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Chevy admits there's confusion over Bolt and Volt names

Offering the possibility of 200 miles of driving range and the potential for a price of about $30,000, the Chevrolet Bolt is an incredibly enticing vehicle, and it has an opportunity to be a big player in the EV world. However, the hatchback has been plagued by one problem since the moment it debuted – the name. Bolt sounds very similar to Volt, Chevy's extended-range plug-in, and they can be easy to confuse in a conversation. That's not the best quality to have when trying to get a new vehicle's name out there among customers, and General Motors North America president Alan Batey told the Detroit Free Press that the company is aware of the problem. While the EV is definitely going into production, the model might be wearing a different moniker when it hits showrooms. "We're still in the decision phase. It could go either way," Batey said to the Free Press. He indicated the automaker still has about a year before a final decision is necessary. The Bolt will be built at GM's Orion Assembly plant in Michigan and will likely go on sale around 2017. That will put the Chevy on the market at roughly the same time as the 200-mile Tesla Model 3. Batey didn't seem too concerned, though. "Unlike Tesla, we can spread the cost over a whole lineup," he said to the Free Press. The future doesn't look quite so bright for the Spark EV, though. Batey suggested that it might not last once the longer-range Bolt fills that niche in the lineup. Related Video:

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

General Motors has announced a recall of 118,800 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks due to the possibility of secondary hood latches not being installed at the time of manufacture. The affected vehicles are from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 model years, all of which were built between November 9, 2009 and August 28, 2012.
According to the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, these trucks fail to "comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 113, 'Hood Latch System.' The hood may be missing the secondary hood latch." In other words, owners of these trucks could find their vehicles' hoods opening unexpectedly while driving.
The official recall campaign is expected to begin on January 17, 2013. Dealers will inspect the affected pickups and if a secondary hood latch is not present, one will be installed free of charge. Scroll down to read the official NHTSA report.

Question of the Day: What's the most irritating car name?

You hear a lot about how the Chevrolet Nova was a sales flop in Mexico because "No va" means "it doesn't go" in Spanish; in fact, the Nova sold pretty well south of the border, and in any case most Spanish-speakers know that "Nova" means "new" in Latin and Portuguese. However, General Motors doesn't deserve to be let off the hook for bad car names, because the Oldsmobile Achieva— no doubt inspired by the excruciating "coffee achievers" ads of the 1980s— scrapes the biggest fingernails down the screechiest chalkboard in the US-market car-name world. That is, unless you think Daihatsu's incomprehensible choice of Charade was worse. Meanwhile, Japanese car buyers could get machines with cool names like Mazda Bongo Friendee or Honda Life Dunk. It's just not fair! So, what car name drives you the craziest? Related Video: Auto News Design/Style Chevrolet Honda Mazda Daihatsu Automotive History questions car names