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Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy teases Bolt driving range, China pursues EV subsidy cheaters

Chevy is teasing the Bolt's driving range, which it is set to reveal on Tuesday. It will certainly be able to travel more than 200 miles between charges, but the second and third digits in that value, as it stands today, are still question marks. On its Facebook page, Chevrolet is asking fans to try to guess the official range. Of course, Tesla fans have already started posting their own snide remarks in the comments. Chevy fans are certainly hoping to see the Bolt's range eclipse that of Tesla's upcoming Model 3, which the California-based automaker puts at 215 miles. See Chevy's post on Facebook to make your own guess, or check back there (or here at AutoblogGreen) for the official number once it is unveiled. Fuel cell company PowerCell Sweden says it has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to make range extenders for commercial trucks. The unnamed Chinese customer has placed an order and signed a memorandum of understanding with PowerCell Sweden, and the partners will develop methanol reformer fuel cell range extenders for electric distribution trucks. "Our unique expertise in fuel cells and reformer technology is receiving an increasing attention worldwide and we are truly pleased to get another Chinese order," says PowerCell Sweden Sales Director Andreas Boden. Read more at Green Car Congress, or from PowerCell. China is accusing major automakers of violating EV subsidy rules. After the country's Ministry of Finance penalized five companies with fines and, in one case, revocation of production license for subsidy cheats, China has since named 20 more potential violators, including Nissan, Hyundai, JAC, and a subsidiary of BYD. Of the first five companies to be punished under the investigation, Suzhou Gemsea Coach Manufacturing is having its production license revoked, while four others, including a subsidiary of Chery, are being fined for about half of the subsidies received. The scandal is bad new for China's subsidy program, which has helped spur sales of plug-in vehicles. Read more from Fortune, or at Hybrid Cars.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Quick Spin [w/video]

The Silverado 1500 gets what most would consider an early update for 2016. Just two years into this generation, the half-ton Chevy truck has been given a visual overhaul and a handful of feature upgrades. Chevy reps say they didn't wait the usual three years for a refresh because they knew the domestic competitors were planning updates of their own for 2015. We're told the fast refresh was always in the plans, and that it wasn't a response to critics (like us) saying "meh" to the new truck's design, which some felt hewed too close to the GMT900s that came before. If a Ford grille that reaches halfway into the headlights is good, a Chevy grille that cuts the units clean in two must be better. That's at least how we imagine the designers' thought process went. Those new split lights use HID projectors on lower models and full-LED tech on the upper trims, with all versions getting LED daytime running lights. LED taillights are also included on the fancier models. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> Each of the eight trim levels has its own look, and the differentiation goes beyond the placement of chrome and the color of cladding. Look closely and you'll see that elements of the various grille treatments are repeated within the headlights. It's a neat touch, and proof that attention to detail is still a thing. Chevy also reshaped the hood, with sharp lines and pockets that look like they'll do a great job of collecting snow come winter. We get why a Corvette has troughs in its hood (you know where the wheels are and see through the valley to the road) but the surfacing on the Silverado's engine hat has only aesthetic benefits. On the feature front, almost all 2016 Silverado models get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support; the 7.0-inch screen includes both, while the available 8.0-inch screen will add Android Auto through an update in March of 2016. The top High Country trim gets new power-articulating side steps as an option. In addition to swinging down to help you hoist yourself in through the door, the steps have a button at the rear that, when pressed, motors them down and rearward to give you a foothold at the front of the bed. Chevy also catches up to the competition with an available remote-locking tailgate. Chevy also gets further into the competitive numbers game for 2016 with expanded use of its eight-speed truck transmission.

GM profits threatened by glut of pickups

Automotive News reports that General Motors may slash production or ramp up discounts in order to deal with an oversupply of pickup trucks. GM currently has more than double the standard supply of pickups, and the vehicles are threatening to dampen the automaker's profits for 2013. Typically, automakers try to sustain a 60- to 75-day supply of vehicles, but GM is currently loaded with a 139-day supply, as of last month. At the end of November, the automaker was sitting on 245,853 units.
The manufacturer says that it will adjust production accordingly before laying any incentives on the profitable pickups. Even so, there's some concern that the inventory swell could hurt the roll-out of the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM actually began slowly stepping back production in August, but it's clear the company will take further action as it heads toward the end of the year and into the next. Analysts predict the automaker could reduce pickup manufacturing by nearly half in the first quarter of 2013.
That still may not be enough to keep GM from laying extra cash on the Silverado and GMC Sierra. While the company's incentive spending was down in November compared to the same month in 2011, both the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 saw double-digit percentage increases in sales last month while the Silverado and Sierra numbers slid compared to a year prior. Incentive spending could help move more trucks and add some balance to the GM inventory surge.