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GM recalls Colorado, Canyon, and Malibu for airbag problem

The Basics: General Motors will recall and issue a stop sale on 1,740 total examples of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, Malibu, and GMC Canyon. This includes 1,579 units in the US and 161 in Canada. The Problem: The second stage of the driver front airbag inflator might not be present. If this happens, the airbag won't fill as quickly as it should in a high-speed crash, which could increase the risk of injury, according to Reuters. This is not related in any way to Takata's inflator problems, and these parts come from a different supplier. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: GM will replace the vehicles' airbag assemblies. If You Own One: GM spokesperson Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog he wasn't specifically sure when recall repairs would begin but said it would be "shortly." He expects the fixes to happen "quickly" because of the small number of affected vehicles, and many of them are either in transport or already in dealer stock. More Information: GM recalled the 2015 Canyon and Colorado in 2014 for a completely separate airbag issue. In that case, a manufacturing error improperly wired the connectors. Related Video: GM Statement GM is recalling 1,579 MY 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Malibu vehicles in the United States and 161 in Canada to replace driver-side front airbags. The second stage of the airbag may not deploy properly in certain high-speed crashes. During a routine quality inspection, it was determined that a component required for a second-stage/high-output deployment was not loaded during the inflator build. Dealers will replace the driver-side front airbag assembly. There have been no reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue. This issue is unrelated to the ongoing Takata recalls.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Spark EV in Canada, Audi to use Valeo electric supercharger

The Chevrolet Spark EV will become available to retail customers in Canada. "We're expanding our electric vehicle offerings to our customers by offering the 2016 Spark EV for retail sales in the growing EV markets here in Quebec as well as in Ontario and BC," says Chevrolet's Chris Hay. Chevrolet has not yet released pricing for the Spark EV in Canada. In the US, the Spark EV is available in California, Oregon and Maryland. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Four recreational vehicle companies in Texas have settled with the EPA over illegal import and sale of off-road vehicles. The 4,000-plus Hammerhead brand vehicles in question were imported without the proper certification, a violation of the Clean Air Act. Some vehicles lacked proper emission control equipment or were manufactured by a company not listed on the certificate application. The settlement totals $560,000 in civil penalties for the companies involved. Read more from the EPA. The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the state's natural gas tax, which was challenged by the ethanol industry. Ethanol producers, which use natural gas to make ethanol, argued the complicated tax was unconstitutional, as it forced certain plants to pay more than their competitors. Taxes vary by location, and some plants have to tap into interstate pipelines at much higher tax rates rather than get it from a local utility. Now, ethanol producers will work to change the law. "My hope is that people understand that, something may be constitutional but that doesn't make it good public policy," says Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw. Read more at Manufacturing.Net. Audi will use Valeo's electric superchargers to improve fuel economy and acceleration. Valeo says Audi will launch a vehicle using its electric supercharger next year, with other reports suggesting that car will be the Audi Q7. The company says other unspecified automakers will also use the technology in their vehicles. While the electric supercharger adds to the vehicle's cost and electric energy use, it can improve fuel economy by as much as 20 percent. Read more at Automotive News Europe. Featured Gallery Chevrolet Spark EV View 13 Photos Related Gallery 2016 Audi Q7: Detroit 2015 View 15 Photos News Source: Hybrid Cars, EPA, Manufacturing.Net, Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Chevrolet Government/Legal Green Audi Chevrolet Alternative Fuels Emissions Ethanol Fuel Efficiency Electric Off-Road Vehicles recharge wrapup

GM's European Opel division may eventually go all-electric

General Motors' Opel division in Europe may transform itself into an all-electric vehicle maker by 2030. Granted, a lot can happen between now and then, including a potential buyout by French automaker PSA Group. Regardless, Opel appears to view its electric future beyond the Ampera-e, which is the sister vehicle to the Chevrolet Bolt, and more like Tesla. Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann indicated that focusing on electric drivetrains would be a superior strategy to expanding its EV technology while pushing forward with conventional drivetrains, says Automotive News Europe, citing comments Neumann made to German publication Manager Magazin. General Motors could make the decision to move towards an all-electric vehicle line for Opel as soon as May. Of course, that depends on whether Opel is bought out by PSA, the parent country to Peugeot and Citroen. PSA is in talks to buy General Motors' Opel and Vauxhall divisions, though government and labor representatives in Germany have expressed concerns over potential job losses from the proposed buyout, Reuters says. Regardless, GM has hinted at expanding its electric-vehicle line far beyond the Bolt, which has a 238-mile single-charge range and debuted late last year. Mary Barra, in an interview with CNET, said the Bolt's all-electric platform could be applied to a "huge range of vehicles," though wasn't specific about additional EV models. Opel first showed off its Ampera-e at the Paris Motor Show last fall. The name of the model raised some eyebrows because the Ampera badge had been previously used by Opel for the sister version of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in. Either way, Opel is looking to take on Renault for electric-vehicle sales supremacy across the Pond. Related Video: