2002 Chevrolet Impala 3.4l V6 Fwd Sedan Local Florida Car Clean Carfax L@@k on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Opel Ampera-e brings a Bolt of EV driving to Europe

The Chevrolet Bolt will take a trip across the Atlantic in 2017 to become Europe's Opel Ampera-e. General Motors won't release any specs for the foreign version yet, but these photos suggest very minor styling tweaks to the upper level of the grille and to the hatchback to add the appropriate brand emblems. We would expect the same electric motor with 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque and 60-kWh battery as the US model, too. However, the 200-mile range number might change, but only because of the differences in European testing. GM CEO Mary Barra announced the Ampera-e at the CAR Symposium in Bochum, Germany. "GM and Opel have always been convinced that electric cars will play a defining role in future mobility. The game-changing technology of the Ampera-e is a significant step toward realizing that vision," she said. The Ampera-e is also proof that General Motors loves confusing naming for its green models. If the Volt and Bolt aren't perplexing enough, the Ampera-e is just one letter off from the Ampera – the previous-gen Volt in Europe. GM no longer sells the range-extended vehicle there, so at least both names can't be in showrooms simultaneously. However, the similar monikers still might confuse some customers who think the new EV hatchback is closely related to the old sedan. Related Video: OPEL GROUP ANNOUNCES GAME-CHANGING AMPERA-e BATTERY ELECTRIC CAR New battery electric vehicle will break down barriers to electric mobility Five-door, five-seat Ampera-e will have longer range than most electric cars Fun to drive, outstanding connectivity and affordably priced Russelsheim. Opel Group will launch a revolutionary new battery electric car next year, as the company continues the biggest, most far-reaching model offensive in its history with 29 new models between 2016 and 2020. The new five-door, five seat will be called "Ampera-e". It will not only have a longer range on a full charge than most electric cars, it will also be affordably priced. Building on the electrification expertise established with the original Ampera, which set the benchmark for modern electric cars in 2011, the new Ampera-e combines innovative electric-mobility with state-of-the-art connectivity and exciting driving dynamics. Announcing the Ampera-e today at the CAR Symposium in Bochum, Germany, GM Chairman & CEO Mary Barra said: "GM and Opel have always been convinced that electric cars will play a defining role in future mobility.

GM recalls 3,300 pickups and SUVs for new ignition-switch issue [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A statement from GM about the recall has been added below. The exact total of vehicles affected is 3,296, including 3,073 of them in the US. General Motors isn't letting an ignition-switch problem grow into a massive scandal again. The automaker is recalling about 3,300 North American trucks and SUVs. They are: the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra and the 2015 Chevy Suburban and Chevy Tahoe, as well as 2015 model heavy-duty pickups, the Detroit News reports, citing an Associated Press story. The issue appears to have been caught fairly quickly. In this case, the keys can get stuck in the "start" position and then slip to "accessory" if bumped. This is because the ignition lock gears have an outer diameter that's larger than the specifications allow. When that happens the engine shuts off, and the driver loses assistance to the steering and brakes. The airbags might also be affected. The vehicles get a new ignition-lock housing to fix the problem. According to the Detroit News, an employee who experienced the problem with the switch discovered the issue, and this person then let officials at the automaker know as part of the Speak Up for Safety program. A total of five reports of the fault were discovered. However, there are no cases of injuries or crashes. The claims to the automaker's resolution program eventually tallied that GM's previous ignition switch problem included 124 deaths and 275 injuries. The company also had to recall millions of vehicles and pay significant fines to the US government. GM Statement General Motors is recalling 3,073 full-size trucks from the 2014 and 2015 model years in the U.S. Some of these vehicles may have an ignition lock actuator gear with an outer diameter that exceeds specifications, which may make turning the ignition key difficult. The ignition key could get stuck in the "start" position. This may be more likely at higher interior ambient temperatures. If the vehicle is driven with the key stuck in the "start" position, and the vehicle experiences a significant jarring event or the vehicle's interior temperature cools, the ignition lock cylinder could move out of the "start" position, rotate past the "run" position, and move into the "accessory" position, leading to loss of power steering assist, power brakes and potentially air bag deployment in certain crashes. Dealers will replace the ignition lock housing.

Chevrolet To Oversee Restoring Sinkhole Corvettes

What Mother Earth devoured, Chevrolet plans to resurrect. The carmaker said Thursday it will oversee restoration of the classic cars swallowed by a huge sinkhole beneath the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. General Motors Design in Warren, Mich., will manage the painstaking work to repair the eight prize vehicles, the automaker said Thursday. The cars were consumed when the earth opened up early Wednesday beneath a display area when the museum in Bowling Green, Ky., was closed. No injuries were reported. The museum was open Thursday except for the area where the sinkhole occurred. Mark Reuss, GM's head of global product development, said the damaged vehicles rank as "some of the most significant in automotive history." "There can only be one 1-millionth Corvette ever built," he said, referring to one of the damaged cars. "We want to ensure as many of the damaged cars are restored as possible so fans from around the world can enjoy them." Just how the cars will be pulled out of the ground remains to be seen, said museum executive director Wendell Strode. The local fire department estimated the hole is about 40 feet across and 25 to 30 feet deep. The hole opened beneath part of the museum's domed section. "We feel pretty confident that most of the cars can be extracted," Strode said Thursday. "And we hope and believe that with just a little bit of luck, that all eight cars can be extracted and be part of the restoration." Chevrolet spokesman Monte Doran said some of the cars look to be in good shape, while others are buried in rubble. "It will likely be several weeks until we can get the cars out and assessed," he said. The GM Design team has helped restore other historic cars, but the Corvette project looks to be its biggest, he said. "These Corvettes are part of our history, and they want them restored properly," Strode said. "We're thrilled they're doing this." The cars looked like toys as they plunged into the hole, piled in a heap amid dirt and concrete fragments. The museum owns six of the cars while two - a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder and a 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil - are on loan from General Motors. The other cars damaged were a 1962 black Corvette, a 1984 PPG Pace Car, a 1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette, a 1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette, a 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette and a 2009 white 1.5 Millionth Corvette. Pictures of the sinkhole showed a collapsed section of floor with multiple cars visible inside the hole.