Tag: GM

Man says CES lidar’s laser was so powerful it wrecked his $1,998 camera – Ars Technica

A man attending this week’s CES show in Las Vegas says that a lidar sensor from startup AEye has permanently damaged the sensor on his $1,998 Sony camera. Earlier this week, roboticist and entrepreneur Jit Ray Chowdhury snapped photos of a car at CES with AEye’s lidar units on top. He discovered that every subsequent… Continue reading Man says CES lidar’s laser was so powerful it wrecked his $1,998 camera – Ars Technica

Cadillac to become “lead electric vehicle brand” for GM to rival Tesla (Updated)

Follow Bengt

2014 Cadillac ELR
General Motors’ Cadillac brand has fought to restore its luster as a brand for technology and innovation, with repeated attempts that fell short of a resounding success. Finally, it appears that Cadillac might be turning toward a future that may have a better chance of restoring the brand’s glory days: electric luxury cars.

In an investor conference call on Friday, GM announced that Cadillac will be the first of GM’s brands to get a vehicle based on the automaker’s so-called BEV3 platform—the global electric vehicle platform that is expected to launch starting in 2021 and be the basis for 10 or more vehicles.

DON’T MISS: Electric cars “not going to work,” Trump says of GM's plan

This reaffirms what Cadillac’s former president, Johan de Nysschen, said—that electric vehicles would be “at the forefront for the brand in both the U.S. and China. After his departure and Cadillac’s move-in-progress from Manhattan back to Warren, Michigan, it’s good to hear that Cadillac still plans to keep to that goal.

GM CEO Mary Barra said the company has determined that the sweet spot for range is 300 miles, and company president Mark Reuss, who most recently headed product development, said that is the target for all the company's upcoming electric vehicles.

2014 Cadillac ELR revealed at 2013 Detroit Auto Show

The new BEV3 platform will support front-, rear- and electronic all-wheel drive, and will support a variety of battery sizes through an “ice-tray” like battery pack that can be filled with as many of as few battery cells as the automaker wants.

That could indicate that the company could offer 300 mile versions of each of its cars, but could also offer shorter-range options in the same models.

CHECK OUT: Sources: GM manufacturing revamp could signal faster lane-change to EVs

In recent months, GM has been caught in the middle of several politically charged topics relating to electric vehicles. Last fall, GM became a vocal proponent of extending the federal EV tax credit. Then, after the company announced sweeping production cuts including axing the Chevy Volt and idling several U.S. factories, President Trump threatened to end federal subsidies for GM's electric cars and said that the company's plan to eventually go all-electric was not going to work.

Globally, GM plans to launch 20 new hybrid, plug-in, and electric vehicles by 2023. It also aims to launch 10 vehicles on its dedicated EV platform—including a three-row SUV, a low-roof model, and a van.

GM CEO Mary Barra with 2016 Chevrolet Volt – Detroit Auto Show

At the end of 2017, Barra called GM's investment in electric and autonomous vehicle development the “biggest business opportunity since the creation of the internet.” She said that the company aims to create profitable, affordable 300-mile (range) electric vehicles by 2021.

READ MORE: GM wants Trump administration to consider national electric-vehicle mandate

Both of Cadillac’s other recent plug-in vehicles, the 2014-2016 ELR coupe and the 2018 CT6 Plug-In, have been discontinued in the U.S. The ELR was very stylish but felt compromised in many ways, including a cramped interior and an all-electric driving range that was lower than that of the closely related Chevy Volt.

While those models arguably did very little to turn the brand’s image around, a fully electric (U.S.-built) Cadillac electric vehicle, if it arrives soon enough, could be the key to keeping the luxury brand relevant.

Jeep and Ram diesels, Cadillac electrics, MyChevy updates, Audi chargers: Today’s Car News

Sketch for proposed Volkswagen electric off-road SUV
GM announced a major restructuring that will result in more electric cars, with Cadillac as its focus. Fiat Chrysler will fix its dirty Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesels. And Audi has partnered with Amazon to get home chargers installed for its e-tron customers. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

In a settlement reminiscent of Volkswagen's, owners of EcoDiesel Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram pickups will be offered cash along with a free software update to bring their vehicles into compliance with emissions laws.

GM made a major announcement that it plans to expand its electric vehicle lineup and convert Cadillac to an electric brand.

In the meantime, the company is trying to make life easier for Chevy Bolt EV owners by bringing live information on charger availability from ChargePoint, EVgo, and Greenlots to the MyChevy app.

And Audi plans to have Amazon sell and coordinate installation of chargers for its line of e-tron electric vehicles.

Volkswagen poached an engineer from Apple's Titan self-driving-car effort to head its own commercial self-driving and mobility services programs.

