The Sonic is priced at under $20,000, which is always a nice price range when you’re targeting the 20-somethings looking to get their first real ride. And also for the budget-conscious consumers out there, it has an EPA estimate of 40 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 MPG in the city. Not bad. Also, according to Chevy, the high-strength steel frame makes the Sonic 60% stiffer than its preceding Aveo.

The car has a 138-horsepower, naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder automatic transmission. Acceleration is designed to be smooth and steady, regardless of how hard you press your foot down. Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, and support for SiriusXM satellite radio all come standard for all those gadget-focused drivers. The cheapest model begins at just $15,000.

[via Wired]

“The agency’s investigation has concluded that no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts” NHTSA

Those guidelines will be targeted at emergency response teams and others who may come into contact with electric vehicles. With the Volt, the particular issue surrounded an apparent fire risk prompted after side-impact tests punctured the battery and coolant leaked; atypical tests – including x-rays of batteries – performed on various Volt components replicated a fire, though no real-world example has been recorded.

“NHTSA has developed interim guidance — with the assistance of the National Fire Protection Association, the Department of Energy, and others — to increase awareness and identify appropriate safety measures for these groups. The agency expects this guidance will help inform the ongoing work by NFPA, DOE, and vehicle manufacturers to educate the emergency response community, law enforcement officers, and others about electric vehicles” NHTSA

In the meantime, GM has offered non-Volt loaner vehicles to nervous owners while the testing was underway, and even to buy back unwanted cars that drivers no longer felt safe in. “We did not have one customer that wanted to sell it back or felt concerned enough to get a loaner vehicle” one Chevrolet dealer told the NYTimes, though the company has missed its 2011 sales target by over 1,000 cars.

I don’t really care for the design honestly. I can see this coming to market as a refresh of the dead Cavalier. The car uses a turbo 4-cylinder and eAssist tech that has start/stop tech and recaptured brake energy. The 140S is billed as an “affordable exotic” four seat sporty coupe. It has a very raked looking profile that is more attractive.

It reminds me a bit of a more muscular Volt that mated with a Mitsubishi Eclipse of the last generation. The car has the same turbo 4-cylinder under the hood as the other concept. The engine is the GM 1.4L Turbo Ecotec with 150HP. GM thinks the cars could be sold in the low $20,000 range.

As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, even though the General Motors North America president Mark Reuss assures the world that they’ve “made the Volt even safer,” the investigation does not end here. The NHTSA notes that they have not completed their inquiry and will be “continuing to gather and assess information on the post-crash fire risk in these vehicles.” The federal commission posted the following to their website on the matter:

“based on the work that NHTSA has already completed — under the observation of General Motors and in close consultation with experts from the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense — it appears that both battery intrusion and coolant leakage must be present to enable post-crash fire in the Volt.” – NHTSA

The lithium-ion batteries being used currently are having metal containers installed around them and coolant tanks placed beside them in this newest fix. General Motors’ Reuss has been assured, he says, that the investigation will result in positive ends, and that the means will likely not include a recall. You will, Volt owners, probably be able to get the fix for free, on the other hand. Look forward to it!

[via Auto Discovery]

The investigation on the safety of the battery in the Volt remains open at the moment, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does have a statement up on their website that notes the changes “should address the issue.” Those owners of the Volt right this moment should know that what they’ve done here is to create a set of changes that, to you, would be voluntary “enhancements” that you’d not necessarily have to come in and make, but that you certainly could if you wanted to.

Currently there is no recall in place on the battery nor on the car itself, and as Mary Barra, General Motors’ senior vice president of global product development, said:

“We are choosing to go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ peace of mind. [These changes will make the car] even safer, because the Volt is safe.” – Barra

Crash tests with the new system in line have yielded positive results, these including no intrusion of the battery and no coolant leakage, two concerns the commission had in the investigation thus far:

“The results of that crash test showed no intrusion into the vehicle’s battery compartment, and no coolant leakage was apparent. The preliminary results of the crash test indicate the remedy proposed by General Motors today should address the issue of battery intrusion.” – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

So take heart, owners, you’ll more than likely be able to get this physical upgrade for free once it’s active, and those of you who plan on owning the vehicle in the future, likely this safety addition will be in place.

[via NYTimes]

Check out more images and a video after the cut.

The Chevy Volt is an electric car that doesn’t go parading that fact around like a geeky badge of honor. Instead, this car is slick. Autoblog is even saying it looks like Apple could have designed this thing.

With a 7-inch LCD in lieu of gauges, your dashboard will be neat, tidy and futuristic. Plus, an LCD in the middle of the dash is just plain cool. These displays can be configured in anyway you’d like, and are programmable for more than one driver. The Chevy Volt will make its debut in 2011. I want!

[via CrunchGear]

 

 
A production model of the Chevy Volt will be featured in the upcoming feature film, Transformers 2 and someone with a camera has filmed the vehicle in action. It appears to have a full moon roof, and the side mirrors appear white or metallic.

This car has been heavily under wraps, so it’s interesting that it’s been leaked. Perhaps this was done on purpose? It’s hard to say. What I can say is that it’s good to see an electric car with a more commercial appeal.

Watch the video.

[via CrunchGear]

It weighs 6 tons, stands 11 feet tall, 23 feet long, and 8 feet wide. In between the engine and the legs there is a pair of Klune Extreme Under Drive Planetary gear boxes, a Rockwell 2.5 ton military axle and some crank shafts for each of the legs.

There is even a built in elevator, of sorts, to get the passengers and driver up to their seats. Apparently its really close to being done, all I know is it looks freakin’ sweet and I want one.

[via gizmowatch]

If you’ve never heard of the GM Style event, it is basically a blend between high fashion, music and cars. Other performers and celebrity appearance this year include DJ Samantha Ronson, Maroon 5 and Mary J. Blige.

General Motors announced yesterday that Kid Rock can be described as the “contemporary embodiment of rock and roll,” and will be sharing the runway with GM’s 500-horsepower E85 Hot Rod and Chevrolet Camaro convertible concepts.

Make sure to check the GM Style event tag for coverage throughout the night.

Update: 5:05 PM, arrived at “the tent”. The security is extremely tight. We were informed that if we lose the wristband – we are SOL.

Update: 5:45 PM, my sources could be wrong about the Victoria Secrets thingy – tonight.  Stay tune.

Continental Automotive Systems are the brains behind the ‘Boss’, the heavily adapted Chevy, and they’re not really viewing this as an opportunity to pick up DARPA’s $2m first-prize. Instead, it’s seen as a test-bed for a variety of intelligent safety, telemetry and driver assistance projects that will feed back into Continental’s industry partners. Right now, they’re working on the next-gen incarnation of ABS and ESC braking, embedded telematics such as Bluetooth hands-free, security and car access control, hybrid drives and adaptive cruise control, all of which will have some aspect of the Boss educating them.

“Since there are no human drivers in the Urban Challenge, the driverless cars must “see” roads and other vehicles with cameras, lasers, radar, sensors and other smart car technologies. Planning software continuously determines where and how to drive, how to avoid trouble and how to quickly reach a destination” DARPA

Adaptive cruise control is perhaps the most entertaining of the lot, with the car maintaining not only a constant speed but a safe distance between other traffic. It can predict a potential collision, warn the driver and, if their responses aren’t deemed sufficient to prevent it, intervene itself with extra braking and directing power to different wheels.

So what’s the experience like? Crazy, that’s what. Riding in the Chevy Tahoe was both amazing and uncomfortable: unpredictable, and difficult at times to accept that this was the SUV driving and not someone directing it via remote control. Of course, most drivers wouldn’t be happy giving up ownership of the steering wheel to a computer, and so the practical applications will be more transparent. I personally can’t wait until some of the technology filters down: while I might be happy with my own skills on the road, its everyone else driving that I don’t trust!

Many thanks to GM and Continental Automotive Systems for the opportunity to experience the Boss.

Ride along in the back seat!

Ride along in the front seat!

360-degrees video tour!