumulative solar energy capacity. Last year, GM committed to doubling its global solar output to 60 megawatts in the next three years, and to increase renewable energy use to 125MW by 2020.

Read the rest of General Motors Joins IKEA and Wal-Mart among Top Solar Power Users in U.S.

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Post tags: automotive, general motors, General Motors solar power, GM, green energy, green transportation, ikea, Solar Energy Industries Association, Solar Power, walmart

With a total driving range of less than 100 miles, today’s electric cars do not represent a complete alternative to a traditional gas or diesel-powered car. General Motors is reportedly developing new technology that would boost an electric car’s range up to 200 miles on a single charge. GM CEO Dan Akerson recently stated that the GM-backed Envia Systems has made a huge breakthrough in the amount of energy a lithium-ion battery can hold.

Read the rest of GM’s New Battery Could Extend EV Driving Range To 200 Miles

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Post tags: automotive, chevy, chevy volt, dan akerson, electric cars, electric driving range, Envia Systems, general motors, GM, GM electric car, green transportation, lithium ion battery, tesla

GM halted production of the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid in early March due to rising inventory, but now the automaker has restarted production earlier than expected. GM originally planned on temporarily halting production from March 19 to April 23 to reduce the inventory of unsold Volts sitting in Chevy showrooms, but production has been restarted a week earlier than planned, thanks to increased demand.

Read the rest of GM Restarts Chevy Volt Production Earlier than Expected

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Post tags: chevy, Chevy plug-in hybrid, chevy restarts volt production, chevy volt, chevy volt production restarted, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, GM, green car, green transportation, plug-in hybrid, volt, volt production restarted

Sales of GM’s Chevrolet Volt are stronger than ever, with sales in March spiking to 2,289. The numbers gave the Volt its best month ever – up 277 percent from one year ago. The good news comes despite recent negative press over battery fires that broke out in three Volts, and GM’s decision to temporarily cease manufacturing until April 23.

Read the rest of Chevy Volt Sales Surge 277% in March

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Post tags: chevrolet, chevrolet volt, chevy volt, chevy volt sales, detroit, electric car, electric vehicles, general motors, GM, plug-in, plug-in hybrid, volt

There is a buzz in the air this week about the Chevy Volt thanks to an announcement by General Motors on Friday that they’ll be shutting down production of the Volt at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant for five weeks. While the news media geared up to make this announcement look like the end for this highly-publicized plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, we bet that this decision to equalize supply with demand is just a Volt growing pain. So, we went straight to the horse’s mouth and asked Rob Peterson of Chevy Volt Communications about the Volt team’s take on this whole situation. It seems the feeling inside the company is decidedly positive — something you might not envision if you just listened to Google News and your television. Peterson started off the interview by telling assuring us what we already though was true, “this is just an opportunity to adjust our inventory levels, it is just temporary,” and then let us in on some insights from the Chevy crew.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Rob Peterson Of Chevy Talks Volt Production Shutdown, Reveals High Customer Satisfaction

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Post tags: chevrolet volt, chevy volt, chevy volt customer satisfaction, chevy volt customers, chevy volt dealer, chevy volt halt production, chevy volt issues, chevy volt numbers, chevy volt problems, chevy volt production, chevy volt sold, chevy volt solutions, general motors, GM

Much has been made about the environmental costs associated with natural gas drilling, but there’s a different type of natural gas that’s produced by every one of the planet’s more than 7 billion inhabitants that requires no drilling at all. Seeking to tap into that natural resource, General Motors is hard at work developing a next-generation hybrid vehicle fueled by human-produced methane gas. For its all-new RE:VOLT model, GM has developed a methane capture and sequestration device that will be built into each passenger seat. The green vehicle is expected to hit dealerships in 2013, and it promises to bring new meaning to the phrase “Drive by the seat of your pants.”

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Post tags: alternitve energy vehicle, chevy, general motors, GM, hybrid vehicle, methane gas, natural gas

Zipcar, the popular car sharing network in the U.S., has announced the launch of the company’s first large-scale plug-in vehicle pilot program in Chicago. Five Chevy Volts are now available to Zipcar members, with up to 20 additional plug-in vehicles to be added into the Chicago fleet during 2012. The new Zipcar vehicles will be placed at charging pods throughout the city – including locations at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, as well as in the Loop, South Loop, River North, Gold Coast, Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and Albany Park.

Read the rest of Zipcar Adds the Chevy Volt to its Chicago Fleet

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Post tags: car sharing program, chevy, electric vehicles, GM, green cars, green transportation, hybrid cars, plug-in hybrid, Zipcar

The Chevy Volt has been getting a lot of attention since GM decided to pause production for five weeks, due to growing inventory. And although sales of the Volt this year are not off to a great start in the U.S, the Volt’s better-looking twin, the Opel Ampera, is apparently doing quite well in Europe according to Opel executives. Opel just started delivering Amperas to customers last month, and has already received over 7,000 orders, which means that the Ampera should hit its sales target of 10,000 units. Opel apparently bumped up its 2012 sales target to 10,000 from 8,000 due to the increased demand.

Read the rest of Chevy Volt’s Twin, the Opel Ampera, Racks Up 7,000 Orders

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Post tags: ampera, chevy, chevy volt, GM, green car, green transportation, Opel, Opel Ampera, plug-in hybrid, volt

In an effort to raise awareness and support for electric vehicles in China, General Motors China has signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC). The MOU gives CATARC the power to manage GM’s Chevy Volt demonstration fleet in Beijing for one year and to help organize workshops and seminars that will build support among decision makers and key stakeholders for vehicle electrification policy in China.

Read the rest of GM Signs New Deal to Bring Chevy Volt Demo Fleet to China

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Post tags: chevy, chevy volt, China Automotive Technology and Research Center, electric vehicles, GM, green transportation, hybrid cars, plug-in hybrid

Former General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz recently took to his Forbes blog to defend the Chevy Volt, which has been under fire since GM announced plans to stop production for five weeks due to rising inventory. Now there’s an interview with General Motors CEO, Daniel Akerson, who recently chatted with Fortune to discuss many of GM’s current issues, including the Volt. Read on to see what Akerson said about the car and the way its being portrayed in the political arena.

Read the rest of General Motors CEO Daniel Akerson Discusses the Politics of the Chevy Volt with Fortune

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Post tags: Bob Lutz, chevrolet, chevy, chevy volt, chevy volt politics, chevy volt problems, Daniel Akerson, Fortune, general motors, GM, hybrid, NHTSA, plug-in hybrid vehicle, president obama, volt

Following an announcement by General Motors that production of the Chevy Volt would be stopped for five weeks, the media and opponents of the Volt have been buzzing about the supposed “failure” of the plug-in hybrid. Fox News recently cast the Chevy Volt “as the poster child of President Obama’s socialist meddling in the free automotive market,” which apparently set former GM vice chairman, Bob Lutz on fire. Lutz recently took to his blog on Forbes.com, in which he fired back at Fox News and the negative press that the Chevy Volt has received.

Read the rest of Bob Lutz Goes on the Defensive for the Chevy Volt

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Post tags: Bob Lutz, chevy, chevy volt, Forbes, Fox News, general motors, GM, green transportation, NHTSA, plug-in hybrid vehicle

General Motors recently announced that it will halt production of the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid for up to five weeks due to poor sales and rising inventory numbers. In February GM sold 1,023 Volts, but at the end of the month the automaker still had 6,300 Volts in its inventory. Even worse, GM hopes to sell 45,000 units this year, but only selling 1,626 units in the first two months of this year is not exactly the pace that the Volt needs to set to meet that goal. Low Volt sales have been partially attributed to negative attention the vehicle has garnered over the last few months, as safety concerns rose over battery fires and Republicans turned the vehicle into a political punching bag.

Read the rest of General Motors Halts Chevy Volt Production for Five Weeks Due to Poor Sales

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Post tags: automotive, chevy, Chevy Cruze, chevy volt, chevy volt defense, chevy volt production, chevy volt sales, electric vehicle, GM, gm halts volt production, hybrid, lithium ion battery, plug-in hybrid

GM has announced a new low emissions package for the 2012 Chevy Volt, which will provide a few extra green benefits for Volt owners in California. Volts with the special add-on, which is now standard in California, will qualify for a $1,500 state rebate and will also get the added perk of being allowed to drive solo in the state’s carpool lanes.

