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Opel's version of the Chevy Bolt will confuse people at Paris Motor Show

Two things are now official. First, Opel will reveal the Ampera-e, or the European version of the Chevrolet Bolt, at the Paris Motor Show in October. Second, General Motors has outdone itself in brand confusion, topping the Bolt/Volt ridiculousness. Opel isn't giving a single-charge range for the Ampera-e but the company is promising a "significantly longer range" than other electric vehicles. The Bolt is estimated to have a 200-mile range on the EPA scale, so whatever the Opel achieves on the European cycle will be done with the same batteries and motor as the Chevy. Opel is also looking to appeal to the auto enthusiasts with other factoids, which are basically just Bolt stats translated into metric. For instance, the Ampera-e will be able to go 0 to 50 kilometers per hour (which is 31 miles per hour to us Americans, but we're talking Europe here) in just 3.2 seconds. And for those looking to stay connected, as many as seven mobile devices can attached to the car's wireless hot spot. GM said in February that the European of the Bolt would be available across the pond next year, so the most recent bit of news isn't shocking. Still, General Motors continues to create confusion between all-electric Bolt and the extended-range plug-in Volt. It's already been reported that the Korean symbol and pronunciation of what is "B" in English is identical to the English "V," meaning that there is no difference between "Bolt" and "Volt" in that country (though there are no plans to sell the Bolt in South Korea as of yet). Now, in Europe, they're taking the name they used to use for the European of the Volt — Ampera — and merely adding an "-e" at the end of it. For those looking to be less confused, take a look at Opel's press release here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Opel Ampera-e: Paris 2016 View 11 Photos News Source: Opel via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Green Paris Motor Show Chevrolet GM Opel Electric Chevy Bolt volt ampera opel ampera-e ampera-e

Mark Reuss: GM can't afford product 'misses,' has 'thought about' CT6 V-Series

Mark Reuss is a busy man. He oversees General Motors' global product portfolio, an all-encompassing task for a company that sold more than 9.9 million cars and trucks last year. When GM launches a well-received product, like the road-going rocket ship that is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – he gets credit. When the company stumbles with the slow-selling Chevy Malibu or grapples with fallout from the decade-old Saturn Ion and its flawed ignition switch, he gets blamed. GM owners, the press and sometimes the federal government, demand answers. Bob Lutz famously held the job before Reuss. So did Mary Barra, who's now GM's chief executive. There's a New GM, but the lineage is connected to a long history. When he's not thinking product, Reuss, an executive vice president, also runs the purchasing and supply chain for the company, which is still one of the largest industrial empires in the world. We caught up with Reuss on the floor of the New York Auto Show, where GM had just rolled out two crucial new products: the 2016 Cadillac CT6 and the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Speaking with a small group of reporters, Reuss delved into a variety of subjects, including the new Malibu, Cadillac's future (he thinks the ATS-V is going to "flame the M3 and M4"), and other topics. On fixing the Malibu: "We can't miss. We can't have those kinds of misses [like the previous generation] on our cars and crossovers and trucks. We can't do that. If we do that, we give a reason for someone to go buy something else. It's that simple. "On a car like the Malibu we have a chance to really fix all of that, which we have, and then lead. Then you've got a real opportunity there. So that's what we've really been focused on here – to fix those things." He later added: "We need that car here to transform Chevrolet desperately because it's the heart of the market. And when you think of Chevrolet, people will come back and think about what we did with the [new] Malibu and the Cruze... It's hugely important to us." On Cadillac: "If we go out and try and out-German the Germans, it's probably not going to work. We've got an opportunity here generationally where there's a lot of people younger than me that have parents that drove BMWs and Mercedes, and I think there's an opportunity there for those people to drive something different than what their parents did, and I think that's always been an opportunity in the auto industry if you look at the history of it.

PickupTrucks.com's latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.
Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment's newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.