Marshall Motor Group has acquired Sandicliffe Motor Group’s Skoda franchises in Nottingham and Leicester to its portfolio of UK dealership sites. The AM100’s seventh-placed retail group took its representation of the Czech brand to seven sites across the UK with the move, which was announced by chief executive, Daksh Gupta, via Twitter over the weekend.… Continue reading Marshall acquires Sandicliffe Skoda franchises in Nottingham and Leicester
Tag: GM
Chevy takes advantage of gas shortage to sell all-electric Bolt EV
Fuel shortages are hitting Mexico after the closure of state-owned pipeline creating a distribution bottleneck and Chevy intelligently took advantage of the opportunity to promote the all-electric Bolt EV at gas stations. Since fuel distribution shifted from the pipelines to trucks in 2019, it created shortages and long lines at gas stations. Chevrolet’s Mexican marketing team… Continue reading Chevy takes advantage of gas shortage to sell all-electric Bolt EV
GM Canada Reports January Sales
GM Canada Reports January Sales 2019-02-01 OSHAWA, Ontario (February 1, 2019) — Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers delivered 14,300 vehicles in January including 10,674 retail and 3,626 fleet deliveries. “Our strategy remains disciplined for 2019 focused on bringing great new vehicles and technologies to market that appeal to the diverse driving needs of Canadians,” said Scott… Continue reading GM Canada Reports January Sales
General Motors says in talks to invest $2.73 bln in Brazil till 2024
The GM logo is seen at the General Motors plant in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Roosevelt Cassio SAO PAULO (Reuters) – General Motors Co said on Saturday it is negotiating “feasibility conditions” to invest 10 billion reais ($2.73 billion) in Brazil from 2020 to 2024, after having warned last month that… Continue reading General Motors says in talks to invest $2.73 bln in Brazil till 2024
Tesla profits, GM doubles down on EVs, Mustang and 911 hybrids: The Week in Reverse
2017 Tesla Model 3, in photo tweeted by Elon Musk on July 9, 2017
Which company showed a new hybrid system this week?
What new retro-themed electric car does Volkswagen plan to build?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 1, 2019.
The news this week centered around Tesla, as it often does. On Wednesday, the company announced its earnings for the fourth-quarter of 2018, showing a loss of more than $1 billion from a difficult year when it struggled to ramp up mass production of its most popular car, the Model 3. The second half of the year was in positive territory. It also announced that the Model Y will roll out at the end of 2020.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (r.) and Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong in Shanghai July 10, 2018
Tesla has built up its cash reserves and no longer faces an immediate cash crunch, but it still scrambling to balance producing and selling enough cars against selling them for enough money to remain profitable. To that end, Tesla revealed new lineups for its original Model S sedan and Model X SUV that use the largest battery but limit its range. The company also cut its prices by another $1,000.
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced that the company will double its investment in engineering electric and self-driving cars as it aims to focus on the future and avoid another bankruptcy like the one that caught up with GM in 2009.
New tests reveal that more lavishly equipped versions of the new Nissan Leaf Plus will have significantly shorter estimated range ratings than the basic version.
2019 Nissan Leaf
Now that the federal government has reopened, along with the EPA, a backlog of new models waiting for official fuel-economy and electric range estimates before they can be certified for sale is beginning to move forward. And with the EPA back in action, Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler was able to make new appointments to the agency's Science Advisory Board—including a well-known skeptic of climate action.
Volkswagen Geneva Show Electric Buggy concept
Volkswagen finally officially revealed that it plans to build a concept version of a long-rumored electric dune buggy to join the stable of its throwback ID Buzz electric microbus and a rumored electric recreation of the original Beetle.
Mazda revealed more about its plans to develop cleaner and more fuel efficient models that meet stricter upcoming standards, at an event previewing the 2019 Mazda 3. It's less of a plan than a scattershot collection of plans to keep this small automaker globally viable.
Porsche Taycan prototype
Porsche revealed that its upcoming electric Taycan will come with three years of free charging on Electrify America chargers, also owned by Porsche's corporate parent Volkswagen. A new report also revealed details of two hybrid systems to potentially be used in the next 911 sports car.
Oil giant Shell announced it is getting into the business of fast-charging electric cars in the U.S. with its purchase Greenlots and that company's chargers.
Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland
A Portland, Oregon, startup company, Chargeway, has a new system to help newfound electric car drivers find public charging more easily. The company rolled out its first educational kiosks in a Portland trial project.
Electrify America had to shut down its fastest DC fast chargers last weekend—before any civilian electric-car drivers had a chance to use them—due to a safety concern. The chargers were back on within a day.
Ford hybrid V-8 engine patent
New patents registered by Ford show what could by the new hybrid system the company plans to put in the next Mustang and F-150 pickup.
And a report from the U.S. Energy Information Agency shows that wind power is on pace to overtake hydro as the top renewable energy source in the U.S. in 2019.
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GM to start laying off 4,000-plus salaried workers Monday
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Chargeway Beacon to help shoppers and dealers navigate past EV charging confusion
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Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland
Multiple electric vehicles arriving this year promise a driving range of more than 200 miles.
While that’s great news, and it’s bound to convince more households to make the jump to a fully electric vehicle—and to take road trips with it—it presents a new challenge to automakers: making public charging options at least as easy to figure out as filling up your gas tank ever was.
That’s a role that Chargeway hopes to help with. The Portland, Oregon EV-related software startup has created Chargeway Beacons—tall-standing interactive kiosks with 43-inch touch screens, conceived to fit right into car-dealership showrooms and elsewhere as education tools to make it easier for shoppers and salespeople alike.
