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General Motors upping Chevy Volt production by 50 percent in 2011
On Friday, during a visit from President Obama to its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, GM announced some good news for all the Volt fans out there. Production from 2011 to 2012 for the electric vehicle -- originally slated at around 30,000 units -- has been boosted to a projected 45,000 units, a 50 percent increase. The Volt, which has a range of 340 miles (on gas -- it goes approximately 40 miles on battery alone) is being produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which received $336 million in investments to prepare for the production. The full press release is after the break.
OnStar expands smartphone control over entire 2011 GM lineup
It's safe to say that General Motors is struggling for relevancy these days and, while the Chevy Volt could be a huge step into the modern era for the company, that still leaves every other car looking a bit -- traditional, technology-wise. OnStar is going to help, expanding its Volt-specific controls to the entire 2011 lineup of GM cars. When we saw OnStar's Volt app earlier this year we loved how it not only let you control recharging but also unlock the doors and monitor system specs from anywhere. While monitoring recharging status obviously won't be much good if you're rocking a good 'ol ICE vehicle, you will still be able to start the car remotely, unlock doors, and also monitor stats like tire pressure and oil level from your iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android handset, as demonstrated in a video after the break. Yes, you'll need to be an OnStar subscriber to use the app, with rates currently starting at a somewhat steep $18.95 per month. Now, if only there were an app that could help us to afford a new ZR1.
Google Maps Send-To-Car feature goes live on Ford SYNC systems
Avid OnStar users received this here functionality a fortnight ago, and BMW owners have been bragging about it for years. But it looks as if the world's other automakers are finally coming around to one of life's undeniable facts: Google Maps is top-notch, and in almost every instance, trumps whatever factory mapping system that any given consumer has overpaid for. Today, drivers of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US enabled with Ford SYNC can send business listings or addresses found on GMaps directly to their cars (from a web browser, naturally). With the new additions, Google's Send-To-Car feature is now active in 19 countries and across 20 brands, but we're guessing that your brand isn't one of them. Or maybe that's just us moping and looking for company.
Robonaut 2 enters final preparations before flying off into space
Tests, upgrades and final checks are being carried out on the Robonaut 2, the humanoid spacefaring robot that has been in the works since 2007. The baby of NASA and General Motors, this sack of metal and wires has already produced a catalog of 34 new patents and, according to GM, is setting the stage for new safety features in forthcoming generations of its road vehicles. Sensor technology being developed in the R2 could deliver better lane departure warning systems, adaptive cruise control, and more intelligent parking assistance. That's good news and all, but can we ship it out to the ISS already -- we'd rather it be off-world when its instruction set switches from "serve humans" to "serve human meat."
Chevrolet bringing 10,000 Volts in 2011, but it's the current of change that will kill you
Good news for all electric heads out there: "intense interest" in the Chevy Volt has led General Motors to expand its launch markets to now include Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. They join California, Michigan and Washington DC, although only Austin in Texas and New York City will have the honor of retail Volts before 2010 is through; the rest of the new markets will get their fill in 2011. Though Chevy still hasn't set down a final date and price for its electric car, late 2010 availability seems to mesh well with a November 1 rumor we heard earlier. Beyond this year, 10,000 units are planned to be built in 2011, with 30,000 more coming up in 2012. So it's gonna be a pretty exclusive club however you look at it, now can we get a cheesy music video going for this car or what? Oh wait...
OnStar users now sending Google Maps directions to their cars, definitely living in the future
July is upon us -- do you know what that means? For starters, it's Canada Day, but secondly, today marks the first day that turn-by-turn capable GM vehicles as old as 2006 can search for destinations using Google Maps and have those destinations beamed directly to their vehicles. The OnStar eNav feature is now fully Google-fied, and we're desperately hoping that other factory navigation systems take notice of the awesomeness and begin to do likewise in the not-so-distant future. Till then, have a peek at the GM demonstration vid just past the break, and feel free to let us know how it works for you in comments below.
GM follows Ford, brings Google Maps to OnStar eNav systems
Monkey see, monkey do -- right? All jesting aside, you can't help but chuckle over the timing here. Merely 24 hours after Ford announced that a Send to SYNC feature would allow motorists to beam Google Maps directions over Bluetooth to existing SYNC navigation systems, in flies General Motors with an eerily similar release. Granted, we learned last month that Google and GM would be working together on some rather special endeavors, but bringing the wonders of GMaps home to an otherwise ho hum routing system is particularly laudable. In fact, we may argue that GM's implementation has the edge, as the OnStar eNav feature will allow Google Maps to be sent to vehicle models as far back as 2006 (for spoken turn-by-turn guidance), while those with fresher systems will be able to have routes sent directly to their NAV screens via integration with OnStar Destination Download. Talk about a surefire way to keep people hooked on that OnStar subscription, eh? [Thanks, JL]
Google partnership has GM OnStar exploring Maps, open APIs and more
In a move that could shape the mobile landscape -- or simply suck down cash, of course -- General Motors just revealed that Google was its mysterious infotainment partner. In the final hours before Google I/O, we sat down with GM VP Nick Pudar to tell us what the future thus holds for OnStar. As we saw in January, GM's already developing smartphone apps for the Chevy Volt on iPhone, Blackberry and Android that will let you remotely lock doors, honk the horn, check tire pressure and more.... But sometime after the Volt launches, Google Maps Navigation will be integrated into the smartphone app, and we got a hands-on tour. Check out the new interface and hear about GM's strategy after the break.
General Motors partners with Google for Android-powered cars?
