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Colorado Giving Chevrolet Volt Buyers a $13,500 Tax Break

While the Obama administration is proposing a tax credit increase from $7,500 to $10,000 on alternative-energy vehicles for consumers in the near future, the state of Colorado is one-step ahead.

In addition to the federal tax credit of up to $7,500, Colorado is now offering residents who purchase or lease a new Chevrolet Volt a state tax credit of up to $6,000 for a total price reduction of as much as $13,500.

The Volt is priced from $39,145. If you include the $13,500 federal and state tax credits, the cost drops down to $25,645 for Colorado buyers.

GM and PSA Peugeot Citroen Appoint Members to New Joint Panel

The fast moving alliance created last month by General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen is wasting no time getting things into order as the two companies today announced the creation of a joint panel with five senior executives from each side (see the list below for the names).

The so-called Alliance Steering Committee will oversee all activities that are currently part of the alliance and explore other potential areas of cooperation

GM's New Trailblazer to be Sold in Australia as the Holden Colorado SUV

America might not be getting the new Chevrolet Trailblazer but Australia will as parent company General Motors revealed that it's body-on-frame SUV will be sold Down Under as the Holden Colorado SUV.

The passenger version of the Colorado pickup truck, which is set to arrive in Australian dealerships mid-year, will be the first heavy-duty 4WD SUV to wear a Holden badge in almost a decade.

Chevrolet to Debut All-New 2014 Impala Sedan and Facelifted Traverse CUV at New York Auto Show

Chevrolet will continue to revamp its passenger car lineup with the presentation of the all-new 2014 Impala full-size sedan and the facelifted 2013 Traverse crossover, both of which will make their world premiere at the at the New York International Auto Show next month.

Along with the announcement, GM released one teaser photo for each model, including a cropped image of the new Impala's C-pillar design and a peak at the 2013 Traverse's interior.

The new Impala has been designed from the ground up, sharing its lengthened Epsilon II platform and mechanical hardware with the 2013 Cadillac XTS.

GM has not offered us any official details yet, but it is believed that like the XTS, the Impala will also be available with both front- and all-wheel-drive, and possibly, a choice of two engines, including a 2.0-liter turbocharged four and a 3.6-liter V6.

Holden to Stay in Australia After $200 Million Deal, New Commodore Coming to the U.S. as a Chevy?

The United States and Canada aren't alone in supporting General Motors and its companies.

The Australian government is also doing its part to keep GM's local subsidiary Holden in the country by promising a subsidy package worth more than AU$200 million (US$210 million) after the automaker threatened to shut down its operations if it did not get financial aid beyond 2015.

While Holden has yet to issue an official statement, Australian news daily, The Age, reported that the country's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, along with South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, Holden chairman Mike Devereux and vehicle union boss Ian Jones will be in Canberra today for the official announcement.

After securing the financial assistance, Holden is said to continue producing cars in the country until for at least another 10 years. According to sources, Holden has promised to invest some AU$750 million in its Australian operations during this period.

Interestingly, the newspaper said that Holden will "soon confirm an export deal to sell Commodores in the US, where the car will carry a Chevrolet badge."

All-New 2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer Unveiled in Production Guise, but will it Come to the States?

This is the production version of Chevrolet's all-new, body-on-frame Trailblazer SUV that you may remember being displayed as a concept at last year’s Dubai International Motor Show in the Middle East.

The 2013 Trailblazer will make its world premiere at next week's 33rd Bangkok International Motor Show (March 26 to April 8) in Thailand. General Motors said that it would go on sale around the world, beginning with Thailand in June.

Even though the Detroit automaker has not yet clarified if it will be offered in the States, there's a good chance it will as the Trailblazer is in essence the SUV variant of the new Colorado pickup truck that will be manufactured and sold in the U.S.

“True to its name, the Trailblazer will blaze the trail for new Chevrolet vehicles coming into the market," said Martin Apfel, president of GM Southeast Asia and Chevrolet Sales in Thailand. "It has been built tough to offer Chevrolet customers everything they need from a heavy-duty SUV,” he added.

