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Saturn Vue ignition switch leads to new group of GM recalls totaling 312k

General Motors has another spate of recalls to announce. This time they cover 312,280 vehicles worldwide, including 269,041 of in the US, in a total of six campaigns. In 2014, the automaker has recalled 29,079,765 vehicles worldwide, with 25,754,356 of those in the US.
The largest among them covers 215,243 units of the Saturn Vue from 2002-2004 model years worldwide, 202,115 in the US. It's possible for the for the key to be removed even when the ignition isn't in the OFF position. The company knows of two crashes and one injury caused by this problem. Dealers are checking the parts and replacing the ignition cylinder and key set, if necessary.
Next is 72,826 models worldwide (48,059 vehicles in the US) of the 2013 Cadillac ATS four-door sedan, 2013 Buick Encore and 2013 Chevy Trax in Canada. It's possible that the for lap belt pretensioner to retract but not to lock, which could increase occupant movement during a crash. Both front, outboard lap belt pretensioners are being replaced, and a stop-sale is in effect on unsold models until the problem is repaired. There are no known crashes or injuries, though.

Cadillac ELR next EV to get Plugless Power wireless charging tech

Evatran has been testing its Plugless Power wireless charging systems for electric vehicles in the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf for years now and made the tech commercially available early this year. With the growth of the EV market, Evatran is getting ready to expand as well. The company announced today that it will add three premium EVs to the Plugless Power system by the end of the year, with the first (and so far only) named model being the Cadillac ELR. We expect it was not difficult for Evatran to adapt the Plugless Power system to the ELR, since the vehicle's powertrain is so similar to the one in the Volt. The main problem we see is that Cadillac has only sold 390 ELRs (as of the end of June), so this first Plugless Power expansion isn't exactly going to ignite sales, even if every ELR owner opts for the cool tech. If one of the next two announcement is for the Tesla Model S, though, then you're talking numbers. Speaking of the future, what models do you think will be next? The Plugless Power L2 wireless systems were recently declared safe by the Intertek and start at $2,470, not including installation or government incentives. All the online/smartphone connectivity features that work with the car when it's got a cord stuck in it work with the L2 system, Evatran says. Orders start today, and the ELR package will be available September 1. There's more, including a local news report on the technology, below. WSLS 10 NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg Va Wireless Vehicle Charging available to Cadillac ELR owners starting September 1st The Cadillac ELR Joins the Growing List of Compatible Electric Vehicle ("EV") Models from Evatran, the World Leader in High-Power Wireless Charging RICHMOND, VA July 28, 2014 – In an exciting statement today, Evatran Group, Inc. ("Evatran"), announced that its PLUGLESS wireless charging technology would soon be available on the Cadillac ELR. Evatran, the first Company in the world to make wireless charging available to individual EV drivers, currently has systems that are compatible with the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt. The Cadillac ELR is the first model to be announced in what is intended to be three new premium model announcements by the end of 2014. Evatran will begin accepting advanced orders today for deliveries as soon as September 1st. "The launch of the Cadillac ELR system is an important milestone for us," commented Rebecca Hough, Evatran CEO and Co-Founder.

GM won't really kill off the Chevy Volt and Cadillac CT6, will it?

General Motors is apparently considering killing off six slow-selling models by 2020, according to Reuters. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we're skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. Four - the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt - are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year - down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They're older and don't sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other three seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM's latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All six of these vehicles are sedans, Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there's still a huge market for cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There's a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn't workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes.