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October 31, 2007

VIDEO: Inside the Pontiac G8

Continuing our video series on the Pontiac G8, here's a clip on the car's interior. Adam Denison, Coordinator, Social Media Communications

Posted by Editor at 11:19 AM
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October 30, 2007

VIDEO: Get to Know the Pontiac G8

I recently was given the opportunity to do some filming of the new Pontiac G8. I was able to catch a team of engineers as they drove into Detroit after a four-day test drive from Denver. Keep checking back to FYI for videos of the G8 and interviews with some of the engineers all this week. -Adam Denison, Coordinator, Social Media Communications

Posted by Editor at 7:34 PM
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From the Archive: 1977

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

This week's find from the GM Media Archive is a photo of a 1977 Buick Regal Coupe. Happy Halloween from FYI.

Posted by Editor at 10:40 AM
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October 29, 2007

DARPA: Making Robots Meaningful

By Larry Burns
Vice President, Research & Development and Strategic Planning

When I was growing up, a lot of young people, including me, were fascinated with Isaac Asimov’s robot books and the idea that robots could become a part of everyday life.

As time has gone by, the field of robotics has been developing largely unnoticed. While many of us have been focused on other major events in our lives – college, marriage, family and work – robots have been quietly making inroads into the world we inhabit.

Today, we even have robot vacuum cleaners and robot dogs. And, while these things are fascinating, they are unlikely to impact our lives in any significant way.

Yet right now, a competition is taking place in California that promises to make robots meaningful and pushes us closer to the world of robotics we imagined as youngsters. Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Urban Challenge involves college and university teams from all over the world competing to demonstrate the capabilities of their own unique robots, or, in the words of the official challenge, “autonomous ground vehicles conducting simulated military supply missions in a mock urban area.”

What this means is that the vehicles in this competition are driverless; they have essentially been turned into robots. During the competition, they must navigate a 60-mile course under simulated traffic conditions without intervention from human operators. They must be able to negotiate busy intersections, obey traffic signals, and deal with merging traffic and obstacles on the roadway – autonomously.

GM is proud to be partnering with one of the teams in the Urban Challenge – the Carnegie Mellon University Tartan Racing Team. This team has transformed a Chevrolet Tahoe into a robot named “Boss” after GM research founder Charles F. (“Boss”) Kettering. Boss is an automated driving machine equipped with radars, lasers and cameras for driving assessment and computer software to replace the human driver.

The implications of the development of robots like this are staggering. From increased safety to the alleviation of traffic congestion to the potential for self-driving vehicles on public roads, the possibilities are endless. GM sees competitions like the DARPA Urban Challenge as moving us closer to fulfilling our vision to build the automobile of the future – vehicles that address the challenges we face every day and that are sustainable in terms of energy, the environment, safety, and congestion.

The things we learn from the DARPA Urban Challenge are far more valuable than the prize itself. And we hope that the advances we make because of it will inspire young people who are growing up today imagining the future.

Posted by Editor at 9:48 AM
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October 25, 2007

A Halloween Treat at SEMA

By Dr. Jamie Meyer
GM Performance Parts

The leaves are falling, the air is crisp and that means one thing… it’s SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) time.

For those of you who don’t what SEMA is, it’s an elite auto enthusiast show happening Oct. 29–31 in Las Vegas. Who needs trick-or-treating when you have a car lover’s candy store with thousands of accessories and performance parts?

One project I’m working on with the GM Performance Parts Team and Popular Hot Rodding Magazine for SEMA is a 1957 Chevy known as “Project -X.” Have you heard of it? Project-X is the most well known ’57 Chevy. With more than 90 feature stories (19 covers) and a starring role in the movie Hollywood Nights, Project-X’s classic lines, massive tail fins, rumbling V8 small block and yards of chrome make it an instant classic.

While the Project-X Chevy has been revamped, repainted and restored a few times, the magazine team decided to give the car the ultimate makeover. So, they brought Project-X home to GM. Project-X is an incredible car, so we've created a very special crate engine with tons of power to celebrate. Also, we worked directly with the GM Design Center to revamp Project-X’s interior, transmission, suspension package and rims, not to mention a fresh coat of yellow paint.

While SEMA isn’t open to the public, you can still be part of the reveal on Oct. 30 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific (9:00 p.m. Eastern) at gmperformanceparts.com. Not only can you learn more about Project-X, you can download crate engine ringtones and experience the car’s unveiling right from your own computer.

If you can't wait until next week for the unveiling, check out this video for a sneak peek of what's to come on the 30th. And let us know what your favorite memories are of the '57 Chevy, too.

Posted by Editor at 5:19 PM
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VIDEO: On Tour with the Volt

By Gloria Huang
Guest Blogger

Editor's note: Gloria was on hand for part of the Volt Tour last week. Here are some of her thoughts from the Volt's stop in Miami.

This past weekend, the Volt tour headed south to sunny Miami. We visited popular spots such as CocoWalk in Coconut Grove, the Sawgrass Outlet in nearby Sunrise, and Bayside Marketplace. In addition, we stopped by the Florida International University campus to pay a visit to the engineering students and hear what they had to say.

Miami is a lively city; we enjoyed talking to the extraordinary variety of people who stopped by to see the Volt. The vibrant energy of the city is often complemented by fine cars driven on the street, and the Volt certainly fit in with its striking visual design.

On hand at the beginning of the tour was Mathieu Boimare, one of the interior designers for the Volt. Mathieu lives in Detroit, and was excited to have the opportunity to converse casually with everyone who stopped by to see the car. John Ferris, an E-Flex design team member, also worked at our Bayside Marketplace location to talk to people about the Volt. One-on-one interaction was our priority, and we hope that we answered many questions.

The concept model of the Volt that we are using for this tour is a one-of-a-kind, handmade model that cost a great deal of money to produce. The paint on the car is particularly sensitive to water; at the first sign of rain, we have to pull out a covering for the car. On Saturday, we were displaying the car at Sawgrass Mills when the sky darkened and thunder began sounding. Minutes after we covered the car and let down the plastic curtains, a heavy thunderstorm broke out. The crew was left huddling under the umbrella of a nearby picnic table, waiting out the storm. However, the Volt was successfully kept dry, and even drew a large crowd of interested onlookers after the storm as we pulled it out of the location to take it to more secure shelter.

In addition to all this, one enthusiastic fan flew in from Chicago to see the Volt. Bob Boniface, Design Director of GM’s E-Flex studios, answered his questions and even walked him through some interior design elements as he sat in the car. Take a look at his reactions to the Volt in this video.

To check out more photos from Miami, make sure to check out a special Flickr page we made just for the Volt Tour. To read more about the Volt, check out NowPublic.

Posted by Editor at 10:22 AM
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October 24, 2007

Photo of the Day: Classic Car

Today's photo comes from wickedryoki.

Be sure to look at all of wickedryoki's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 12:48 PM
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October 23, 2007

From the Archive: 1976

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

This week's find from the GM Media Archive is a photo of a 1976 Buick Regal two-door Landau Coupe.

Thanks for your photo requests from last week— we're working on it!

Posted by Editor at 10:55 AM
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Photo of the Day: Red Fin

Today's photo comes from Bill Strong.

Be sure to look at all of Bill Strong's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 10:43 AM
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October 22, 2007

Checking Back

By Mary Beth Stanek
Director, Environment Energy and Safety Policy

Thanks to all of you for your comments regarding my ethanol myth piece that was posted awhile back.

I especially want to thank Gary for all of his analysis shared with readers. He is right about keeping the dialogue going and we will do our best at this end to post in a more timely manner.

For this round, let’s get to some of the comments, then talk a bit more on what we are doing at GM to promote biofuels.

There were a number of comments about net energy balance, researchers and their study parameters. As you know from our posts, we do support the Department of Energy work at Argonne National Labs because they evaluated a number of studies and identified what many believe to be a reasonable set of input and output data. We viewed the Argonne parameters as being more in line with true input and output variables. I do agree that researchers on this subject are using varied inputs and outputs. By and large, the majority researchers on this subject view corn ethanol production as having a positive net energy balance. I would encourage everyone to look at a couple of reports including Dr. Michael Wang’s net energy balance report. I would also encourage a quick review of Science from Jan. 27, 2006, to look at their findings as well.

Several bloggers wrote about the rising costs of food and feed. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a great deal of information on this subject and I encourage everyone to reach out to USDA to inquire about these issues. We did, and found that prices are increasing at about the rate of inflation. The price of a bushel of corn spiked in February 2006, and it was mostly a fear of a lower carryover in the annual corn production, which typically is about 1 billion bushels. You know from following the Chicago Board of Trade that prices have fallen significantly since that time. In fact, the corn harvest in 2007 was the largest in 75 years and 26 percent larger than 2006, according to the USDA. We can meet our food, feed, fuel, export requirements and carryover figures very easily and that supports normalized bushel pricing.

It is also worth mentioning that worldwide demand for dairy and beef products are contributing more to increased food and feed prices than ethanol production. It should also be noted that cattle co-located near ethanol facilities benefit from affordable high-protein distillers grain for feed, which is a byproduct of ethanol production. Collocation keeps prices down for both food and fuel production. There are several articles on global demand as the world economy continues to grow and the use of ethanol byproducts for animal feed and can be found through regular search engines.

I was pleased to see a comment about the need to grow the E85 infrastructure. I believe it can be done by bringing business and government together to make it happen. GM has worked with several ethanol producers and fuel retailers to help find grant funds and to co-market E85 stations. To date, we have programs in 14 states and have some role in introducing 270 new E85 pumps that are helping to target for reduced CO2 and less use of fossil fuel. One writer indicated that lived 50 miles away from the nearest E85 station. You can be confident that more E85 fuel will be available in the remaining months of 2007 and throughout 2008 now that United Laboratories (UL) has approved dispensing equipment. Even during this time, businesses and governments have been working to nearly double the number of stations offering E85 since just last year.

Another writer wondered whether we were basing our comments on biased sources. At GM, we focus on obtaining information from credible sources including federal agencies, national laboratories and research institutions. GM itself has been working on biofuels for more than 25 years and has research labs and partnerships worldwide, especially in the area of biomass. Our scientists have a vast network of information linked with known leaders in this field.

Ethanol does reduce fossil fuel use when blended at high levels such as E85. Ethanol is renewable in that it does come from bio materials. Increasingly we will see ethanol from cellulose, which is also bio-based.

There was a very good comment posted about how much ethanol can offset fossil fuel use in the United States. The U.S. consumes about 140 billion gallons of transportation energy annually. That is forecasted to grow to 180 billion gallons of energy a year in 2030. We need to reduce our use through a variety of methods including vehicle efficiency, driving behavior (loads, acceleration, etc.), advanced technologies such as two-mode hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and biofuels. We worked cooperatively with the University of Toronto, and we believe that as much as 30 percent of the energy needed for transportation in the 2020 timeframe can be provided by biomass-based biofuels. This can only happen if we continue support research that is focused on sustainable biofuels.

A quick comment on tractors. We don’t build them, but we do know that other engines manufacturers are very active in this space assessing and increasing biofuel use.

Lastly, our team has been out in cities near you promoting E85. We just wrapped up the very successful E85 Days of Summer Tour, which generated more than 24 million media impressions in the seven cities we visited in seven weeks. We are now out on the road with the E85 Fall Kickoff. We began in Pittsburgh and will be in three Wisconsin cities this week. Our other stops include Atlanta, Denver, Tucson, and Phoenix. We have been meeting with consumers, legislators, media and educators. The response has been great. Where possible, we are activating new stations and supporting existing E85 infrastructure.

Thanks for writing.

Make sure to check back with Donna McLallen, too.

Posted by Editor at 12:58 PM
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Back With More Thoughts on E85

By Donna McLallen
GM Assistant Regional Manager, PR/Communications

I should have known better a few weeks ago when I posted my “final words” on ethanol.

Turns out, my last post will not be my final words on the subject, as I’m back from a brief E85 hiatus for another round of fun and frolic in the fascinating world of alternative fuels.

Recently, the E85 Fall Kickoff took place in Pittsburgh, where GM once again took to the streets to promote E85 as an alternative fuel source. The Fall Kickoff came on the heels of the E85 Days of Summer Tour and continues E85 awareness efforts in additional U.S. cities.

Why? Because there are more than 6.5 million vehicles currently on U.S. roads (2.5 million built by GM) capable of running on E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline), yet the fuel is not widely available for consumers and many in the U.S. are unaware of its existence.

For more information on the benefits of E85 and GM’s commitment to the fuel, please refer to previous these previous posts: E85 Days of Summer Tour Kicks Off, The Ethanol Debate, Ethanol: My Final Words, and E85 Mythbusting.

Additional posts from the E85 team are sure to be forthcoming, chronicling our visits to each city on the E85 Fall Kickoff tour, but first, I’m compelled to address some of the responses to past entries on the subject, and hopefully, set the tone for future discussions.

It’s clear that the handful of bloggers critical of GM’s support of E85 is a tenacious bunch. Whatever evidence we present to make our case that E85 is, in fact, a helpful fuel source Americans can use now to help improve the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on foreign oil, is sure to be met with counterarguments with which we do not believe.

Some of our critics apparently have made ethanol opposition their life’s mission, trolling the Internet for years, promptly disputing any pro-ethanol message that can be found on the World Wide Web with incessant, repetitive and inconclusive “evidence.” I do wonder what motivates those seemingly independent of the fuel industry to fervently oppose ethanol, a friendly fuel that will never be a threat to the Earth nor man, unless, of course, man drinks too much of it, at which time he will become inebriated, dehydrated, hung over, and with long-term usage, could develop cirrhosis of the liver.

I don’t wish to rehash GM’s arguments and evidence in support of E85, but I am compelled to respond to the following assertions left by responders to previous posts:

E10 use actually increases fossil fuel consumption.

GM is promoting E85, not E10. So, an argument that E10 use increases fossil fuel consumption is not valid. Nice diversion tactic, though.

E85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. We all agree that E85, as currently formulated, is about 20 percent less efficient as a fuel than gasoline, but even so, simple math concludes that exclusive use of E85 does conserve fossil fuel use. And E85 won’t necessarily remain less fuel efficient than gasoline as research and development of the fuel progresses.

If we use corn for ethanol, there won’t be enough corn to feed livestock and food prices will rise.

Actually, corn feed is a byproduct of ethanol production. Seems to me, if we make more ethanol from corn, we’ll have more feed for domestic livestock and livestock in other countries, if somebody wants to sell the excess feed to other nations.

And I don’t understand how ethanol can be blamed for higher prices of everything. Take corn flakes, for example. There used to be only 2 cents worth of corn in a box of corn flakes. Assuming that corn prices have doubled, there would now be 4 cents worth of corn in a box of corn flakes. Yet, the price of a box of corn flakes has raised nearly a dollar a box. What’s that got to do with the price of corn in the U.S.?

I don’t know specifically why costs of certain food items are so high, but I doubt it has everything to do with ethanol, which has become a very convenient and frequent scapegoat. It is curious to me that no one seems able to explain how corn prices, low compared to oil, can cause the substantial price jumps for which they are credited.

If we converted the entire U.S. corn crop to ethanol, it would equal only 12% of our annual fuel consumption.

This one actually makes me chuckle. Who would ever advocate converting the entire U.S. corn crop to ethanol? Personally, I like my cornbread and tortillas. It’s silly to even hypothesize such a scenario. But since it’s on the table, we defer to studies by the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture saying that if we produce 60-90 billion gallons of ethanol, we can potentially offset fossil fuel use by 30 percent by 2030.

Also, please be reminded that cellulosic ethanol is not just a hope. It is a reality. And as ethanol becomes more accepted as an alternative fuel, more cellulosic ethanol plants will come on line and the “energy return on energy invested” ratio will improve.

Fuel production from non-food sources is a good thing for everyone, and it is ridiculous to fear the widespread acceptance and availability of alternative fuels. It is also ridiculous to argue that ethanol is not a renewable fuel. Ethanol is made from plants, and plant crops can be grown year after year. Any argument to the contrary is a real stretch.

Yes, there is much debate out there about how much fossil fuel may actually be displaced by ethanol use, but some displacement is better than no displacement. Even ethanol’s critics admit that as demand for fossil fuels grows throughout the world, the techniques to distract it from the earth will become more and more environmentally invasive. GM realizes that it’s important to explore every avenue to take the automobile out of the environmental debate, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on oil.

As I wrote in a previous entry, E85 is something drivers can take advantage of now to help improve the environment while we perfect plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells, along with all the other work we’re doing to improve the fuel economy of our vehicles.

Obviously, GM is not a well-oiled, ethanol propaganda machine, as some of our critics would believe. Otherwise, we would have responded much more quickly to our critics on FYI. Or we might have concocted fake responses in support of our entries, like that major newspaper (the one whose anti-ethanol editorial was quoted in response to one of my previous E85 entries) got caught doing a few months back. Or maybe GM would assign a dedicated E85 specialist to write all the E85 blogs and troll the Internet in support of ethanol, instead of allowing me — someone who is certainly not a full-time ethanol champion but believes in the potential for the fuel — to step up on the soapbox time and time again.

Metaphorically speaking, GM’s E85 train has left the station and is gaining momentum. We’re really excited about this fall’s whistle-stop tour, and maybe I’ll have the opportunity to tell you more about the E85 Fall Kickoff in coming weeks.

To see photos from the first tour stop, make sure to check out Flickr.

Posted by Editor at 12:38 PM
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October 19, 2007

The Volt in Boston

Check out this video of the Volt on tour in Boston and what people had to say about it. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

Posted by Editor at 11:56 AM
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October 18, 2007

Five Fall Travel Auto Service Tips from Goodwrench…

…You Don’t Want to Miss

By Peter Lord
Executive Director, GM Service Operations

Fall is a time for weekend drives to the cider mill, tailgating trips to cheer your alma mater to victory or a simple country color tour to see the changing autumn leaves. However, before you hop in the car to begin any of these adventures, make sure your vehicle is ready for the open road.

Here’s a list of the top five items we recommend everyone should do before hitting the road for a fall trip:

1. Check car tires (check tread and pressure to help improve gas mileage)
   
2. Replace windshield wiper blades (summer heat can make the blades brittle and ineffective)
   
3. Fill washer fluid (it doesn’t hurt to keep an extra gallon of washer fluid in the trunk as winter weather starts creeping in)
   
4. Check engine coolant level (make sure the engine is cold before checking this one)
   
5. Check oil level and change if needed (use your exclusive GM Oil Life System to check your remaining oil life)

These items can be easily checked in your garage or driveway in less than 15 minutes before starting your trip. You can also take your vehicle into your local Goodwrench dealer for a more thorough car inspection by a certified technician. This quick maintenance can save time, money and the hassle of having your fall trip ruined by a simple auto repair that could have been prevented.

Fall check-ups and vehicle repairs are especially important because most owners have subjected their vehicles to wear and tear through the peak summer driving months, and will soon be putting them through their paces in winter driving. Keeping your vehicle operating at its peak condition will also improve your fuel economy.

If you do happen to hit the roads with a poorly maintained vehicle, the leaves may not be the only thing turning red out there.

To see these tips in action, check out this video

Posted by Editor at 12:44 PM
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Photo of the Day: Buick Angle

Today's photo comes from Flybrian.

Be sure to look at all of Flybrian's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 9:12 AM
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October 16, 2007

Internship Retrospective: Design

By Michael Weaker
Guest Blogger

Editor's note: We've had a series of posts from GM's summer interns the past few months, and today's post from Michael wraps them up for summer 2007.

In retrospect, I know that I will always have fond memories of my time as a color and trim intern in the 2007 summer design internship program. However, before starting at the Design Center this summer, I could not imagine what was ahead…

A little background:

My college education began at the University of Maryland, from which I earned undergraduate degrees in both mechanical engineering and fine art. I considered engineering my field of vocational pursuit and art my ardent pastime. After graduating from the University of Maryland, I began working as an engineer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., where I helped design explorer robots for more than a year. NASA gave me a wonderful opportunity to explore and apply my practical creativity, but I soon realized that I would be happier with art in the forefront of my life. I sought a field that required the practical application of artistic creativity, and I enrolled in the Pratt Institute Industrial Design Masters Program in Brooklyn, NY. I found what I was looking for in Industrial Design: three-dimensional form design and color design applied to create useful products. With a penchant for color design, I applied to be a color and trim design intern at GM. When I was notified that I had been granted a position in the internship program, I dropped my summer classes and packed my bags for Detroit.

On my first day at the Design Center, I learned that I would be one of 18 interns. That group comprised six automotive designers, six sculptors, two color-and-trim designers, two engineers, and two graphic designers. Our objective would be to create six new Chevrolet concept cars for the year 2012.

This summer’s internship program was designed to guide our group through a fast-paced, small-scale version of the process used by GM to create new vehicles: from market research and concept generation, to design development and model making, and then marketing. With our varied and combined skills and the attention of our many professional Design Center mentors, we were equipped to execute every step of that process. Because our project was scaled down to fit within the duration of one summer, one intern was often independently responsible for work that would normally be contributed by a whole team of designers on a typical project. As a result, each of the interns was given the opportunity to become deeply involved in every step of the design process, especially in the area of their expertise.

This internship was my first experience in a professional design environment. I imagined that I would serve as an assistant to a GM designer on an interesting design project. Instead, as one of the two color-and-trim designers in the program, I was responsible for the interior and exterior color and trim design for three of the six cars. I was given the freedom to play the primary role in the design process, while my mentor, senior exterior color designer Chris Webb, provided support and guidance via daily contact and frequent critiques. With that freedom came a greater sense of personal responsibility for the work that I produced. I worked long hours throughout the summer, but I felt a strong connection to my work. I had fun every day, and the hours passed quickly.

The opportunity to become so involved in the entire design process was invaluable. I learned more this summer than in a whole semester at school, and I'm proud of the success of our six new Chevrolet concept designs.

I can’t reflect on my experience this summer without feeling fortunate to have worked with the other interns and all the GM employees who contributed to the internship program. Working so closely with one another, the other interns and I generated strong relationships. We quickly became close friends and would often spend time together in the evenings after work and on the weekends. We also developed close friendly relationships with other employees at the Design Center. Those are the people who made the internship such a unique, valuable, and educational experience. The designers and sculptors who we worked most closely with made themselves available at all times and patiently taught us the nuances of the GM design process. As a color-and-trim intern, I personally appreciate working with the all the wonderful people at the Design Center this summer – especially Stuart Norris, for leading the program; Chris Webb, for acting as my personal color and trim mentor; Dave Rand, for his several milestone critiques; Ed Welburn, for his support of the program; Helen Emsley, for her support; Terry Elliott, for her advice; Craig Hart, for his help in developing paint colors; and Chris Athman, Jeff Kilmer, and Fred Hakim, for creating interior trim prototypes.

I will always have fond memories of my summer in the program. To all those involved, thank you.

Posted by Editor at 1:06 PM
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From the Archive: 1983

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

This week's find from the GM Media Archive is a photo of a 1983 Buick LeSabre Limited Sedan.

Let us know if there's anything specific you'd like to see from the Media Archive, too.

Posted by Editor at 12:10 PM
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October 15, 2007

Thinking Green

By Bob Boniface
GM Design Director, E-Flex Systems

Bob Boniface led the exterior design team for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric concept car, which was revealed in Detroit last January. The Volt can go up to 40 miles on a single electric charge, meaning that 75% of American commuters could go to and from work without ever needing a drop of gas. Here are some thoughts from Bob as part of efforts to help celebrate Blog Action Day.

Twenty years ago this month I started working one of my first "real" jobs, in Boston. I had an office just off Fanueil Hall, which as anyone who's visited Boston knows, is an inspiring sight. And while I was living in Boston, I began my quest to become an automotive designer. It's been a long, fun, and amazing 20 years as I've reached that goal. And so it was with some pride, not to mention a little bit of irony, that 20 years later, I returned to Boston last week with the Chevy Volt — the car I am leading the design team for — parked just outside my old office.

