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2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel destined for Chicago debut

It's been a little over a year and a half since General Motors first confirmed plans to offer a diesel-powered Chevrolet Cruze here in the United States, and we've now learned that the oil-burning compact will debut under the lights of the Chicago Auto Show in February. According to GM Authority, the Cruze Eco-D will be introduced as part of the entire 2014 model year Cruze range, set to go on sale in the second quarter of this year.
Earlier reports have indicated that the diesel Cruze will be able to achieve fuel economy numbers in the range of 50 miles per gallon. For comparison, the similarly sized Volkswagen Jetta TDI is rated at 30/42 mpg city/highway, but as we found out in our long-term test of the 2011 model, hitting 50 mpg was a piece of cake.
Official specifications will be released at the time of the 2014 Cruze's unveiling, though reports have stated that the sedan will be powered by a reworked version of the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-four found in the Holden Cruze CDX overseas. In that application, the four-pot oil-burner produces 160 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque - increases of 20 hp and 29 lb-ft over the 2.0-liter engine used in VW's Jetta TDI.

Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept foreshadows an affordable, 200-mile EV future [w/videos]

Confirming numerous reports and rumors, Chevrolet introduced the Bolt EV Concept, "a vision" of a 200-mile EV with an entry price of around $30,000. Those lofty promises ride atop a funky crossover that made its global debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The orange five door features a spacious greenhouse, complemented by a glass roof and thin D-pillar. A narrow grille and slim LED headlights crown a high fascia that leaves little ahead of its front axle. It's a similar story in back, as General Motors' design boss Ed Welburn sought to limit overhangs and maintain the Bolt's small footprint. "Form and function have never meshed so well together," Welburn said. "No compromises were made when it came to aesthetics and the elements that contribute to the Bolt EV concept's range, resulting in a unique proportion that's sleek, efficient and obviously a Chevrolet." The cabin is not unlike current Chevrolet compacts, with the MyLink touchscreen and a detached instrument cluster dominating the sparse dash. Unlike cars like the Sonic, which features a similar design for its instrument cluster, A Volt-like display is found over the steering column. "The Bolt EV concept is a game-changing electric vehicle designed for attainability, not exclusivity," CEO Mary Barra said. "Chevrolet believes electrification is a pillar of future transportation and needs to be affordable for a wider segment of customers." Take a look at both the official gallery of Bolt images, as well as our live shots. And then scroll on down for more comments from GM brass, in the official press release. Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept Signals Brand's EV Strategy Affordable, long-range concept builds on brand's electrification leadership 2015-01-12 DETROIT – Chevrolet today made a significant statement on its commitment to electrification with the introduction of the Bolt EV concept – a vision for an affordable, long-range all-electric vehicle designed to offer more than 200 miles of range starting around $30,000. "The Bolt EV concept is a game-changing electric vehicle designed for attainability, not exclusivity," said General Motors CEO Mary Barra. "Chevrolet believes electrification is a pillar of future transportation and needs to be affordable for a wider segment of customers." Leveraging the electrification prowess established by Volt and Spark EV, the Bolt EV concept is designed to offer long-range performance in all 50 states and many global markets.

Nissan Leaf has 2nd-best sales month ever, Chevy Volt does a 2013 repeat [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The official press release says that "Volt [sales were] up 7 percent," but Randy Fox let AutoblogGreen know that this is simply due to a change in the fleet/retail mix between March 2013 and 2014. The actual number sold was exactly the same in the two months. A month ago, Nissan's director of EV sales and marketing, Toby Perry, said he expected to see the Leaf's sales momentum continue into March. It wasn't a big leap, since January and February were slow sales months in 2013 (around 640 each) before a big climb to 2,200 in March. In 2014, the first two months of the year were better (around 1,300 each) but Nissan can still be happy that the Leaf just had the best March ever and its second-highest sales month ever, with 2,507 sold. That's a 12.1 percent increase from 2013 and Perry said in a statement to AutoblogGreen that one reason is all of the buyers who are becoming evangelists for the vehicle. "We've also seen an increase in showroom traffic as we enhanced our marketing presence in March," he said. Nissan pointed to cities like Washington, DC, Raleigh-Durham, NC and urban areas in Texas as strong Leaf markets last month. On the Chevy Volt front, January and February were also slow months in 2014, down roughly half from the 2,000-ish the plug-in hybrid was selling at the end of 2013. For 2014, sales were up slightly from the first two months of the year and Chevy spokesman Randy Fox told AutoblogGreen that the March number was "pretty flat, year-over-year." Even with that warning, we were surprised to see the total come in at 1,478. Why's that? Because the total for March 2013 was ... 1,478. So, yeah, that's pretty steady even if there were 26 selling days in March period this year compared to 27 last year. As always, our more complete report of last month's green car sales will be coming soon. News Source: General Motors, Nissan Green Chevrolet GM Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales