2014 Chevrolet Cruze Ls on 2040-cars

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Even if GM does close all 5 of those plants, it'll still have too many

DETROIT — General Motors' monumental announcement on Monday that it will close three car assembly plants and two powertrain plants in North America and slash its workforce will only partially close the gap between capacity and demand for the automaker's sedans, according to a Reuters analysis of industry production and capacity data. Sales of traditional passenger cars in North America have been declining for the past six years and are still withering. After GM ends production next year at factories in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, it will still have four U.S. passenger-car plants — all operating at less than 50 percent of rated capacity, according to figures supplied by LMC Automotive. In comparison, Detroit-based rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have one car plant each in North America after 2019. The Detroit Three are facing rapidly dwindling demand for traditional passenger cars from U.S. consumers, many of whom have shifted to crossovers and trucks. Passenger cars accounted for 48 percent of retail light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2014, according to market researchers at J.D. Power and Associates. This year, sedans will account for less than a third of light vehicle sales. That shift in turn has left most North American car plants operating far below their rated capacities, while many SUV and truck plants are running on overtime. The collapse in passenger-car demand is a challenge for nearly all automakers in the United States, including Japan's Toyota and Honda, which have the top-selling models in the compact and midsize car segments. Toyota executives said last month they are evaluating the company's U.S. model lineup. But Toyota also plans to build compact Corolla sedans at a new $1.6 billion factory it is building in Alabama with partner Mazda. The obstacles facing GM in its plans to close more auto factories became apparent on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block payment of government electric vehicle subsidies to GM. While it is not certain that Trump unilaterally has the power to do that, he made it clear he intends to use his office to pressure the company to keep open a small car plant in Ohio that GM says will stop building vehicles in March.

2014-15 Chevy Impala recalled over airbag fault

Over 5,700 current-generation Chevrolet Impala sedans are being recalled, General Motors announced today. The fullsize four-doors suffer from an issue with the front seats. According to a report from The Detroit News, a production problem during the seat steaming process could cause "a calibration error in the electronic control module." In turn, that would cause an issue with the Automatic Occupant Sensing system. The AOS is a crucial element, as it looks at the weight on the front seat to determine whether the airbags should be armed or not. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a problem with the system could mean that the airbags deploy when they shouldn't, such as when there's a child or infant seat mounted in front. The problem is limited to 2014 and 2015 models that have both heated and vented front seats. Owners will be asked to report to dealers for a free recalibration and ECU reset. Scroll down for the official bulletin from NHTSA. Related Video: Report Receipt Date: JUL 24, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V465000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 15, 2013, to June 19, 2015, equipped with front vented-heated passenger seats. Accordingly, the Automatic Occupant Sensing (AOS) system may fail to suppress the front passenger air bag if a child seat is in the front passenger seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." CONSEQUENCE: If the front passenger air bag deploys with a child seat in the front passenger seat, it increases the risk of injury to the child. REMEDY: GM will notify owners, and dealers will correct the calibration-learning error by preconditioning the empty seat, and also resetting the ECU to a seat zero-value, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15400. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

The Army goes off-roading with a hydrogen Chevy Colorado

The Chevrolet Colorado is joining the service. General Motors is working with the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center (TARDEC) to build a Colorado powered by a commercial hydrogen fuel cell stack, and the Army will use it in "extremes of daily military use for 12 months." TARDEC is the department that tests "advanced military automotive technology" and integrates them into ground systems. The aim is to see how well the benefits of a fuel cell vehicle can be adapted to the battlefield; hydrogen-powered vehicles are quiet, torquey, produce water, and can be used to provide electricity in the field. GM says the design sketch above "foreshadows" the Colorado that will go to boot camp and beyond, making it clear that this won't be the average midsize pickup. The press release below has more. Related Video: GM and U.S. Army to Demonstrate Extreme Off-Road Hydrogen Fuel Cell Chevrolet Colorado Agreement focused on proving unique utility and viability of fuel cell propulsion WARREN, Mich. 2015-11-19 – General Motors and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center (TARDEC) are modifying a Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup truck to run on a commercial hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system and will expose the truck to the extremes of daily military use for 12 months. "Hydrogen fuel cell technology is important to GM's advanced propulsion portfolio, and this enables us to put our technology to the test in a vehicle that will face punishing military duty cycles," said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM's Global Fuel Cell Engineering activities. Fuel cell propulsion has very high low-end torque capability useful in off-road environments. It also offers exportable electric power and quiet operation, attractive characteristics to both commercial and military use. "The potential capabilities hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can bring to the Warfighter are extraordinary, and our engineers and scientists are excited about the opportunity to exercise the limits of this demonstrator," said TARDEC Director Paul Rogers. "FCVs are very quiet vehicles, which scouts, special operators and other specialties place a premium," he said. "What's more, fuel cells generate water as a by-product, something extremely valuable in austere environments." GM and TARDEC have fuel cell development and research facilities located 20 minutes apart in Pontiac and Warren, Mich.