Drive the 2012 Sonic today!

 Visit Singh Chevrolet at the Riverside Auto Center.

 ”The news is in. Last Friday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed its investigation into the Chevrolet Volt without finding a single defect.

After a two-month investigation, it was determined that “no discernable defect trend exists” and that GM did not need to take any additional action. “Based on the available data,” the government’s press release said, “NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles.” (For the full text of the release, go to www.nhtsa.gov)

All of which means that the Volt will continue on its pioneering mission as the electric car that has done away with the range anxiety of running out of electrical power by backing up our electric battery with a gasoline-powered generator.

It is the most significant step in GM’s history to give customers a choice beyond oil, a technological “moon shot” that will now be exported to China, Germany and dozens of countries worldwide. Yes, the world is learning from Detroit again. And we couldn’t be prouder.

So what do our customers think of the Volt? In fact, they rated it #1 in customer satisfaction for all vehicles selling under $60,000. High praise for a company that takes the safety and integrity of each of its creations very personally. This is today’s GM.

For more information about the Volt and the Volt owner movement, please visit us at chevy.com . And of course, visit your nearest Chevrolet dealer and take the future for a drive.”

Sincerely,

Dan Akerson
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
General Motors Company

__________

Stop in and see us at Singh Chevrolet where we have a Chevy VOLT waiting for you to drive right now!

I’ve contacted several of my customers to see if they have read about or heard about the recent reports about the NHTSA Crash Tests that have been in the news. So far, NONE of my customers have felt any concern over the safety and reliability of the Chevrolet VOLT.

Here is the response my cousin emailed to me:

“Yes I have seen many of the news article posted on the web and no I’m not concerned about any safety issues. Yes this should be investigated but I personally think this got blown way out of proportion. I trust that a solution will be found but in the meantime, if I ever get into a bad accident, I’ll make sure that the battery is drained and/or replaced.

I also think GM’s leadership team did a very smart thing and quickly released all the pertinent facts as well as making a generous offer of taking returns or giving loaner cars. To me, this says a lot about GM’s faith in the Chevy Volt. Overall, I’m really enjoying the car and still learning how to use all the many features. To date, I have driven over 4500 miles and used 19.3 gallons of gas yielding an average instantaneous gas mileage of over 233 mpg.

I recently participated in a car survey. Six people including myself were interviewed for a few hours comparing various EV’s & hybrids. We were also asked to provide a viewgraph which captured our individual thoughts about the Chevy Volt (my entry is shown below).

My only problem thus far has been the auto charging feature where I set the recharge time based on “cheapest rates” and next drive time. In 5 separate cases, the car did not recharge. I could not determine any repeatable pattern that would cause this to occur. I did take the car in for a software upgrade in early November but this problem occurred once again a week after the car was serviced. I reported this to the on-line Chevy Volt rep who mentioned that this could be caused by the charging station. I discussed this problem with the other Chevy Volt owners I met at the EV car survey one of whom has experienced the same issue. As it turns out, he had a different charging station than I. I have not seen this problem in the past month but is something that I’m monitoring.

In summary, I think the Volt is the best extended electric vehicle best fits my needs and driving patterns. In addition, it is the best engineered and integrated car I have purchased, leased and/or seen to date (even after the car survey where we were shown unreleased EV & hybrid models). In my opinion, the attention to detail in the Volt’s design as well as how the many systems (GPS, navigation, live traffic reports, OnStar, Bluetooth, XM radio, audio system, remote access, phone, weather outlook, power utilization info, climate control, …) have been integrated into a single touch screen display is second to none.

To date, the Volt has maintained its performance and provides all the features as advertised. The drive is very smooth and quiet. It is a fun car to drive and is something I get to enjoy almost every day.

Thanks for checking but I really am very happy with the car.”

If you would like a complete demonstration-presentation-test drive of the 2012 Chevrolet VOLT, just give us a call or stop in. We are always happy to show off the BEST CAR that GM has built in the last 100 years. Ask for Gordon or Masood when you arrive at Singh Chevrolet, 8200 Auto Drive, Riverside, CA 92504.

More important is the response of VOLT owners themselves. Here is a blog posting by “?’smyvolt“, who is a senior member on the GM-Volt.com blog site:

“The Volt is not the Hindenburg.“

“Eleven months ago, a local television station contacted me and covered the story of me receiving and driving to work with my new 2011 Volt. Tonight the same station inquired if I had gotten a loaner GM car yet to replace my Volt because of “the fire danger.” I replied that media histrionics notwithstanding, the Volt is not a Hindenburg class helium-filled blimp, needing only a static electricity spark to explode into flame and spectacular destruction.

The driver of a Volt, as the driver of any car, faces a number of collision dangers, to include injury from air bags. Having worked my way through college as a police officer many years ago, I learned first hand that the danger of fire is ever present for gasoline-powered cars involved in major accidents. Even the Volt’s gasoline tank is capable of some pretty spectacular pyrotechnics, despite its small capacity, if it were damaged in such a way that the gasoline could ignite.

It is the battery pack that sets the Volt apart. GM’s explanation of the risk the Volt battery pack represents makes considerable sense. A significant accident that does or may have damaged a gasoline-powered car should result in the gas tank being inspected and the gasoline drained if there is any indication of leaking. Similarly, GM has explained, the Volt battery pack needs to have a controlled release of the stored electricity to be fully safe after a serious collision.

Just as frayed electrical fires can eventually cause enough heat and sparks to ignite a fire within our homes, so too can a damaged battery pack cause enough heat and sparks to ignite flammable parts or upholstery in a Volt. This is a far cry from the Hindenburg-style disaster being portrayed by too many in the press.

GM has explained how they will deal with safely draining the charge from the battery pack of a seriously damaged Volt. It makes sense to me. With over 16,000 miles in my Volt, I continue to be impressed with its engineering, its pick-up, and its environmentally friendly footprint. So no, I have not contacted to GM to get a loaner car – - nor have I asked them to buy back my Volt. But what I do ask is for objective coverage from the media that represents a serious discussion of the facts, the risks, and the myths about post collision Volt fires.

# 565 @ 11 months, >16,000 total miles, and lifetime 159 mpg.”

Singh Chevrolet in Riverside is one of Southern California’s top-selling VOLT dealers. If you would like a complete demonstration and test drive of a 2012 VOLT, just call Gordon in the Internet/Fleet Department at (866) 407-3143.

“From the original Camaro to the current Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet has a long history of delivering world-class cars that outperformed competitors at several times the price,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Global Chevrolet Marketing. “The ZL1 is no exception. There are very few cars at any price that can match the power, features, and track-capability of the Camaro ZL1.”

For the $54,995 price, including a $900 delivery fee, the ZL1 compares favorably to much more expensive cars: 

Supercar Performance

The heart of the Camaro ZL1 is a supercharged 6.2L engine is SAE-rated at 580 horsepower (432 kW) and 556 lb.-ft. of torque (754 Nm) – making it the most-powerful production Camaro ever.

The LSA features a Roots-style blower with an efficient four-lobe rotor set and compact intercooler The ZL1 also features a standard dual-mode exhaust system, with vacuum-actuated valves in the exhaust pipes for a refined exhaust note at low speeds as well as a free-flowing system for peak performance.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. With either transmission, the Camaro ZL1 delivers impressive performance: 

“With 0 to 60 taking less than four seconds, and a top speed in excess of 180 mph, the power and acceleration of the Camaro ZL1 rivals many supercars,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “And, horsepower is only half of the story, as the most significant measurement of the ZL1’s potential is lapping the Nurburgring in 7:41.27. That is a great testament to the power, braking, grip, and balance of the Camaro ZL1, and to the well-rounded performance of the ZL1 that sets the bar for the sports-car segment.”  

Exclusive, track-capable technologies

To deliver that well-rounded performance, the Camaro ZL1 comes standard with several track-capable technologies that are exclusive to the segment.

For example, the Camaro ZL1 is the first sports car to feature the third-generation of Magnetic Ride. This advanced suspension system employs valve-less damping and Magneto-Rheological (MR) fluid technology to varies the suspension firmness to match the road and driving conditions.

“Traditional suspension systems at some point compromise ride quality for road-holding grip and body control,” said Oppenheiser. “With Magnetic Ride Control, we can offer customers the best of both worlds: A comfortable ride that makes the ZL1 appropriate as a daily driver and the incredibly precise body control that makes the ZL1 so enjoyable on the track.”

Also standard on the Camaro ZL1 is Performance Traction Management, which integrates magnetic ride control, launch control, traction control, electronic stability control and electric power steering response to enhance performance.  The technology was first introduced on the Corvette ZR1. With Performance Traction Management, the launch control feature (manual transmission only) automatically modulates engine torque for the best-possible acceleration without excessive wheel spin. When the driver pushes the throttle to the floor, the system holds a predetermined engine speed until the driver releases the clutch. Then, the system modulates engine torque 1,000 times per second to maximize the available traction. Similarly, on a road course, the driver can apply full throttle when exiting a corner and Performance Traction Management will automatically manage acceleration dynamics to maximize exit speed based on available traction.

In addition, the Camaro ZL1 has been engineered to be track-capable from the factory, including a rear-differential cooler, an integrated engine- and transmission-oil cooler, and brake-cooling ducts as standard equipment. As such, the ZL1 offers many technologies and features not available on the 2012 Ford Shelby GT500:  

Additional features and options

The interior of the Camaro ZL1 features standard leather seating surfaces with suede microfiber inserts and heated, powered-adjustable front seats. Standard technologies include a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics® audio system; USB and Bluetooth connectivity; and rear-park assist with a rear-view camera display integrated in the center rear-view mirror.

The Camaro ZL1 is available with six options:

• Six-speed automatic transmission with TapShift controls is $1,185
• 20-inch, bright aluminum wheel package is $470
• Power sunroof is $900
• Stripe package is $470
• Exposed-weave carbon fiber hood insert is $600
• The suede package, including suede microfiber accents on the steering wheel, shift knob, and shift boot is $500

The Camaro ZL1 Coupe will go on sale in the spring of 2012, as a 2012 model. The Camaro ZL1 Convertible will go on sale in the summer of 2012, as a 2013 model. Pricing for the Camaro ZL1 Convertible will be announced later.

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroitin 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended gasoline range, according to EPA estimates. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

General Motors Co. today launched production of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact at its Orion Township assembly plant in suburban Detroit.

The Sonic will be available in dealerships this fall. It is the only subcompact manufactured in the United States.

A higher percentage of parts is being imported because the Sonic’s architecture was developed in South Korea, he said. That means GM must consider that inventory and supply line when making manufacturing changes at the plant, he said. Over time, more of that parts manufacturing will be shifted to North America.

Chevy Sonic engines initially are being imported from Mexico and South Korea.

GM was able to bring 2012 Sonic production to the United States because of a unique labor agreement with the UAW. That agreement calls for 40 percent of hourly workers to be entry-level Tier 2 workers earning about $14 an hour in wages or half that paid traditional UAW members.

Read more:  CLICK HERE

Zero layoffs, zero pay cuts, zero waste. Subaru manages to pull off the seemingly impossible

Set amid tawny popcorn and soybean fields, weathered barns, and rusty silos, the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant cuts a swath. A 3.4-million-square-foot monolith abutted by railroad tracks, SIA has a mountain of compost and the occasional coyote skittering through the surrounding 832 acres of woodland. Step inside, though, and you’ll discover why this might be the most exemplary car factory in America.

In its 22-year history—a period that has spanned three recessions, a global financial crisis, massive U.S. auto bankruptcies, and the departure of Isuzu, a founding partner, from the operation—SIA has rolled out more than 3 million vehicles and has never resorted to layoffs. Instead, it’s given workers a wage increase every year of its operation. Staffers also enjoy premium-free health care, abundant overtime ($15,000 each, on average, in 2010), paid volunteer time, financial counseling, and the ability to earn a Purdue University degree on-site—all in a state that has lost 46,000 auto jobs and suffered multiple plant foreclosures in the past decade. And the truly astonishing thing is how it achieved all this: through a relentless focus on eliminating waste. “This is not about recycling, or a nice marketing to-do,” says Dean Schroeder, a management professor at Valparaiso University who has studied the plant. “This is a strict dollars-and-cents, moneymaking-and-savings calculation that also drives better safety and quality.”

Toyota made kaizen—the Japanese principle of constant “change for the better,” with a special focus on efficiency, aka “pushing lean”—famous. SIA, you could say, has instilled green kaizen, or pushing green. Starting in 2002, SIA set a five-year target for becoming the nation’s first zero-landfill car factory. That meant recycling or composting 98 percent of the plant’s waste—with an on-site broker taking bids for paper, plastic, glass, and metals—and incinerating the remaining 2 percent that isn’t recoverable at a nearby waste-to-fuel operation to sell power back to the grid. Within two years, the results spoke for themselves.

“Everyone quickly saw the green dividend of not wasting anything,” says Tom Easterday, the plant’s executive vice-president, passing a stack of yellowed Styrofoam cases that have survived four round trips around the globe. “You reduce packaging, negotiate a better deal from suppliers, and everyone then shares in the savings.”

Today, the plant abounds with boxes and containers scribbled over with marks that show how many times they have traveled from Japan to Indiana and back (and back again). On a tour of the plant, Easterday sped a golf cart past a welder whose metal shavings are swept off the asphalt floors and auctioned into a roaring bull market for copper. Last year, Easterday says, SIA saved approximately $5.3 million by obsessively reducing, recycling, composting, and incinerating; Valparaiso’s Schroeder calculates that Subaru saves multiples of that figure by using zero-landfill discipline to reduce worker injuries and fatigue. He cites the example of SIA’s switch away from taking cars apart to check the quality of welds—a process that wasted metal and risked jackhammer injuries—to ultrasonic technology that did so better, faster, and far cheaper. SIA workers get bonuses (grand prize: a new Subaru Legacy) for pointing out excess packaging and processes that can be cut from the assembly line and then rebated by suppliers. All the savings are effectively plowed back into plant operations—and overtime.

To score a cherished “associate” position at the factory—there’s a 10-1 ratio of applicants to openings—would-be employees are expected to put in long hours learning and practicing SIA’s low-impact manufacturing. That means scrutinizing every byproduct, from welding slag to plastic wrap, for savings. And obsessively slicing seconds off assembly procedures. And a willingness to work whole months of six-day shifts, and likely years on the graveyard shift, while resisting the siren call of unionization. (The United Auto Workers has failed three times to organize the plant’s workers.)

There’s always a catch, and at SIA it’s this: All that ultra-efficiency—when applied to employees—can lead to unforgiving schedules. SIA workers, who start at just over $14 an hour and peak at about $25 an hour, put in 47-hour workweeks that include two Saturdays a month at time and a half—good for $50,000 to $60,000 a year in per-employee salary. (That means roughly 100 employee salaries were protected by the aforementioned $5.3 million zero-landfill rebate.) The upside? When the Japan earthquake interrupted the supply of parts in March, slowing down the plant’s breakneck output, SIA was able to keep paying its workers in full to volunteer in town. The downside: “Everyone’s burned out here,” says Kay Tavana, a 48-year-old who installs airbags and headlights. Not that she isn’t grateful for the work and the SIA perks. Working while on chemotherapy for a blood disease, Tavana avails herself of SIA’s free gym to rev up for her shift from 4:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.

The cost savings and social programs at SIA wouldn’t amount to much if Subaru’s cars weren’t in demand. From 2008 to 2010, unit sales jumped 41 percent, while last year the company’s 22 percent rise in vehicle sales was double the broader car market’s increase. “You get worker commitment to productivity by offering job security,” says Kristin Dziczek, who studies labor issues at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “But the best job security is still a product people will buy.”

With SIA operating at maximum capacity and with an expansion plan under way, Vice-President Easterday says this “experiment” in the middle of Indiana corn country could someday export its American-made Japanese cars to the rest of the world. His SIA case study left Schroeder convinced that “Dumpster diving can be great for business.”

For more on innovation and engineering in America, visit businessweek.com/go/11/innovation.

Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Writer Farzad covers Wall Street and international finance.