Midway Group of Nebraska

As gas prices fluctuate, General Motors is determined to deliver more fuel-efficient vehicles to consumers. But achieving more MPG isnâ??t as simple as utilizing smaller engines. For the all-new 2013 Chevy Malibu, aerodynamics played a crucial role in its efficiency.

The latest Malibu has a drag coefficient comparable to a Corvette and nearly as efficient as the Volt electric car. Combining its sleek design with its fuel-saving eAssist technology, the Malibu ECO is able to achieve an estimated 26 mpg city and 38 mpg highway based on GM testing. Those are impressive figures for a full-size sedan.

â??With the new Malibu, the design and aero teams collaborated to achieve maximum fuel efficiency for our customers without compromising the carâ??s visual appeal,â?? said John Cafaro, Chevrolet Malibu exterior design director. â??The aero and aesthetic evolved simultaneously â?? working together, we sculpted the car in a way that makes it more slippery, applied innovative technologies like eAssist and active shutters, and we intentionally designed components such as the rear deck lid and outside rearview mirrors to help maximize fuel economy.â??

When developing the new Malibu, engineers shaved 60 counts of fuel economy-robbing wind drag from the model it replaces, the equivalent of adding up to 2.5 mpg more highway driving range. Aero engineers and designers also conducted more than 400 hours of wind tunnel testing to ensure optimal fuel economy.

â??Aerodynamics is driven by science.â?? said John Bednarchik, Chevrolet Malibu lead aerodynamic engineer. â??While car designers favor wheel flares, sharp creases and other details that add style to a car, what catches the eye may disrupt the airflow, creating unwanted air turbulence and increasing drag. The new Malibu balances design needs with aerodynamic efficiency to truly benefit the customer.â??

Vehicle aerodynamics remain a primary driver of overall fuel economy, especially at highway speeds. So, itâ??s good to know that so much attention has been placed on each and every curve of the all-new Chevy Malibu.

http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/2013-chevy-malibu-gets-high-marks-in-aerodynamic-testing/#more-1941

The agreement, signed Wednesday by GM CEO Dan Akerson and LG President Juno Cho, will help GM expand the number and types of electric vehicles it makes and sells,the automaker said in a statement.

Its the second example this week of automakers looking for partners to help in developing more fuel-efficient cars, as U.S. regulators put in place stricter fuel-economy standards for later this decade. On Monday, Toyota and Ford said they are partnering to build hybrid light trucks.

The pact with GM broadens opportunities for LG, which supplies battery cells for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

Staying ahead

Akerson has vowed to stay ahead of the competition on vehicle electrification. Hes pressing his team to reduce the cost of the Volt, partly through economies of scale by applying the technology across more GM vehicles. Earlier this month, GM said the Volt powertrain will be put on an upcoming Cadillac sedan.

The Volts success prompted GM and LG to collaborate further on vehicle electrification, leading to a formal alliance, GM said.

Last year, for example, the two companies worked together to develop a demonstration fleet of electric Chevy Cruze compacts, which were used as official vehicles during the G20 summit in Seoul. In its statement today, GM said it now is market testing those vehicles.

GM and LG engineers will work together on development of electric vehicle platforms and components, GM said. Vehicles born out of the partnership will be sold in many countries, the automaker said.

Consumers benefit

Steve Girsky, GM vice chairman, said in the statement: Consumers benefit by getting the latest fuel-saving technology faster if we work with the best suppliers and we save time and money in the development process.

In the statement, Cho said, We fully support GMs goal to lead the industry in the electrification of the automobile.

GM didnt disclose terms of the agreement but said it does not involve any exchange of equity.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110825/OEM05/110829946/1186

When Dave Proefke gets locked out of his car, it's called "research."

Proefke, a General Motors Technical Fellow, leads a team that has developed an advanced wireless car key that automatically knows when to lock and unlock the doors on the 2011 Buick LaCrosse and selected other General Motors models.

"It does a lot of the thinking for you," said Proefke. "It tries to determine your intended action and perform that action for you."

The new key doesn't require a button press or even a keyhole. Instead it sends out a constant stream of data to the vehicle that includes where the key is located. That helps the car decide whether the doors should be locked or unlocked based on pre-programmed behavioral scenarios.

The LaCrosse can be equipped with push-button start with smart key technology. It knows whether or not the key is present inside the car. If it is, theft-deterrent encrypted coding allows the vehicle to start. The highly sophisticated system removes many of the mechanical systems such as wiring and cylinders that can make a vehicle easier to steal.

"With push-button start available on the CXL and standard on the CXS, LaCrosse owners can enter the vehicle, push a button to start the car and away they go," said Proefke. "No more fumbling for keys."

Buick's thinking car key knows when it has been left behind in a vehicle. Automatically sensing a lockout situation, it will alert the driver that the keys are still inside the vehicle. If the driver attempts to manually lock the doors, the fob system will keep the doors unlocked.

One of the common key fob myths is that someone could capture its signal and use it to steal a car. With advanced key fob technology, signals are encrypted and change with every button push. Stealing signals is virtually impossible.

Proefke, who grew up around cars, has been working on vehicle security systems for Buick for more than 20 years, and he holds several patents in the area.

"In the future, the functions that are on the key fob could be built into smartphone apps," Proefke said. "Also, key fobs will become smaller and more jewelry-like and could even be worn."

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_buick.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Sept/0903_buick

As the nation nears the 10^th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet today donated $250,000 to the Travis Manion Foundation to help grow participation around the country in the 9/11 Heroes Run.

The 9/11 Heroes Run will bring communities together in more than 25 U.S. cities to honor military, police, firefighters and first responders who have given their lives to protect and save others. Proceeds from the 5K races will go to the families of fallen heroes.

The Manion family formed the foundation in 2007 after Marine 1^st Lt. Travis Manion was killed by sniper fire while defending against an enemy ambush during a patrol mission in Fallujah, Iraq. In an unusual move, the Iraqis named their operating base Combat Outpost Manion, one of few Iraqi facilities named for an American service member.

Before leaving for his last tour, Manion visited Rescue One in New York City, the First Responder unit that lost more than half its members helping others following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

â??After a day of sharing their experiences with Travis, he came home even more inspired to serve our country,â?? said his mother Janet Manion. â??He gave his father a Rescue One hat that read â??Never Forgetâ?? and asked that his father wear it while he was gone. Thatâ??s why we started the 9/11 Heroes Run four years agoâ?¦ to honor and remember.â??

In addition to the 9/11 Heroes Run, the foundation operates the Character Does Matter Leadership Program, programs to Honor the Fallen, and funds Good Grief seminars, scholarships and community service projects that benefit U.S. veterans and families of the fallen.

â??We hold our nationâ??s military personnel and their families in the highest regard, and itâ??s our honor to support the families of our fallen heroes,â?? said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. â??Iâ??m personally honored to know the Manion family and to be associated with such a worthwhile endeavor in Travisâ?? name and memory.â??

Manion, whose father was also a Marine, excelled in the classroom and as an athlete at the Naval Academy, winning several leadership awards and being a nationally ranked wrestler. He was also awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with Valor for his actions in Iraq.  Manion Hall at the Basic School in Quantico, Va., is named after Travis and stands as a reminder to future generations of Marine officers of his leadership on and off the battlefield.

Chevrolet is the official pace vehicle of the 9/11 Heroes Run, the brandâ??s latest support for military families. Chevroletâ??s longstanding commitment includes the GM Military Discount program which provided more than 70,000 discounts in 2010 to military personnel and their families with a cumulative value of more than $60 million.

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Jul/0728_manion

Might you someday pay taxes by the mile?

It took Carol Hinka some time to get used to paying tolls when she moved to Central New Jersey two years ago, first on the Garden State Parkway, then the New Jersey Turnpike on her daily commute to her office just west of New York City.

But when she learned her insurance company was experimenting with the idea of charging by the mile â?? much the way the toll roads base their fees â?? she began to wonder why she couldnâ??t pay by the mile for all of her automotive expenses, rather than the current hodgepodge that includes fixed state and federal fuel taxes

Hinka isnâ??t alone. A number of regulators and planners think the idea of charging by the mile is a great idea â?? something that could gain even more traction if electric propulsion grows in popularity. Since hybrids use less fuel than comparable conventionally powered vehicles and battery-electric vehicles use no fuel at all, thereâ??s the potential for government coffers to lose billions of dollars a year in annual revenues used for road maintenance and other projects.

