1974 Buick Lesabre Base 5.7l Four Door Everthing On This Is Original. Running Gr on 2040-cars

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GM seeks national mandate for zero-emissions cars

DETROIT — General Motors says it will ask the federal government for one national gas mileage standard, including a requirement that a percentage of auto companies' sales be zero-emissions vehicles. Mark Reuss, GM's executive vice president of product development, said the company will propose that a certain percentage of nationwide sales be made up of vehicles that run on electricity or hydrogen fuel cells. GM says a nationwide program modeled on such a requirement in California could result in 7 million electric vehicles, or EVs, on U.S. roads by 2030. California wants 15.4 percent of vehicle sales by 2025 to be EVs or other zero emission vehicles. Nine other states, including Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, have adopted those requirements. In January, California Governor Jerry Brown set a target of 5 million zero-emission vehicles in California by 2030. The Trump administration criticizes California's ZEV mandate, saying it requires automakers to spend tens of billions of dollars developing vehicles that most consumers do not want, only to sell them at a loss. Reuss told reporters that governments and industries in Asia and Europe "are working together to enact policies now to hasten the shift to an all-electric future. It's very simple: America has the opportunity to lead in the technologies of the future." A national mandate also would create jobs and reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and "make EVs more affordable," Reuss added. GM, the nation's largest automaker, will spell out the request Friday in written comments on a Trump administration proposal to roll back Obama-era fuel economy and emissions standards, freezing them at 2020 levels instead of gradually making them tougher. Under a regulation finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency at the end of the Obama administration, the fleet of new automobiles would have to get 36 miles per gallon by 2025, 10 mpg higher than the current requirement. But the Trump administration's preferred plan is to freeze the standards starting in 2021. Administration officials say waiving the tougher fuel efficiency requirements would make vehicles more affordable, which would get safer cars into consumer hands more quickly. GM on Thursday said it doesn't support the freeze, but wants flexibility to deal with consumers' shift from cars to less-efficient SUVs and trucks.

Buick's Velite 5 is a rebadged Chevy Volt for China

There's nary a mention of the famous Chevy Bowtie badge in Buick's press release for its new Velite 5. No shoutouts to the extended-range Volt, with which the Chinese-market Velite clearly borrows its hybrid gasoline/electric technology. But that's okay; to borrow an adage, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. And, as you can see from the image above, the Buick Velite 5 is a duck Volt with a Tri-Shield badge. The Velite 5's 1.5-liter engine and lithium ion battery pack provide up to 466 miles of range, with the first 62 miles or so coming on battery power alone. That's more range than Chevy quotes for the Volt, so we're not sure what methodology Buick is using to calculate mileage. Still, even if it's more like the Volt's estimated range of 53 real-world miles, it would be enough for many Chinese drivers to avoid the gas station altogether. Buick showed off a Velite Concept late last year that doesn't appear to share much at all with this new Volt-based production model. But since the brand is promising more plug-ins and EVs in the coming years, we wouldn't be surprised to see further models carrying the Velite moniker, perhaps one based on the all-electric Chevy Bolt EV. Related Video:

Next Opel Insignia to adopt sleeker looks

The very first set of spy photos of the next-generation Opel Insignia have dropped, giving us a look at the more svelte, aggressive, and stylish look of the popular sedan. As a reminder, the Insignia is sold here in the United States as the Buick Regal. There's only so much we can discern from these photos, thanks to the very heavy camouflage. But we can get a look at the new Audi A7-like roofline, which our spies citing similarities to the Opel Monza concept car from the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Monza link fits with our previous reports, which claimed the gullwinged wagon would serve as a prime source of inspiration for both the Insignia and US-market Regal. Aside from the significantly redesigned sheetmetal, Opel is also increasing the size of its flagship sedan, adding nearly four inches between the axles. According to our spies, the goal is to build a vehicle comparable in size to the Skoda Superb, a roughly Volkswagen Passat-sized sedan based on the VW Group's MQB platform. What's most interesting for US customers, though, is the body style shown here. Like the aforementioned A7, the next Insignia will be offered as a five-door model, rather than a traditional sedan. The five-door hatch would later be joined by a traditional wagon. It's unclear whether the US market Buick will take a similar route, or whether General Motors will demand a four-door variant exclusive to North America. Check out the spy photos above, and keep an eye open for more on the next Insignia/Regal. Don't plan on seeing it at an auto show any time soon, though. It's not slated to debut until the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.