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GM claims it's first to sell million 30+ mpg vehicles

As we continue to put together all the data for the year-end edition of By The Numbers, General Motors has announced that it sold more than a million vehicles in the US last year that achieved at least 30 miles per gallon on the highway. More impressively, GM managed this feat using multiple strategies including small vehicle size, turbocharged engines and hybrid or plug-in technologies across four brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC) accounting for 13 separate models. This number will grow even more in 2013 thanks to cars like the all-electric Spark, the diesel Cruze, the range-extended Cadillac ELR and the Buick Encore compact CUV.
GM's small car sales were up 39 percent last year helping to attain this million-sales mark for 30-mpg models, and almost 40 percent of all GM sales consisted of cars with fuel-efficient I4 engines. In regards to more advanced means of improving fuel economy, GM says that it plans on having 500,000 vehicles with "some form of electrification" on the road by 2017.
Scroll down for the full list of GM's million 30+ mpg cars as well as an informative press release.

Porsche and Buick earn top honors in J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index Study

Customer satisfaction with car buying has been at a low point over the past few years, as price increases, inventory shortages, and COVID restrictions have complicated every part of the process. There are signs of improvement, however, as J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study showed that customer satisfaction has improved slightly from a year ago. J.D. Power rates satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale, finding that it improved seven points to 793 from last year. Improving inventory levels and a slow leveling off of prices have contributed to that improvement, and fewer people are paying above MSRP for new cars. Some auto brands performed better than others with sales satisfaction. Porsche ranked highest among premium brands, followed by Alfa Romeo. Buick took the top spot among mass-market brands, with GMC, Chevrolet, and Mitsubishi behind. J.D. Power also handed out segment-level awards: Premium Cars: Porsche Premium SUV: Porsche Mass-Market Car: Chevrolet Mass-Market SUV/Minivan: GMC Mass-Market Truck: GMC Despite the increase in sales satisfaction, thereÂ’s still room for improvement to reach pre-pandemic levels. J.D. Power noted gaps in salesperson knowledge as an area of improvement. Buyers rated salespeople much better during a gas vehicle purchase than with EVs, citing their expertise as a challenge. Pricing remains a challenge despite an improvement since 2022, and satisfaction is still below pre-pandemic levels. Mass-market buyers reported a slight bump in satisfaction, while premium buyers felt that pricing was less fair than a year before. ItÂ’s an interesting contrast, showing that dealer pricing tactics can significantly impact satisfaction with the sales process. Fewer people may be paying more than MSRP, but several premium models still list with significant markups. Even more interesting is PorscheÂ’s top spot on the satisfaction list, as its cars often sell with huge upcharges, and itÂ’s exceedingly tricky even to get a build allocation for some models. Buick Chevrolet GMC Porsche Car Buying Ownership

Electric pickups compared: 2025 Ram 1500 REV specs vs. Silverado EV, F-150 Lightning

Now that the 2025 Ram 1500 REV has been revealed, along with its most important specifications, we now have information on all of the mainline Big 3 electric full-size pickup trucks. So it's time to see how the numbers stack up, because trucks are all about numbers. We'll see how the Ram compares to the power, battery capacity, payload, towing and other features of the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV and the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning. Power and torque The Ram has just one powertrain option. It features two electric motors making 654 horsepower and 620 pound-feet. That gives it the most powerful standard powertrain, if not the most torque, as the Chevy Silverado EV has 510 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, while the F-150 Lighting has 452 horsepower and 775 pound-feet. But the Chevy and Ford each have upgraded motor combinations. The Silverado is the most potent with 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet, and the F-150 has 580 horsepower and 775 pound-feet. The GMC Sierra EV will also be available with this more powerful pair of motors, and most of its specifications will be the same as the Silverado. There are a couple of exceptions which we'll note when they come up. All three trucks come standard with dual motors and all-wheel drive, regardless of output, battery or trim level. They're all available with locking rear differentials, too. Ford F-150 Lightning front low View 48 Photos Battery, range and charging The Ram is packing some serious packs of batteries. The standard model gets 168 kWh and an estimated range of 350 miles. And the optional 229-kWh pack is estimated to deliver 500 miles of range. That's more capacity and range than the others. It also boasts an 800-volt battery system that allows for close to 350-kW charging. The Ford F-150 Lightning has a base battery of 98 kWh with a range around 230 miles. Optional is a 131-kWh pack with between 300 and 330 miles of range, depending on other vehicle specifications. It's the slowest charger, only allowing 150-kW charging maximum. The Silverado EV's battery specs are a bit nebulous. At launch, it will only be available with one battery pack option that GM claims will provide around 400 miles of range. The company didn't give an exact capacity, though. We would guess its size falls between the Ram's 168 and 229 kWh packs. A smaller battery pack will be offered later, with a shorter but unknown range. The Silverado can use 350-kW fast charging like the Ram.