DON’T MISS: Chargeway: the best electric-car idea you've never heard of
As part of a new pilot program that was announced last week at the Portland Auto Show, involving the Oregon Auto Dealers Association, PGE, Pacific Power, OpConnect, Forth, and the Oregon Department of Transportation, Chargeway will be installing Beacons at auto dealerships, primarily along the I-5 and I-84 corridors in Oregon—with the goal of increasing EV literacy and sales.
Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland
Since its inception in 2017, Chargeway and its founder, Matt Teske, have been focused on the hard reality that navigating most public-charging options—with the exception of Tesla's, perhaps—is anything but easy.
The primary issue is that every hardware maker and charging network seems to want to use different signage. Understanding EV charging options in kilowatts, volts, and amps, and the difference between CHAdeMO, CCS, and Level 2 shouldn’t be a required course for owning an electric vehicle.
CHECK OUT: Why Chargeway matters: making EV charging comprehensible for buyers, dealers, utilities, networks
Chargeway has a simple solution, which comes in the form of colored circles and numbers. The color corresponds to the charge connector, and the number corresponds to how fast it can potentially charge.
What’s displayed on the kiosks very closely mirrors Chargeway’s app, which makes finding a station that will work with any particular car easy. It is available for iPhones and Android devices,
Chargeway app – February 2019Chargeway app
The interface, as with the app, allows you to plan routes and see chargers specific to your vehicle. However in the Chargeway Beacon format it will be configured to display the vitals only for the EVs sold at that dealership. Chargeway added a zip-code-based purchase-incentive rundown, including federal, state, and utility credits—the latter being something that dealerships often miss.
Further, the Beacon can help drivers crunch the numbers on what an electric car would cost to run in their zip code, charging at home, versus driving on gasoline. (Costs for charging on networks will of course vary).
Chargeway app – February 2019
Chargeway will also offer customers the chance to send information to public utilities, with the opportunity to get more info on home charging and green-energy options, and perhaps find out about incentives for charger installations, for example.
READ MORE: Chargeway pilot program to post labels to help electric-car drivers sort out charging levels
“We’re thrilled to be Chargeway’s first network partner,” said Dexter Turner, the CEO of OpConnect, in a press release, where he then summed up the situation exceptionally well: “We see Chargeway as a way to drive more traffic to our network, simplify the charging experience, and reduce calls to our support number from confused new drivers.”
The company put its first Beacons at Forth’s Electric Showcase in downtown Portland, and at Wentworth's Wilsonville Chevrolet in Wilsonville, Oregon, outside Portland. At present the organization has eight complete Beacons and hints that a greater expansion, even beyond the pilot program, is on the way—so let’s hope the program expands beyond Oregon. For automakers and dealerships looking to clear the fog over all the EVs and charging options, it’s looking like the right solution at the right time.
GM’s involuntary layoffs start Monday, at least 4,000 workers expected to lose jobs
America is falling back in love with trucks and SUVs, and that's causing big changes at big car companies
1 Hour Ago | 04:45
General Motors is planning to layoff at least 4,000 salaried workers in North America starting Monday ahead of the company's fourth-quarter earnings report, according to two people briefed on the matter.
The reductions come as the largest U.S. automaker undergoes a massive restructuring announced by CEO Mary Barra in November. GM is halting production at five plants in North America and cutting 14,000 jobs as it realigns its workforce and plants to produce more electric vehicles.
Company executives want to complete as many of the layoffs as possible before the company reports its earnings Wednesday, the people said, asking not to be named because the information isn't public yet.
“We are not confirming timing. Our employees are our priorities and we will communicate with them first,” GM spokesman Pat Morrissey told CNBC Friday.
The involuntary cuts aren't as steep as previously thought.
GM offered buyouts to 17,700 employees in North America with at least 12 years of service in November, according to a document obtained by CNBC at the time. The company was aiming for 8,000 voluntary buyouts, the company previously confirmed. About 2,250 workers accepted severance agreements by Nov. 19, the company previously confirmed. Roughly 1,500 contract jobs have since been eliminated, according to one of the people briefed on the layoffs.
That leaves roughly 4,250 salaried workers and 6,000 hourly employees targeted for layoffs. The company said in November that half of the hourly workers were in Canada with the other half in the U.S.
Many of the cuts are planned at factories in the United States and Canada that make sedans and compact cars — vehicles that have not been selling well in North America, as customers turn toward trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers. These vehicles tend to be more profitable for automakers.
As it has been trimming back its sedan lineup and exiting its least lucrative businesses, GM has been pumping cash into new mobility technologies, especially autonomous driving.
GM's reorganization is expected to save the company about $6 billion by 2020, with half of those savings realized by the end of 2019, the company has said.
Executives told investors in mid-January that the company's full-year results for 2018 exceeded the company's expectations, and gave a positive outlook for 2019 as well.
“Mary is bold man. She doesn't mind making a tough decision, which is probably nice to see compared to what GM has been historically. Shes not afraid of a tough decision,” said Sam Huszczo, owner of SGH Wealth Management outside of Detroit. He said he manages money for several clients who work at GM.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
CNBC contributor Paul Eisenstein assisted with this article.
Atlanta Big Game Amp Contest Winner
The Paint the Town Pink amp contest in Atlanta has a winner! Thomas T. won tickets to the BIG GAME on Sunday 2/3 at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Thomas is thrilled to attend the game, as he is a huge football fan and has ties to the Rams organization. He’s a 5-Star Driver in Atlanta with over… Continue reading Atlanta Big Game Amp Contest Winner
GM, Fiat Chrysler to resume normal operations after utility strain
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – General Motors Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Thursday they plan to resume normal operations after they were forced to cancel shifts at plants in Michigan over concerns about the state’s natural gas supply. FILE PHOTO: A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) sign is seen at the U.S. headquarters in Auburn… Continue reading GM, Fiat Chrysler to resume normal operations after utility strain