Working on the Chevrolet Volt has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my career at GM. One aspect of my job that I’ve particularly enjoyed lately is having the opportunity to take the Volt across the country to show people what we’re capable of, in terms of achieving fuel-free, cleaner living.

In July, we took the Volt to Washington, D.C., positioning it in public spaces like the Georgetown Waterfront, RFK Stadium and Union Station, so that locals on their way to work or out with friends could see the vehicle and let us know what they thought of it.

Last week, we did the same thing in Boston — displaying the Volt at Faneuil Hall, South Station, M.I.T, and other local spots — and I had the good fortune of being able to be there with the car. I love seeing people’s faces as they approach the vehicle, and it’s even more gratifying for me to answer their questions and watch them nod in approval at what the Volt can accomplish. Yes, the Volt is still a concept car, but GM has taken many affirmative steps toward making it a reality in the next few years.

These photos of the latest stop on the Volt tour capture the excitement and curiousity that Americans have about this car. I am just happy to have been a part of the team that created it.

Next stop: Miami!

To see more of the Volt in Boston, make sure to check out our Volt Flickr set.

Posted by Editor at 3:44 PM
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Photo of the Day: Cadillac DeVille

Today's photo comes from chefpaultheteacher.

Be sure to look at all of chefpaultheteacher's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 11:26 AM
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October 12, 2007

Driven to Safety

By Chet Huber
President, OnStar

This week, OnStar announced a new technology – Stolen Vehicle Slowdown – which has the capability to slow down stolen Model Year 2009 GM vehicles at the request of the vehicle’s owner and with the help of law enforcement. As a 35-year GM employee, I am so proud to be able to work for a company that truly cares about the safety and well-being of not only their drivers, but all drivers on the road.

We cannot ignore the numbers when it comes to safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more than 30,000 police pursuits each year. It is estimated that 12,000 of the chases end in property damage, 7,500 in personal injuries and 300 in fatalities. NHTSA has praised technologies like OnStar’s Stolen Vehicle Slowdown for having the potential to help make our roads better, our passengers more protected and our drivers safer.

OnStar currently responds to 700-800 Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance requests each month. We believe Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is an important next step toward helping to reduce police chases involving stolen vehicles, which is why we are working with several public safety organizations including the Fraternal Order of the Police, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) to ensure that the proper processes are in place to use the technology effectively.

Here’s how OnStar’s Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology works:

• Once the OnStar subscriber reports their vehicle stolen to law enforcement, they can call OnStar and request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. OnStar will confirm the subscriber has not opted out of the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service.
  
• OnStar will use real-time GPS technology to attempt to pinpoint the exact location of the stolen vehicle and provide this information to law enforcement to help them recover the vehicle.
  
• When law enforcement has established a clear line of sight of the stolen vehicle and confirms that it is safe to slow the vehicle down, law enforcement may request OnStar to slow it down remotely.
  
• Safeguards will be in place to ensure that the correct vehicle is slowed down.
  
• OnStar then sends a remote signal to the vehicle that interacts with the Powertrain system to reduce engine power which will slow the vehicle down gradually.

OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is not intended to, in any way, infringe on our subscriber’s privacy. After 11 years and 80 million customer interactions to date, we have demonstrated that we take our subscribers’ privacy seriously. We believe that Stolen Vehicle Slowdown will have great societal benefit, but we do understand that due to privacy concerns, some drivers will not want this service on their vehicle. OnStar will have an opt-out option where subscribers can simply press their blue OnStar button and ask to have the service disabled from their vehicle. The rest of the OnStar services will not be affected. If they want the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service re-enabled, they can visit their local GM dealership so that a re-enablement procedure can be performed. Through our market research, though, 95 percent of OnStar’s subscribers have told us that they would like this technology on their vehicles – because they do not want their vehicles to be used as instruments of harm.

This is not a science project to us. Developing Stolen Vehicle Slowdown was a unique collaboration across the GM enterprise especially with the GM Powertrain team. This project may have started out as an idea sketched out over hundreds of post-it notes on our office walls, but I am thrilled to say that it is now a reality. GM will make this technology available on nearly 1.7 million Model Year 2009 vehicles, 60 percent of which are Chevys.

Posted by Editor at 11:43 AM
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October 11, 2007

Check Out the Volt On Tour

If you're in Boston this weekend, you might want to take an opportunity to check out the Chevy Volt. It'll be at several locations around the city as part of a four-city tour that kicked off today. Check out the current Boston schedule below (but please keep in mind that these times and venues are subject to change!).

• Thursday, 10-11: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall
• Friday, 10-12: 6 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. South Station (Financial District)
• Friday, 10-12: 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. MIT Museum
• Saturday, 10-13: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall
• Saturday, 10-13: 6 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fenway Park
• Sunday, 10-14: 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Faneuil Hall
• Monday, 10-15: 6 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Banknorth Garden/North Station
• Monday, 10-15: 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Government Center
• Monday, 10-15: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. Maroon 5 Concert - Bank North Garden/North Station

Next up for the Volt is a trip to Miami next week. Check back for times, locations and photos from stops along the way. -Christopher Barger, Director, GM Global Communications Technology

Posted by Editor at 6:00 PM
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Photo of the Day: Cadillac Leads the Way

Shot by "The Daredevil" at the 2007 Road Atlanta event

Today's photo comes from The Freewheeling Daredevil.

Be sure to look at all of The Freewheeling Daredevil's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 1:51 PM
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October 4, 2007

Beware the Ideas of Friedman

By Tom Wilkinson
GM News Relations

Tom Friedman’s shotgun blast at Toyota in the October 3 New York Times (Et Tu, Toyota?) also peppered a crowd of bystanders with verbal shot. Among the wounded were the state of Michigan, the Michigan congressional delegation, U.S.-based carmakers, the farm states, the oil states… well, you get the picture. Only the Natural Resources Defense Council, which helped load the gun for Mr. Friedman, seems to have escaped perforation.

We trust that Toyota, the Michigan delegation and others will defend themselves. We do, however, take issue with some of the poorly aimed shots that Mr. Friedman keeps taking at the auto industry.

For starters, there is nothing sinister about Toyota –- or anyone else -- building trucks. To the unending frustration of Mr. Friedman and a handful of environmentalists, Americans buy trucks. Even with gas at $3 per gallon, Americans are buying enough midsize and full-size trucks to account for 40% of the market.

GM’s response is simple –- continue to improve the fuel efficiency of all of our vehicles, including our larger trucks. It’s why our full-size pickups are the fuel economy leaders. It’s why our new Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon Hybrids match the city fuel economy of a Toyota Camry. And it’s why our new crossovers –- Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook –- are a smash hit with customers who want space for a family in a stylish, efficient package.

However, just because GM is investing billions of dollars on more efficient vehicles and future breakthroughs like the electrically driven Chevy Volt doesn’t mean we should support bad environmental policy.

And that is exactly what the CAFE provisions of the Senate energy bill are –- bad policy. By putting cars and truck under a single average, the bill would damage full-line carmakers and eliminate some of today’s most popular vehicles. That’s why GM, Toyota and other industry leaders are backing an alternative that would substantially raise fuel economy standards, but do so in a balanced and reasonable way.

Finally, we had to chuckle at Mr. Friedman’s praise for vehicle fleets in Europe and Japan. Anyone as well-traveled as Mr. Friedman knows why European and Japanese vehicles are smaller and more fuel efficient. Fuel taxes are higher. Much higher. Given Americans’ loathing for higher taxes, it is no surprise that Mr. Friedman omits this inconvenient truth.

Although GM is based in Detroit, we live and work in London, Shanghai, São Paulo and thousands of other communities around the globe. As a growing global carmaker, we understand the importance of continuing to improve efficiency, and of developing real-world alternatives to petroleum. We urge Mr. Friedman to step off his soapbox and use his gifts as a reporter to develop a deeper understanding of this complex, fast-moving and vitally important industry.

Thanks for listening, and please let us know what you think.

P.S. Todd Lassa at Motor Trend also had an interesting post on "Friedmanomics" yesterday.

Related
CNN Money
WSJ: The Good News and Bad News on U.S. Fuel-Economy Trends
MSNBC: Why U.S. fuel-economy standards don't work

Posted by Editor at 9:54 AM
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October 3, 2007

Seven Days in Detroit: Corvette Racing Comes Home

By Ed Peper
Chevrolet General Manager

Baseball pitchers and quarterbacks know all about the home field advantage. There's a psychological boost when the fans are cheering for you. And although it's tough to hear the cheers when you're driving a 600-horsepower race car, it's good to be the home team when the big show comes to town.

When motor racing returned to Motor City for the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on Labor Day weekend last month, Corvette Racing was clearly the hometown favorite. Chevy's factory road racing team has won on race tracks from California to Connecticut and from Oregon to Florida – not to mention five class victories in Le Mans, France – but the Compuware Corvette C6.Rs had never raced in our own backyard. That all changed on the first day of September when the Corvette C6.Rs raced on the refurbished Belle Isle street circuit in the first American Le Mans Series event held in Detroit.

Corvette Racing's roots run deep in Detroit. The team is managed by GM Racing, which has offices in the GM headquarters at the Renaissance Center. The championship-winning race cars are constructed in suburban New Hudson, and the race-prepared GM small-block V-8 engines are built and tested in Clinton Township. The team has an international roster of drivers, but the heart and soul of Corvette Racing can be found in Michigan.

So we rolled out the red carpet when the American Le Mans Series came to town. The Detroit Bell Isle Grand Prix was organized by the Downtown Detroit Partnership, whose chairman is Roger Penske. This is the same group that spearheaded Super Bowl XL in Detroit, and they definitely know how to get things done. An example: How do you get 100,000 people to and from an island in the middle of the Detroit River over a single bridge? Well, if you're event chairman Bud Denker, you charter 115 buses and have them run like clockwork from satellite parking lots throughout the Detroit area.

One of the perks of my job is working with great people, and I have to tell you that the Corvette Racing drivers are the best in the business. Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Max Papis are winners. They understand that while the drivers may get the glory, success in racing is really all about the team. They're obviously fast – that comes with the job description. But they're also intelligent, articulate, and fun to be around. There aren't any prima donnas on the Corvette Racing roster.

We kept them busy throughout the week leading up to the race. Johnny O'Connell threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees game at Comerica Park on Monday night. Although he was instructed to take it easy, that's not Johnny's style. He threw a hard strike to the catcher, and that set the tone for the evening when the Tigers beat the Yankees 16-0. Johnny also talked with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani who was at the game that evening.

On Tuesday we staged a pep rally for Corvette Racing on the RiverWalk adjacent to the Renaissance Center, complete with ice cream, a drum corps, and a flyover by a Coast Guard helicopter. Mike West, a mechanic on the No. 3 Corvette C6.R, opened the rally with a Jimi Hendrix-style rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick spoke about the city's pride in the renaissance of the RiverWalk. Troy Clarke, president of GM North America, talked about how Corvette Racing's success in Europe symbolized Chevrolet's emergence as a global brand. Listening to the speakers made me proud of GM's ongoing efforts to bring new vitality to downtown Detroit.

On Thursday evening, the Corvette Racing drivers attended an informal reception with more than 300 Corvette owners at the GM Heritage Center. Corvette drivers are passionate about their cars, and they are ardent in their support of the drivers who carry the Corvette banner in international road racing. I'm not surprised that the longest lines for driver autographs at ALMS events are always at the Corvette Racing transporters.

The Corvette team has won 61 races since 2000, so the drivers know their way around a winner's circle. When the organizers brought out the champagne on the victory podium as I was handing out the trophies after the ALMS race, I should have known what was coming. Believe me, there is no better way to end a long week than to take a champagne shower with the home team.

To see more photos, head over to Flickr to check out our Detroit Grand Prix set.

Posted by Editor at 11:30 AM
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Photo of the Day: Cadillac Grille

Today's photo comes from cadmanof50s.

Be sure to look at all of cadmanof50s' photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 10:18 AM
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October 1, 2007

Recycling 7,300 Tons of Waste

By Ray Tessier, Group Director
GM Worldwide Facilities Group , Global Environmental Services

What does a manufacturing plant do with more than 7,300 tons of waste?

GM’s Baltimore Transmission Plant recycles, reuses and converts to energy that amount of waste each year – all the waste it produces from its normal business operations. Recently, Baltimore Transmission was given the designation of “landfill-free,” a title we’re proud of.

Considering the size of the plant – 400 employees make 189,000 transmissions a year – it’s a significant accomplishment achieved by only a few manufacturing plants in the U.S. And when you figure that the average American generates 4.5 pounds of waste each day, over half of which ends up in a landfill, this is a significant amount.

Part of the challenge in reaching landfill-free status is finding uses for recyclable materials. Today, even the tiniest scrap of trash is put to beneficial reuse. Take a look at some of the ways we’re using these materials:

• Wood pallets that are used to deliver some of the plant’s supplies have an interesting after-life. Two Baltimore-area fire departments use the pallets to teach their cadets how to put out fires. Some of the pallets are even shredded for use as mulch.
  
• GM foundries that produce engine and transmission components recycle aluminum.
  
• Used oil is reconditioned for use as a manufacturing fuel additive.

But this is only part of the story. Another part of Baltimore Transmission’s achievement is invisible – it’s waste that simply isn’t there anymore.

Like all GM manufacturing facilities across the world, Baltimore Transmission focuses first on eliminating waste, and then on recycling waste that cannot be avoided. Our most recent data for our global facilities over a five-year period shows we reduced our generation of waste by more than 23 percent, while increasing our recycling rate by more than 4 percent.

We understand that anything that leaves our plants that isn’t a part of a car or truck is waste. Waste is not only bad for the environment; it’s bad for our business. As landfill-deposited waste decomposes, it emits greenhouse gases, contributing to global climate change. It also adds unnecessary costs to our business.

Baltimore Transmission is the eighth GM facility in the world to reach landfill-free status, and it won’t be the last. Our facilities across the globe are continuing to squeeze out waste, and are seeking out and helping to develop the needed recycling infrastructure. Today, GM facilities around the world recycle on average about 86 percent of the waste they generate. It won’t be long before more GM plants reach a level where they send less waste to landfills than the typical American consumer does."

Related

Turning Waste Into Valuable Resources

GM Is Free... Landfill-Free, That Is

Posted by Editor at 1:26 PM
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Photo of the Day: Bel Air Blues

Today's photo comes from low n slow.

Be sure to look at all of low n slow's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 12:01 PM
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