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GM starting to talk seriously about 200-mile EV

We've been hearing word of a 200-mile EV from Chevrolet for a while now. First, there was General Motors then-CEO Dan Akerson hinting at a $30,000, 200-mile EV that would take the competition by surprise. Then Akerson confirmed that GM is working on a 200-mile EV in a speech in March. LG Chem, which supplies batteries to GM and other automakers, recently said it was working on batteries for EVs with a range of 200 miles. GM's head of global product development Mark Reuss just re-confirmed that there are plans for an EV with a 200-mile range, and sources have told Automotive News what that car will be. While Reuss didn't mention anything about a specific model or platform, two undisclosed sources with knowledge of GM's plans have said that an EV with a range of about 200 miles is indeed in the works, and that it will be based on the Chevrolet Sonic. The sources also gave a timeline for the car, saying it is slated for sometime in 2017. According to Reuss, the plan is for Chevy to offer a lineup of electric cars, with the 200-mile EV joining ranks of the Chevrolet Volt and the Spark EV. He didn't hint at a timeline, but if the sources are correct, we could see a Sonic EV being built within a few years. Reuss sees demand for it, too. When speaking of the Spark EV, currently only available in California and Oregon, he says that "people wish we would sell it all around the country." If he's right about that, it's not difficult to imagine people taking interest in Chevrolet's 200-mile electric car, whether or not it's a Sonic.

Opel CEO talks new EV, will likely be fresh face for Chevy, too

The rumored demise of the Opel Ampera has been confirmed, but there's good news, too. Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann has been busy Tweeting information about the brand's next plug-in vehicle, admitting that the Ampera is on the way out but that plug-in vehicles are here to stay. His Tweets, in full, read: After the eventual run-out of the current generation Ampera, we'll introduce a successor product in the electric vehicle segment. Our next electric vehicle will be part of our massive product offensive – with 27 new vehicles in the 2014-2018 time frame. We see eMobility as important part of the mobility of tomorrow and we will continue to drive down costs & deliver affordability. As we learned earlier this week, the Ampera will not be refreshed when the current Chevy Volt is updated, most likely because of slow sales. Opel sold just 332 Amperas in the first five months of 2014. For now, General Motors is still building Amperas in Michigan for export to Europe. So, what might this new EV mean for the General Motors plug-in fleet? Official spokespeople are being quiet, but we think it's safe to say the new EV Neumann is talking about is not simply a rebadged Chevy Spark EV. This is the first official word about an entirely new EV, and we expect it will come to both the Chevrolet and Opel brands.

Why the Corvette's Performance Data Recorder can be illegal in some states

The Performance Data Recorder with Valet Mode available on the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray seems like a fantastic tool for many owners. Whether they are taking 720p video while lapping the track in their new 'Vette, or just want to protect their purchase from inconsiderate joyriders, the system offers a lot of functionality in one package. However, one of the PDR's features might get buyers in trouble with the law, and it has nothing to do with recording some illicit high-speed driving on a favorite back road. The problem hinges on the various state laws concerning a person's right to privacy.
According to a letter posted by Jalopnik, Chevy dealers are asking 2015 Corvette owners not to use the Valet Mode portion of the PDR because it records audio in the cabin, in addition to performance specs. That's a problem because privacy laws vary from state to state with some requiring just one side's consent to tape sound and others requiring all parties to agree. According Jalopnik, 15 states mandate everyone's permission beforehand, but it's not clear whether these numbers are up to date. (Actually, the report varies, saying 13 states in some places and 15 in a list.)
According to the letter, Chevy is already working on a software update for the near future to rectify the issue. It's possible that simply adding a warning to drivers and the ability to turn off the audio recording function in Valet Mode might solve the problem. Obviously, this doesn't preclude Corvette drivers from using the performance aspect of the PDR, and owners are free tape lap after lap at the track.