Read the rest of GM Launches Low Emissions Package for the 2012 Chevy Volt in California

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Post tags: automotive, California, california cars, carpool lane, chevy, chevy volt, Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, eco design, electric car, electric vehicle, emissions package, emissions reduction, ev, general motors, GM, gm emissions package, green california, green cars, green transportation, hybrid, hybrid cars, low emissions car, sustainable design, volt

Though the matchup between the Patriots and the Giants might be drawing a lot of football fans, many people will be tuning into the Super Bowl just for the commercials! GM knows this too and this year, they’ve decided to enlist some alien actors for their funny Chevy Volt advert in order to help customers understand the technology behind their latest street-worthy innovation. From the looks of the commercial, it seems a lot of potential Volt buyers are confused about just how the vehicle gets itself around and with the millions of people watching the Super Bowl this weekend this ad will surely help educate some of them.

Read the rest of GM Hires A Team of Aliens For Their Chevy Volt Super Bowl Commercial

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Post tags: chevrolet, chevy, chevy volt, chevy volt commercial, chevy volt engine, chevy volt technology, general motors, GM, superbowl, superbowl 2012, superbowl commercial, superbowl commercials, superbowl xlvi

In an unprecedented move in the automotive industry, Chevrolet is about to wear its green heart on its sleeve by putting environmental impact labels on all of its vehicles starting with the 2012 Chevy Sonic and continuing through their full line of 2013 models. The new Ecologic labels will provide information for customers on the vehicles’ green features – including their environmental impact related to emissions from manufacturing facilities, waste reduction, fuel-saving technologies, and use of alternative energy sources. In order to make sure the stickers are true to the reality of Chevy’s green initiatives they are having them audited by the third party company Two Tomorrows.

Read the rest of Chevrolet to Put Environmental Impact Stickers on All of Their Cars by 2013

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Post tags: automotive industry green initiatives, chevrolet, chevrolet volt, chevy, chevy green initiatives, chevy volt, ecologic, GM, great miles per hour, green car, green label, how to buy a green car, low emission car, mph label, vehicle label

General Motors announced yesterday that they’ll be making enhancements on all Chevy Volts currently on the road in an effort to allay fears that Volt batteries will catch on fire after severe crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported in the fall after a series of crash tests that two Chevy Volt batteries caught on fire due to coolant leaks after sitting for at least a week after the impact. This news set off a flurry of media reports that Volts — and other electric vehicles for that matter — were unsafe. Now GM is recalling all Volts on the road and making adjustments to their assembly line that NHTSA says have been sufficient enough to prevent fires.

Read the rest of General Motors to Make Structural Changes to Chevy Volt Batteries To Ease Fire Fears

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Post tags: chevrolet, chevrolet recall, chevrolet volt, chevy volt, Chevy Volt fire, chevy volt recall, electric car, electric vehicle, general motors, GM, green car, green vehicle, lithium ion battery, structural changes, volt, volt battery, volt battery fire, volt fire, volt recall

General Motors just announced a partnership with Japanese company Teijin that they hope will lead to lighter weight and more efficient vehicles. Teijin is an advanced materials company that specializes in carbon fiber and recently released information about their proprietary process that allows carbon fiber sheets to be produced in under a minute. Traditionally, carbon fiber was reserved for only high end automobiles as it takes a long time to mold. With Teijin’s new quick molding technology and General Motor’s drive to make more efficient, mass-produced vehicles, this partnership could lead to a revolutionary increased efficiency in everyday cars and trucks.

Read the rest of GM and Teijin Team Up to Develop Mass Production Techniques for Carbon Fiber Car Parts

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Post tags: auto weight, automobile, automotive, car, car weight, carbon fiber, carbon fiber car parts, fiberglass, general motors, GM, GM and Teijin, light weight automobile frames, light weight car frames, light weight vehicle frames, lighter automobile body, lighter car body, lighter vehicle body, lighter weight car parts, Teijin, vehicle, vehicle efficiency, vehicle weight