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Leaked GM document shows GMC Sierra I6 diesel is more powerful than F-150's

GM told us earlier this year that the 2019 GMC Sierra would be getting a 3.0-liter I6 diesel option, but it never mentioned power or fuel economy figures. Hold the phone though, because a leaked GM Canada document just showed up online that lists out the details we've been waiting for. Originally published by TFL Truck, the 3.0-liter oil-burner supposedly makes 282 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. For those who are counting, that's more than the Ford F-150's 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet from its 3.0-liter diesel. It soundly bests the 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque from Ram's 3.0-liter diesel as well. Fuel economy is another story, though. The promotional material states that it will get 28 mpg on the highway, which is 2 mpg short of the F-150's 30 mpg — mind you, it's only capable of that magical 30 mpg figure in rear-wheel drive form. There's another caveat here, too; these are numbers for Canada, so they're not exactly finalized EPA figures. However, we wouldn't expect drastic differences between the two when the American numbers come out. The leaked documents also state the diesel Sierra will be capable of towing 7,800 pounds. That number seems remarkably low when compared to the F-150, which can tow up to 11,400 pounds with its diesel. Extra power and torque would have us assume that GM could get even better numbers than Ford, so we're going to hold our final judgment for official word. A 10-speed automatic will do the shifting on the diesel, just like on the 6.2-liter V8. Since the Chevy Silverado is also expected to get this engine, we can assume the figures would be almost, if not identical, to those we see here. We recently drove the 2019 Sierra and Silverado without the diesel engines, so go check those reviews out if you'd like to know more of our thoughts on the redesigned GM trucks. Related video:

How two-state Chevy Spark EV outsold 50-state Volt last month

Is it really just about price? Last month, the Chevy Spark EV got a sizable price drop of $1,500 alongside a lowered lease price of $139 a month (down from $199). Those numbers, particularly that cheap lease, had a tremendous impact on how many all-electric Sparks GM sold last month. There were 920 Spark EVs sold in April, and the Spark EV is available in only two states: California and Oregon. Sales will start in Maryland in the third quarter of 2015, but there are no pre-orders taking place there, so all 920 were West Coast sales. To be more precise, there were about 864 Spark EV leases signed last month, since 94 percent of those 920 sales were retail leases. As Annalisa Bluhm from Chevrolet communications told AutoblogGreen, that level was, "simply insane." "In those states which offer Spark EV, you can get a 1LT Spark EV for less than a 1LT Spark, with more features" Bluhm said. "Factor in that you will save approximately $82 per month by abstaining from gas, and it's easy to see why people went crazy for the Spark." Let's put 920 into perspective. For one thing, it's crazy up from the 151 Spark EVs sold in March 2015 and the 97 sold in April 2014. It's also almost as many as GM sold all last year, and way more than two years ago. The General sold 653 Spark EVs in 2013 and 1,146 in 2014. To throw in a comparison with GM's longstanding plug-in champion, the aging Volt, the Spark EV came out ahead in the monthly tally for the first time ever. In April, the Volt sold 905 units. The plug-in hybrid's best-ever sales month was August 2013, when it sold 3,351 units. Counting all models and powertrains, Chevy sold 3,743 Sparks in April. So, does this success mean that Chevy is looking to bring the Spark EV to more markets? Bluhm said that GM is considering other states and is always looking at the business case, but has "nothing to announce yet." Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Nissan Leaf sells 3,186 in best month ever as Chevy moves 2,511 Volts

The end of summer seems to inspire people to go out and buy a lot of plug-in vehicles. Last year, for example, the Chevy Volt had its best month ever in August, with 3,351 sales. This year, the Nissan Leaf is going up to the winner's podium, setting its own best-ever record with 3,186 units sold. This beats the Leaf's previous record by 69 vehicles. This beats the Leaf's previous record of 3,117 set in May 2014 by 69 vehicles and is up 31.7 percent from August 2013. Nissan is once again quick to remind us that the popular EV's record sales streak has now been extended to 18 months in a row. This record is simply noting that the current month, in this case August, had the highest sales that that month has ever seen in the US. Over all, US Leaf sales are up 34.1 percent so far this year. In a prepared statement, Nissan's director of Leaf sales and infrastructure, Brendan Jones, said that the Leaf is selling well on both coasts, including cities like Raleigh, Boston and Washington, DC. "It's what we call the 'cul-de-sac phenomenon,' where once someone in a community buys a Leaf, then friends, family, co-workers and neighbors see the benefits of this fun-to-drive electric vehicle firsthand and are sold on the idea of going electric," he said. The Volt also had a good month - its best of 2014 by almost 500 sales – but the 2,511 Volt sales still represent a drop of 25.1 percent from the excellent sales the Volt had this time last year. In fact, August 2014 represents the Volt's best sales month since, well, August 2013. Apparently, there's just something about the end of summer. As always, we are working on our in-depth round-up of green car sales across the country and will have that up soon.