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Chevy Bolt, GM's 200-mile EV, could debut in Detroit

It's not news that General Motors is working on a $30,000 electric vehicle with a 200-mile range. Then-CEO Dan Akerson said as much back in 2013. What we've heard before is that this mystery EV will be based on the Chevrolet Sonic and will will arrive in 2017. So, if that's all correct, then it would make sense that confirmation of this plan would come at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, which is just around the corner. And lookee here... The Wall Street Journal is reporting that GM will unveil a concept Chevy Bolt at the Detroit show on Monday. That name sure makes sense, too, since GM registered that trademark back in August. According to the Journal, the rumored numbers – 200-mile range, $30,000 price – are still what's expected. Some new purported details are that the battery will come from LG Chem, which also makes the Volt's batteries, and that the Bolt will be a crossover that could be sold around the world. This all smacks of a preemptive strike against the Tesla Model 3, which is also due around 2017. Currently, GM sells the Spark EV in limited areas of the US, despite a lot of excitement for wider availability. To sell a 200-mile EV for $30,000 means that GM and LG Chem will likely have drastically reduced the cost of making a big plug-in vehicle battery. What this means for the new Volt and GM's future plans is something we're more than a little excited about to learn more of on Monday, the same day that we get to see the redesigned Chevy Volt for the first time. Well, aside from the CES teaser. Green Chevrolet Crossover Electric 2015 Detroit Auto Show Chevy Bolt bolt

GM recalling 521,817 cars in two campaigns

General Motors is issuing two, separate recalls covering a total of 521,817 vehicles worldwide. The larger campaign covers 468,887 units of the 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Specifically, 437,045 of these are in the US, and the rest are outside the country. In these sedans, a steel cable that connects the seat belt to the vehicle can fatigue and separate. GM knows of 36 claims about the problem but only one minor injury. According to The Detroit News, this happened when a taxi driver hit his head. To fix things, dealers will replace the "outboard lap mounting bracket," which will move the tensioner rearward. They'll also inspect and if necessary replace the steel cable and lap pretensioner. In the second campaign, 52,930 examples the 2015 Chevy Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon have seat frame attachment hooks that were installed incorrectly during assembly. GM hasn't received any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities about this problem. Dealers will inspect the affected trucks and repair as necessary. GM spokesperson Alan Adler told Autoblog that he didn't yet have a specific date when affected owners would receive official mailings about either of these recalls. GM Statement General Motors is recalling 48,309 2015 model year Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks in the U.S. because certain seat frame attachment hooks were not properly attached to the vehicle body during assembly. Dealers will inspect the potentially affected seats for proper installation and repair if necessary. GM knows of no crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition. The total vehicle population of the recall is 52,930 including 4,620 vehicles sold in Canada. General Motors is recalling 437,045, 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibus in the U.S. because the flexible steel cable that connects the safety belt to the vehicle can fatigue and separate over time as a result of occupant movement in the seat. Dealers will replace the outboard lap mounting bracket to relocate the tensioner slightly rearward. Dealers will inspect the cable and, if necessary, replace the lap pretensioner. GM knows of 36 claims, no crashes or fatalities and one minor injury reportedly related to the condition. The total vehicle population of the recall is 468,887 including Canada, Mexico and exports.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #321 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #321 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #321
Unibody Ford Ranger replacement