Finally, VW may be planning to build an electric off-road SUV as part of its new ID lineup of electric vehicles.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter

Arrinera Hussarya Supercar – ZerCustoms

Arrinera Automotive revealed today the production version of their first supercar, which is called the Hussarya. Arrinera Automotive is going to build the first Polish supercar. The Hussarya is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine developed by GM, that’s been tuned to develop 650 bhp and 818 Nm of torque. The Arrinera Hussarya comes with… Continue reading Arrinera Hussarya Supercar – ZerCustoms

GM is transforming Cadillac into an electric brand

General Motors is turning Cadillac into its lead electric vehicle brand in a bid to compete against Tesla as well as a host of other automakers bringing EVs onto the market. Plans are already underway to introduce the first model from the company’s new battery electric vehicle architecture, GM said Friday during an investor meeting.… Continue reading GM is transforming Cadillac into an electric brand

GM is making the right move by focusing Cadillac brand on electric, but it should go even further

As we reported yesterday, GM is announcing that Cadillac will act as its ‘lead electric vehicle brand’. The news was confirmed by the company today and here are my thoughts on the situation: After the news leaked yesterday, the automaker has now confirmed it in a statement as part of its annual earnings report: “Cadillac will… Continue reading GM is making the right move by focusing Cadillac brand on electric, but it should go even further

GM says 2018 earnings exceeded expectations and 2019 looks even better

GM raises guidance for 2019 as it focuses on light truck production
42 Mins Ago | 04:28

General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the automaker's full-year 2018 earnings exceeded its previous expectations and that 2019 is looking even better, citing strong sales in China and high demand for its truck and utility vehicles in the U.S.

“From a 2018 perspective, it is not only a focus on really capitalizing on the new trucks we have out there, the light duty trucks, but also the focus on cost reduction so it was across the board. Every element of the company,” Barra told CNBC's Phil LeBeau.

The second largest U.S. automaker had previously told investors it expected 2018 adjusted earnings of between $5.80 and $6.20 a share and adjusted automotive free cash flow of $4 billion. It now expects to surpass those projections and painted an even better picture of 2019, Barra said Friday.

She forecast diluted adjusted earnings per share of between $6.50 to $7 and adjusted automotive free cash flow $4.5 billion to $6 billion for 2019.

GM's shares surged 6 percent in premarket trading on the news.

Barra also said GM tightened its belt last year, helping to boost earnings. She announced several plant closures and 14,000 job cuts in November. The reorganization is estimated to save about $6 billion by the end of 2020, with about half of those cost savings realized by the end of 2019, the company said at the time.

Barra said the job cuts were a “proactive” move in an otherwise strong labor market.

“We have been transparent with the [United Auto Workers union], helping them and making sure they understand the business and that customers' preferences are changing,” she told reporters on a call Friday morning.

GM plans to expand its footprint overseas with a global family of vehicles it is set to launch in China this year, Barra said on the call. She said GM has 20 new or updated products coming out in China.

“When you step back and look at China, we have been there for 20 years, we have had tremendous success, we have very strong brands,” she told LeBeau. “We think that the trade talks that are going on right now are very constructive, the fact they have extended this round to have even more discussion, the next is already scheduled, we know there is discussion of durable goods stimulus in country that we think will apply to autos.”

Cadillac will become the company's lead electric vehicle brand, it said. It's projecting just over 17 million in total U.S. vehicle sales in 2019 and 27 million in China — about flat from 2018. She said annual auto sales in China will eventually climb to 30 million.

WATCH:
CNBC's full interview with General Motors CEO Mary Barra

Watch CNBC's full interview with General Motors CEO Mary Barra
59 Mins Ago | 09:49

Socket to me: MyChevy app tells Bolt EV drivers where to charge

Chevrolet Bolt EV charging at EVgo station
Too many apps!

That's one of the complaints electric car drivers have about charging electric cars. With the time it takes to charge one of the biggest complaints is mapping your way to a charger only to arrive and find it's occupied or out of service.

Now General Motors has forged an agreement with two of the largest charging networks in the U.S., ChargePoint and EVgo, along with Greenlots, to provide real-time data about what charging stations are available and provide it to Chevrolet Bolt EV drivers to tell them what chargers are open and available.

READ THIS: ChargePoint partners with Greenlots to expand access for drivers

Charging networks have long provided similar service to their own customers. But electric car drivers looking for the fastest or most convenient charger along their route may need to search multiple networks.

The ubiquitous Plug-Share app shows availability across networks, but it is crowdsourced and not always updated.

The updated MyChevy app expected to roll out this spring is also expected to provide a way for Bolt EV drivers to easily sign up for subscription services with ChargePoint, EVgo, and Greenlots.

READ MORE: Blink charging network joins interoperability push

Drivers can access charger availability data before they begin a trip or via their cars' infotainment screen.

More partnerships are springing up across the charging industry to provide real-time data, generated electronically from the charger, to unified apps. A recent tie-up between ChargePoint and Greenlots allows users to see and pay for chargers from both networks on each others' apps. And a similar agreement between ChargePoint, the largest network in the U.S. so far, and Canadian charging network Flo provides similar interoperability.

DON'T MISS: One-step Plug&Charge coming to (Electrify) America

Many of the new agreements and services are powered by system aggregators such as Hubject recently entering the U.S. market. Such systems provide a software platform that charging companies and automakers can simply wrap into their own apps which gathers and shares availability and payment data among different networks.

It's all a reminder that electric-car infrastructure is still in early days, and things will likely start to get a lot simpler soon.

Under pressure to change, Ford is reinventing itself

The company has not ruled out leaving Europe altogether if its strategy fails, said a source. New York: Struggling with a sagging stock price and sluggish sales, US car giant Ford took steps to regain its footing this week with the announcement of a massive restructuring effort in Europe — even as it prepared for… Continue reading Under pressure to change, Ford is reinventing itself