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GM’s Charlie Wilson was right: Stronger regulations can help U.S. automakers

Charlie Wilson had been the president and CEO of General Motors before being nominated to become secretary of defense by Dwight Eisenhower. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he controversially said, "For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa." And he was right. While car companies aren't necessarily the most progressive when it comes to things that might have the slightest possibility of political blowback, General Motors should be credited for doing something absolutely forthright in this regard with its announcement that it wants the federal U.S. government not to squash the California Air Resources Board's emissions requirements but to actually create a 50-state "National Zero Emissions Vehicle" program that, in the words of Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president, Global Product Group and Cadillac, "will drive the scale and infrastructure investments needed to allow the U.S. to lead the way to a zero emission future." Filing comments to the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks is one thing. But a graphic the company developed for this announcement — shown above — is something else entirely, something that is absolutely credible, creative and clever. There is a photo of a Chevrolet Bolt EV driving along a highway, which seems to be in Marin County (based on the blurred San Francisco skyline in the background). Text on the photo states: "It's Time for American Leadership in Zero Emissions Vehicles." It seems to say, in effect, "If we want to make America great again, then we're going to do it by leading in technology, not by retreating behind weakened regulations." General Motors understands that the auto market is globally competitive, and if U.S.-based companies are going to be in the game, then they'd better be able to out-innovate the companies based elsewhere, where emissions and economy standards are not being weakened. What's good for our country ... Related Video:

GM is quietly slashing prices on base models

While General Motors' fourth quarter financial figures haven't yet been released, the automaker seems to be weathering a potentially rocky time well, even beating third-quarter projections last year. To keep the climb going, the company is launching new base trims for several popular models that make them cheaper than ever but with tight dealer margins. The new entry-level trims are the Chevrolet Cruze L, Equinox L, GMC Terrain SL and Buick LaCrosse 1SV. Buyers lose some content by picking them, but the prices are slashed. According to Cars Direct, the biggest savings are on the LaCrosse, where customers pay $31,065, plus $925 destination, $2,570 less than the previous base 1SB trim but must accept things like 17-inch wheels and no cargo net in the back. If you're wondering how Buick can remove only a little equipment but cut the price so much, it's because the company also slashed dealer margins. According to Cars Direct, the difference between the invoice and MSRP for the LaCrosse 1SV is only around $150, compared to around $1,350 before. The disparity is even greater for the Cruze with an $81 difference in the prices, compared to about $600 for the LS version. Showrooms are expected to keep very low stocks of these trims, though. "Dealers use such vehicles to get people in the door, but they do not generally want to do high volumes of these strippers. The margins are next to nothing; they don't make much money off these cars," said Ed Kim, Vice President of Industry Analysis for AutoPacific to Autoblog. Dealers are also expected to advertise that these new base trims undercut major competitors. For example, the Cruze L rings up for about $2,320 less than a Honda Civic LX, according to Cars Direct. One potential drawback for buyers is that these models might not be eligible for incentives. While the attractive prices might get customers into dealers, folks may not actually end up driving home with these entry-level models. Kim indicated base trims also make up a small portion of the sales mix. "Consumers aren't asking for stripped out vehicles, even at the low end of the marketplace," he said. Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Cruze View 9 Photos News Source: Cars DirectImage Credit: Chevrolet Buick Chevrolet GM GMC Car Buying Car Dealers Crossover Sedan gmc terrain cheap cars

GM diesel pickups first to undergo extra EPA, CARB testing

The effects of Volkswagen's long-running diesel emissions evasion are starting to spill over to other automakers, but General Motors is taking things in stride. The 2.8-liter, four-cylinder Duramax in the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon is the first engine to get extra scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, Automotive News reports. Rather than just the usual in-lab test, it's also being checked on the road. However, the extra evaluation shouldn't have any impact on when the trucks with his mill hit dealers later this fall. "We're in our final stages of the EPA certification, and our launch is on track," Chevy spokesperson Otie McKinley tells Autoblog. The four-cylinder diesel in the trucks makes 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and the automaker is touting low NOx production. In the announcement for the Colorado's specs, the company calls it "the cleanest diesel truck engine ever produced by General Motors." The tech includes exhaust gas recirculation to lower combustion temperatures and improve emissions. There's also a urea tank like on the bigger diesels for full-size trucks, and it gets refilled in time with oil changes. An indication on the instrument panel lets drivers know when that's needed, too. Even with the more demanding testing, the company doesn't seem too worried about the four-cylinder passing. "Part of our development process is on-road and off-road [laboratory] testing," Scott Yackley, Chevy Trucks assistant chief engineer, said to Automotive News. In the wake of the VW scandal, the EPA has pledged more rigorous testing. Before, on-road emissions evaluations were largely limited to heavy-duty vehicles, but the agency has decided to apply the checks more often to other models. There's also now greater cooperation with Canadian authorities.