Poll: Which Previous Generation Camaro Should Inspire the Design of the Next Model?

While it's true that the Ford Mustang is the vehicle that reheated the pony car segment, forcing both GM and Chrysler to resuscitate two of their historic nameplates, it's the Chevrolet Camaro that has taken the sales lead grabbing 42 percent of the rear-wheel drive performance coupe market in 2011 with 88,249 deliveries.

The Ford Mustang comes in second with 70,438 units and the Dodge Challenger third with 39,534 deliveries. This year, the Camaro has about 40 percent of the market with Ford trying to catch up with approximately 35 percent.

This makes planning its successor all the more difficult as Al Oppenheiser, Camaro's chief engineer, admitted to Automotive News Product Editor, Rick Kanz.

The fifth generation of the Camaro was launched into the market in 2010 and a replacement is due in the fall of 2015. According to Oppenheiser, the team involved in the development and the design of the sixth generation Camaro, has many issued to solve, one of which is weight reduction.

Days of Going Under: Chevy to Retire Impala from NASCAR, will Race With a New Nameplate

Ford isn't alone in planning to race a new car at next year's NASCAR Sprint Cup series. General Motors announced today that development of its 2013 stock-car racer is well under way.

However, the record-setting Impala, which has won 79 races in the last four years, will be retired. Chevrolet will instead race another nameplate based on a new production car that will join its line-up.

Drive me to the Moon: GM's Robo-Glove Promises to Make Auto Workers' Lives Easier

With each passing year, the lines keep blurring between science fiction and reality. This week, General Motors revealed its latest toy in the form of the 'Human Grasp Assist device', also known as the 'K-glove' or 'Robo-Glove.

The robotized glove can help auto workers and astronauts operate tools by assisting their grip and therefore, reduce the amount of hand pressure needed to be applied.

The device was jointly developed by GM and NASA, and is a spin-off of their recent Robonaut 2 (R2) project, which put the first human-like robot into space last year.

Carved in Limestone: Cadillac Dealer Accuses GM of Breaking Federal Law by Withholding Incentives

This past January, Norman Braman, a billionaire owner of auto dealerships, filed a lawsuit against General Motors at the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court. Brenan accused GM of 'two-tier pricing' in implementing its Essential Brands Elements program.

According to a report from Automotive News, on March 6, Braman’s attorneys modified the lawsuit, claiming that GM has violated not only Florida law when it stopped paying incentives at his Miami Cadillac dealerships, but also the federal Robinson-Patman Act.

“Are we back to the old philosophy ‘if it’s good for General Motors, it’s good for the country?” asked Braman. “That philosophy died a long time ago. This whole situation has just reached a point where dealers have to do something about it," he added.

European Carmakers Must Deal with the Crisis Fast or Face the Consequences

A number of European carmakers are facing the same problem: they have more facilities and employees churning out more cars than they can sell.

Automotive CEOs acknowledge the fact and understand that something needs to be done about it. Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne has often said that European carmakers must consolidate or risk going down and he is constantly trying to tie-up the Fiat-Chrysler group with another carmaker.

GM’s Dan Akerson has stated that he's fed up with losing money with Opel and Vauxhall. However, the recently formed alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen could provide a solution to this problem.

2013 Chevrolet Malibu gets New 259-Horsepower 2.0-liter Turbo Engine, does 0-60mph in 6.3"

About a couple of months after it confirmed the availability of its new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec gasoline engine on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, General Motors today released the performance numbers.

The force-fed engine produces a maximum output of 259 horsepower (193 kW) and a peak torque of 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm), which is sustained from 1,700 to 5,500 rpm.

According to the Detroit automaker, the direct-injection engine can propel the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in just 6.3 seconds, which is a fairly impressive figure for a mainstream car of this size.

Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera win 2012 European Car of the Year Award

The Chevrolet Volt and its sister model, the Ampera, which is sold as under both the Opel and Vauxhall nameplates, have won the 2012 European Car of the Year (COTY) Award with 330 points.

Coming into second place was the Volkswagen Up! city car with 281 points while the new generation of the Ford Focus finished third with 256 points.

The other cars that made it to the final round of the competition were the Range Rover Evoque (186 points), Fiat Panda (156 points), Citroen DS5 (144 points) and the Toyota Yaris (122 points).

The competition brought together votes from 59 automotive journalists in 23 European countries.

GM Launches Gasoline-CNG Bi-Fuel Versions of 2013 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Pickups

Starting from next month, U.S. buyers will be able place their orders for the new bi-fuel versions of its 2013 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.

Both models are equipped with a 6.0-liter Vortec V8 engine that has been modified to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG), offering a combined range that exceeds 650 miles (1,045 km). The bi-fuel engine will be available on standard and “long box” models in either two- and four-wheel drive configurations.

GM to Halt Chevy Volt Production for Five Weeks Because of Low Sales

Dismal sale numbers and a rising inventory which at the end of February, stood at 6,300 vehicles, enough to cover 154 days at the current rate it sells cars, are to blame for General Motors decision to stop production for both the Chevy Volt and its European cousin, the Opel Ampera, for five weeks until April 23.

"We need to maintain the right inventory levels and continue to meet demand," GM spokesman Chris Lee told Automotive News.

On Thursday, General Motors told the 1,300 workers building the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan that the shutdown would take place on March 19.

GM and PSA Peugeot-Citroen Officially Form an Alliance, Fiat Still Wants In

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Only a week after the first report that General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen were discussing a possible alliance in order to cut their costs and improve their performance in Europe and other regions, the two companies announced today that they have reached an agreement.

The global alliance between the world’s number one car manufacturer and Europe’s number two automotive group involves two main topics: the sharing of platforms, powertrains and modules, and a joint venture for the sourcing of US$125 billion worth of parts and services from suppliers.

GM will acquire a 7 percent stake in the French group, which is slightly higher than the 5 percent originally reported, but still enough to make it the second largest shareholder behind the Peugeot Family Group.

Sources Say GM wants to Acquire 5 Percent Stake in PSA Peugeot-Citroën as Alliance Talks Progress

A merger, a tie-up, an alliance or a collaboration, whatever you call it, at the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing: how well two automakers can work together in order to minimize costs and maximize profits.

As previously reported, General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen are discussing a “strategic alliance” in Europe that could prove beneficial for both companies.

GM would find a way to cut costs in its Opel and Vauxhall brands, which are bleeding cash for what seems like forever, while Peugeot and Citroen would use GM as a means to increase their volume and lessen their dependence on the troubled European market by expanding elsewhere.

2012 Chevrolet Volt with Low Emissions Package Granted Access to California's HOV Lanes

In order to encourage carpooling and decrease traffic congestion, the State of California came up with the idea of creating the so-called High Occupancy Vehicle lanes or HOV for short, which could only be used by cars with two or more occupants.

Last July, however, the Golden State altered the regulations allowing single-passenger vehicles to use them as well, provided they were all-electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells or natural gas.

Despite being a hybrid, the Volt was excluded from the list specifying the vehicles allowed to use the HOV lanes, which span more than 1,400 miles and reduce driving time by an average of 36 minutes each day, because of its emissions.

Obama Campaign Airs 'Made in America' Ad Touting Auto Bailout

If you have been following the news in the U.S. these past few weeks, you will have no doubt noticed that all Republican presidential candidates have attacked the Obama administration for the way it handled the auto industry bailout.

Now it's time for President Obama's campaign to fight back through a new ad that will air on television this Friday but only in Michigan, ahead of the State's Republican presidential primary next week.

The ad is named "Made in America" and touts Obama's stance on the auto bailout bill while at the same time taking a jab at the GOP and especially Mitt Romney, showing the title of his November 2008 New York Times op-ed piece, "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt".

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