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Opel pulls out of Russia, GM to focus on Cadillac, 'iconic' Chevys

General Motors is going to realign its priorities in the struggling Russian marketplace, withdrawing its Opel brand and pulling out mainstream Chevrolet models. Instead, the General will take aim at Russia's well-established oligarchy, pushing Cadillac as well as "iconic" Chevrolet models, like the Corvette, Camaro and Tahoe. "This change in our business model in Russia is part of our global strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in markets where we operate," GM president Dan Ammann said in a statement. "This decision avoids significant investment into a market that has very challenging long-term prospects." Russian customers interested in an Opel or mainstream Chevys like the Spark, Aveo (the US market Sonic), Cobalt (shown above), Cruze, Orlando and the like have until December to snap up a car before the brands are pulled. "We do not have the appropriate localization level for important vehicles built in Russia and the market environment does not justify a major investment to further localize." Opel Group CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann said. GM will continue to offer service to customers in Russia. "We can assure our customers that we will continue to provide warranty, parts and services for their Chevrolet and Opel vehicles," Neumann said. Beyond realigning its brands in Russia, GM also announced that it would also be idling the company's factory in the country's second-largest city, St. Petersburg. This is the second time the St. Petersburg factory has been in the news – GM announced that it'd be idled for roughly two months back in February. Scroll down for the official press release from GM. GM to Change Business Model in Russia 2015-03-18 Focus on Cadillac and iconic Chevrolet vehicles Wind down Opel brand and sale of mainstream Chevrolet cars Idle GM Auto manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg Part of GM's strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in global markets DETROIT – General Motors today announced plans to change its business model in Russia. GM will focus on the premium segment of the Russian market with Cadillac and U.S.-built iconic Chevrolet products such as the Corvette, Camaro and Tahoe. The Chevrolet brand will minimize its presence in Russia and the Opel brand will leave the market by December 2015. "This change in our business model in Russia is part of our global strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in markets where we operate," said GM President Dan Ammann.

Recharge Wrap-up: Lexus CT 200h is NWAPA's favorite hybrid, 'No Charge to Charge' in LA

The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) has given the Lexus CT 200h its Favorite Hybrid title. It named the compact luxury hybrid its favorite of 2014 at its Drive Revolution in Portland (where it also named the new Volkswagen Golf TDI the Northwest Green Car of the Year). According to NWAPA president Nik Miles, the CT 200h earned the honor for "impressive combination of state-of-the-art small car luxury and hybrid technology." For 2014, the Lexus CT200h got an updated front end, including the spindle grille we've been seeing on new Lexus vehicles, plus a redesigned steering wheel and sliding sun visors. Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet credits the Malibu for helping make stop-start mainstream. Chevrolet started including stop-start technology standard in Malibus equipped with the four-cylinder engine. Chevy has sold about 83,000 of that model, so 97 percent of 2014 and 2015 Malibu sales include stop-start. Now, that technology has made its way into the 2015 Impala. With drivers idling an average of 16 minutes a day, stop-start can significantly reduce harmful emissions and save fuel. According to Navigant Research, we can expect annual sales of cars equipped with stop-start technology to surpass 55 million by 2022. Read more in the press release below. Nissan Leaf customers in Los Angeles will get access to free charging beginning August 15. Nissan is extending its "No Charge to Charge" promotion to LA, which will allow customers to charge at public charging stations at no cost. Leaf customers - including those who bought or leased their car from the participating dealerships on or after July 1 - will get an EZ-Charge card, allowing them to use ChargePoint, Blink, CarCharging, AeroVironment and NRG eVgo chargers for free. Rapid chargers can charge the Leaf's battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes. Nissan plans to offer the "No Charge to Charge" in at least 14 more markets in the US, bringing the total to 25, within the next year. See the press release below for more details. California will get six all-electric school buses for three school districts as part of a demonstration program. The California Energy Commission awarded a grant of $1.4 million for the program to National Strategies LLC; this is in addition to a $2.2-million grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The EV buses use vehicle-to-grid technology, allowing them to sell energy back to the grid when it is needed.

GM puts 3 million miles on hydrogen fuel cell test fleet

Have General Motors' hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles emitted enough water vapor over the past six-plus years to equal the steam coming out of Old Faithful? Not exactly, but GM has released a few figures related to the Project Driveway initiative it began in 2007. The numbers are impressive, if not quite of the geyser-spouting variety. In all, the General converted 119 Chevrolet Equinox SUVs to run on hydrogen, and those vehicles have just collectively surpassed the 3 million mile mark. And if you were waiting for us to tell you that the distance equals a half-dozen round trips between the earth and the moon, well, there you go. The better news is that the SUVs have combined to save almost 158,000 gallons worth of gas, and some of the vehicles have more than 120,000 miles on them. More than 5,000 drivers have participated in the project. GM reached that landmark about 10 months after it announced that it was working with Honda to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain technology. The two companies estimated last summer that it may have something to sell to the public as soon as 2020. For now, you can check out General Motors' press release below. GM Fuel Cell Fleet Tops 3 Million Miles Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles driven in real world reach milestone DETROIT – General Motors' fleet of fuel cell vehicles recently passed 3 million miles of hydrogen-powered, real-world driving. Some individual vehicles have accumulated more than 120,000 miles. By GM's estimate, using hydrogen to power these vehicles, the fleet has avoided 157,894 gallons of gasoline consumption. This specially equipped fleet of Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles are part of GM's 119-vehicle Project Driveway program, which launched in 2007. Since then, more than 5,000 drivers have provided feedback on the functionality and drivability of fuel cell technology. "Hydrogen fuel cell technology is an important part of GM's advanced propulsion portfolio and we continue to make substantial progress in furthering this technology," said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM's global fuel cell engineering activities. "These vehicles have operated through seven full winters and a wide range of environmental conditions, proving that fuel cells can meet the demands of real-world drivers." Last year, GM announced two fuel cell-related collaborations.