To replace those revenues, several states â?? along with a number of European countries â?? are exploring the idea of establishing per-mile fees that would use GPS navigation systems to track how much a vehicle is driven. There could be a fixed-rate charge or the fee might be adjusted to reflect the fuel-efficiency of a vehicle, perhaps even when and where it was driven.

A proposal introduced in the Oregon legislature, for example, proposed a charge of about 0.85 cent per mile through 2015, with the figure jumping to 1.85 cents per mile by 2018. The typical American motorist getting a combined 25 mpg today pays just under 2 cents a mile in fuel excise taxes â?? which vary widely by state. So the initial figure would not be out of line with the portion Oregon itself currently charges â?? though the 2018 fee would likely amount to a fuel tax increase for most drivers.

The Oregon measure has been stalled in debate, and similar proposals in Texas, Minnesota and other parts of the country havenâ??t caught on yet, either.

In Europe, with its crowded roads and a growing sensitivity to environmentally related issues, the issue of per-mile road charges has been widely discussed and was the subject of an extensive test in the Netherlands, where traffic problems are considered to be among the most severe on the Continent.

That was supposed to lead to the institution of a national per-mile system in 2012, but despite the seeming success of the test project, it was shelved after a new government took office last year.

A report in the International Herald Tribune says the project wasnâ??t popular but did prove effective, with many participants, after watching a taxi-like meter on the dashboard count off the added charges, deciding to reduce their driving or even switch to mass transit.

The Dutch system would have not only charged by the mile but adjusted the fee depending on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle being driven. Driving in rush hour wouldâ??ve been more expensive, as would taking more congested highways.

â??The trials work well, but itâ??s first a psychological issue and second a political choice,â?? Eric-Mark Huitema, a specialist with IBM, which developed the system, told the newspaper.

For American motorists, the idea seems to be running into resistance among those who fear Big Brother will know too much about their comings and goings â?? though advocates insist the system wonâ??t actually track specifically where a vehicle is driven.

Few experts anticipate the issue to go away. Itâ??s unlikely electric vehicles will gain more than a small share of the market for at least the next decade, according to a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates, which expects hybrids, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles combined to achieve no more than a 7 percent share of the U.S. market by 2020. But even conventional vehicles will be using significantly less fuel in the years ahead, sharply reducing government revenues.

By 2025, the federal corporate average fuel sconomy standard will reach 54.5 mpg, about twice as high as when the President Barack Obama took office. With Americans actually driving less as fuel prices soar, there seem few options to recover lost highway revenues other than raising excise taxes or adopting an alternative system, acknowledges Mary D. Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board.

â??It is an issue we will have to deal with,â?? Nichols told TheDetroitBureau.com earlier this year, though it is not one the environmental bureaucracy is happy to deal with.

Thatâ??s especially the case when it comes to electric power. Advocates like to promote the fact that it costs the owner of a battery car like the Nissan Leaf around 2 cents a mile for the electricity it uses â?? compared with 10 cents or more for a comparable gas-powered vehicle. So adding just a penny or two in new fees could mean a significant percentage increase in driving costs â?? and reduce the savings on fuel needed to offset the higher price for a battery vehicle.

But with the increasing strain on government revenues, few expect the idea of a pay-as-you-drive system to go away. Oregon advocates plan to keep pressing for a per-mile tax bill, and in Europe, Belgium will launch a small test program starting in September. If the tiny country adopts the idea across the board, bigger nations like Germany are expected to follow.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44122391/ns/business-autos/#.TlJa36je6So

DETROIT â?? What started out as a way to honor a hometown hero and boost interest in a county fair became a Guinness World Record on Wednesday as 298 Cadillacs from across the United States and Canada stretched for nearly a mile in a parade to open the Orleans County Fair in Barton, Vermont.

Lorie Seadale, superintendent for the Floral Hall Arts & Crafts department of the Orleans fair, cooked up the idea of the Cadillac parade as a way to increase awareness of the annual event and as a way to pay homage Bartonâ??s own Henry M. Leland, who founded Cadillac in 1902.

â??Our initial goal was for the fair but itâ??s become a dual-purpose event to honor Henry Lelandâ??s legacy and contribution to this country with his inventions, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit,â?? Seadale said. â??Itâ??s great to bring the world record back the United States where it belongs.â??

The previous record of 102 Cadillacs on parade was set on Aug. 18, 2002, in Leimuiderbrug, the Netherlands.

Several of Lelandâ??s descendants still reside in the area and participated in the parade.

â??He was a unique individual. They called him the 'Master of Precision' because he had such high standards,â?? said David Leland, great great nephew of Henry Leland and a resident of Shelbourne, Vt. â??It's nice to see him recognized like this.â??

The parade of Cadillacs included vintage cars through todayâ??s CTS Coupe.

â??Cadillac congratulates the residents of Barton and all of the Cadillac owners who participated in the parade for setting the world record in Henry Lelandâ??s home town,â?? said Cadillac Vice President of Marketing Don Butler. â??The success of this event demonstrates that Cadillac still fuels the same passions that Henry Leland inspired in the brand.â??

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Aug/0817_cadillac_parade

â??The introduction of the Small Block changed everything,â?? said Jim Campbell, vice president, GM Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. â??The Small Block was an instant success because it offered customers high performance and an affordable price, in a compact design that was very easy to modify. The Small Block also started a wave of innovation â?? and escalating performance â?? that transformed the cars Americans drove on the street and the track.â??

The Small Block Redefines Chevy Performance

From 1929 and 1955, Chevrolet only offered six-cylinder engines. To address the burgeoning performance market, chief engineer Ed Cole set out to design a Chevrolet V-8 that was powerful, lightweight and affordable.

His solution was elegantly simple: a compact, efficient 90-degree V-8 engine, featuring overhead valves, pushrod valvetrain, and 4.4-inch on-center bore spacing. The Chevrolet Big Block follows the same formula, with the exception of a wider 4.8 inch bore spacing.

When it debuted, the Small Block delivered 195 horsepower with an optional four-barrel carburetor, and outperformed most anything then on the market. But that was just the beginning. New technologies rapidly increased horsepower. Just two years after the Small Block was introduced, the addition of fuel injection increased output to 283 horsepower â?? or one horsepower for every cubic inch of the 283 cid engine. By 1970, the Chevy V-8 family grew to include a staggering 450 horsepower, 454-cid Big Block.

â??The performance of the Small Block transformed Chevrolet,â?? said Campbell. â??The Small Block made Chevrolet the weapon of choice for grassroots racers on the drag-racing and sports-car tracks across America. It also powered Chevroletâ??s factory racing programs, leading to wins in stock car, endurance, and Trans Am series. Chevroletâ??s racing experience in turn led to more potent production cars, creating legendary names like Corvette, Camaro, Impala, and Chevelle.â??

The Culture of Small Block Performance

The combination of compact dimensions, impressive power and available aftermarket parts made the Chevy V-8 the most popular crate engine in the industry. For example, Tammy Ray never considered anything but a Chevy Small Block when building â??Gold Digger,â?? her 1933 Ford Phaeton hot rod that won the 2010 Ridler Award:

â??My builder will say you can get more horsepower out of a Chevy than a Ford,â?? she said. â??For me, the decision was based solely on appearance. The Chevy V-8 is much cleaner, more compact, and with so many parts available, I could customize every part of engine â?? right down to the gold nuggets inlaid on valve covers.â??

Today, hot rodders can select from a wide range of new Chevrolet V-8 crate engines from General Motors Performance Parts. For example, the classic 350 cid Small Block, with 290 horsepower, delivers affordable power and easy modification, making it ideal starting point for many project cars. The earth-shaking, 572-cid ZZ572R Big Block delivers 720 horsepower and 685 pound-feet of torque make it ideal for drag racing.

The newest addition to the GMPP line is the E-ROD engine family, the first crate engine in the industry to meet California emissions requirements. The E-ROD engine package includes everything customers need to get modern performance, emissions and fuel economy out of their hot rods, including: GMPP engine wiring harness and engine control module; exhaust manifolds, catalytic converters, oxygen and mass-airflow sensors; and even a fuel-tank evaporative emissions canister.

â??More people do more things with a Small Block than any other engine, and probably more than all other engine platforms combined,â?? said Campbell. â??Thereâ??s a Small Block to fit almost any hot rodderâ??s needs, whether they are building a gold-plated hot rod, a 1,000-horsepower dragster, or an emissions-compliant project car.â??

The Continued Evolution of the Small Block

Today, Chevrolet sells more four-cylinder engines than V-8s. But, descendents of the original Chevy small block still power Chevroletâ??s most-capable production and racing vehicles. As per the original, the newer V-8s are physically small and light â?? and extremely efficient at turning fuel into horsepower.

â??Without question, the current Chevrolet V-8s are lineal descendants of the 1955 small block,â?? said Sam Winegarden, GM executive director for Global Engine Engineering. â??They retain the 90-degree V-configured eight-cylinder layout, overhead valve placement and characteristic pushrod valve train. Where they differ are the modern technologies that would have sounded like science fiction 50 years ago, such as all-aluminum blocks, titanium connecting rods, Active Fuel Management, and variable valve timing.â??

On the track, the Small Block has made Chevrolet the most-winning name in NASCAR history, and it powered the Corvette Racing team to seven class wins at Le Mans between 2001 and 2011.

On the street, the modern Small Block powers Chevroletâ??s full-size trucks, such as Silverado and Suburban, as well as performance cars including the Camaro and Corvette. These modern engines deliver levels of power, durability, and efficiency that were inconceivable 50 years ago. For example, the 6.2L Small Block in 2012 Corvette delivers 436 horsepower, up to 26 miles per gallon, and is backed by General Motorsâ?? five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

â??Constant innovation and evolution have made the Small Block relevant for more than 50 years,â?? said Winegarden. â??We are actively working on the fifth generation of the Small Block, which we believe will be the best V-8 engines ever made. By adding new technologies, such as direct injection, we will continue to improve the performance, durability, and efficiency of the iconic Chevy V-8.â??

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Aug/0818_chevysmallblock

The innovative Cadillac Converj Concept, a dramatic luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, is moving forward as a production car that will be called the Cadillac ELR. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced !

DETROIT â?? The innovative Cadillac Converj Concept, a dramatic luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, is moving forward as a production car that will be called the Cadillac ELR.  

Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later.

The Cadillac ELR will feature an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the batteryâ??s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional miles.

 â??The concept generated instant enthusiasm,â?? said Don Butler, vice president-Cadillac Marketing. â??Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present â?? the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.â??

Cadillac selected the name ELR to indicate the carâ??s electric propulsion technology, in keeping with the brandâ??s 3-letter international model naming convention.

The Converj Concept sparked the idea of combining the desirability of a grand touring coupe with electrification, said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design.

â??Thereâ??s no mistaking it for anything but a Cadillac, an aggressive, forward-leaning profile and proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2,â?? Welburn said.

Cadillac will reveal another new concept car on Thursday, Aug. 18, at a special event prior to the annual Pebble Beach Concours dâ??Elegance. Cadillac also recently announced it will add two new vehicles to its product lineup in 2012, the XTS large luxury sedan and an all-new luxury compact sedan codenamed ATS.

DETROIT -- Chrysler Group is slashing prices on a pair of mid-sized sedans and the Dodge Journey crossover for the 2012 model year.

The 2012 Chrysler 200 and the 2012 Dodge Avenger will start at $19,745, including delivery. The 2011 models start at $19,995.

The 2012 Journey, meanwhile, will have its price drop to $21,795, including an $800 destination charge for most trims. The 2011 Journey starts at $22,995.

The price cuts come as most automakers are raising prices to counter higher commodity and material costs. General Motors, for example, says it will hike prices on 2012 models by an average of 1 percent. 

The Dodge models are scheduled to go on sale during the third quarter, and the 2012 Chrysler 200 will go on sale in September.

The new base price on the Avenger and 200 make them cheaper than several competing vehicles, including the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, which starts at $22,755; the 2012 Ford Fusion, which starts at $20,645; and the 2011 Toyota Camry, which starts at $20,955. All prices include delivery.

The Journey also leads its class in price, with a lower base sticker than the $30,240 2012 Chevrolet Traverse and the $28,900 2012 Toyota Highlander. The prices include delivery.

Sales of the 200 â?? which replaced the Sebring â?? have totaled 38,980 this year through July. Avenger sales are up 6 percent to 34,099 units. And demand for the Journey has climbed 3 percent to 31,285.