Not one day after General Motors said they'd found a mysterious technology partner to help extend the Chevy Volt's futuristic OnStar functionality do anonymous sources step in (as usual) to ruin the surprise. Though we thought RIM made a fine contender, Motor Trend says it's actually Google that'll reportedly "sell its Android operating system for in-car use." Last we heard, Google wasn't in the business of selling Android, but that wouldn't stop GM from using the open-source OS anyhow -- in fact, we already knew Android cars were on the way, and one's already in production. Let's just hope GM doesn't take the integration too far: we fear the day will come when our "engine" app spontaneously decides to force close.
General Motors partners with mystery organization to bolster OnStar technology
Thought the Chevy Volt's OnStar apps were impressive? You may not have to buy a Volt to get them. General Motors says it would like to extend such infotainment beyond its flagship plug-in hybrid, and has partnered with a undisclosed tech firm to help make it happen. Speaking to CNN Money, OnStar president Chris Pruess teases that we could see some of Volt's features -- remote locking, charging and perhaps air conditioning options -- on other OnStar automobiles, or even other ventures (the exec says they're looking "beyond automotive") the auto manufacturer might decide on. The big question, of course, is whether this mysterious partner might restrict smartphone functionality to a particular handset or carrier -- after all, when we think of cell phone manufacturers who've both worked with GM and recently acquired automotive assets, one in particular comes to mind. [Thanks, Jub]
NASA and GM's humanoid Robonaut2 blasting into space this September (video)
Remember Robonaut2, the gold-headed robot that first flexed its biceps back in February? He's been called up -- way up. NASA has given him a one-way ticket to the International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on a departure that's currently scheduled for September. It's not entirely clear what he'll be doing up there beyond making awe-inspiring poses like the one shown above, but he is slated to help during spacewalks and will be the first humanoid robot to leave the atmosphere. We just want to know whose shirts he'll wear. Update: Thanks to Joe at the Johnson Space Center we now have a video commemorating this achievement after the break.
Engadget test drives the Chevy Volt (video)
For a car that's been as eagerly anticipated and hyped as the Chevrolet Volt, seeing it in person is not exactly an awe-inspiring experience. In fact if you don't look twice it's very easy to mistake it for Chevy's Cruze, an eco-friendly (though decidedly traditionally powered) small car. The Volt is, of course, a little more special -- a car with both electric and internal-combustion engines on-board. That's not a particularly rare thing in this age of the Prius, but Chevrolet is being very clear: the Volt is an electric car, not a hybrid, and if you read on after the break we'll tell you exactly why -- and what it's like to drive one. %Gallery-89256%
GM's two-seater EN-V concept makes 'urban mobility' hip again
We'll confess -- the Segway did a lot of damage to urban mobility as a whole, but General Motors (of all companies) might have just mended a wound we thought un-mendable. Unveiling today in Shanghai, the two-seater EN-V concept is a play on last year's altogether riveting (albeit forgotten) P.U.M.A., and yes, it seems as if some of those design cues have worked their way into this one as well. The Electric Networked-Vehicle was engineered to "alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow's cities," and they're also fully capable of transforming this place we call Earth into a next-generation Epcot. A trio of designs made their debut -- Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh) -- and we're told that twin electric motors and "dynamic stabilization technology" allow 'em to turn on a dime and operate autonomously (!) using integrated GPS. The Li-ion batteries can be juiced from a conventional wall outlet, and the expected range is around 40 kilometers on a single charge. Best of all? There's built in wireless of some sort, enabling your fellow EN-V owner-friends to keep track of your late-night escapades if you so allow. We know -- you'd buy one of each if these were available today, but mum's the word on when (or if) they'll ever hit the production line; meanwhile, expect something called a "Malibu" to remain in the product pipeline for the better part of next decade. %Gallery-88921%
GM shows off sensor-laden windshield, new heads-up display prototype
Heads-up displays are undoubtedly novel, and downright useful in the right circumstances. Trouble is, few of these prototypes ever make it beyond the lab, and we're stuck using these same two eyeballs to experience the world around us. General Motors is evidently tired of the almosts, and it's now working in concert with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California in order to concoct one of the most advanced HUD systems that we've seen -- particularly in the automotive world. Setting out to create "enhanced vision systems," GM's R&D team has created a windshield packed with visible and Infrared cameras along with internal optics that keep a close eye on the driver's retinas. In the images and video below (hit the 'Read More' link for the real action), you'll see a solution that utilizes lasers in order to highlight road edges, speed limit signs and all sorts of other vital bits of data during a fog-filled commute. Best of all? We're told that some of these technologies "could end up in GM vehicles in the near-term future." Granted, the Volt was supposed to set sail already, but we suppose we'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt. %Gallery-88465%
2011 Chevy Volt pinned with a November 1st official production kickoff date?
Christmas isn't coming early, but at least you're getting a heads up. GM car dealers got their annual model guide, and what has our interests piqued here is the listing for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the plug-in hybrid electric car that seems to make our heart race in equal proportions to our wallets crying. According to the chart, the company will be accepting orders starting in September, with the official production date (or "Job 1 date" in automotive lingo) starting November 1st. There's a bit of a discrepancy, however, as the dealers won't know their final allocation until two weeks after the startup time -- notice how it's typically done weeks before with the other models -- but hey, maybe time paradoxes is just another bullet point on its list of features. It's about time Doc's DeLorean had some competition.
NASA and GM's Robonaut2 allows human astronauts to feel the fear of obsolescence (video)
About a decade ago, two of our favorite government entities, NASA and DARPA, paired off to create the robotic astronaut of the future: Robonaut. He had a cool copper helmet and some faux-muscly arms, but ultimately never made it to space. Now, 10 years on, NASA's back with Robonaut2, created along with General Motors, who hopes to enslave poor R2 in its assembly plants. The details of exactly what has changed in this iteration are slim, but R2 is said to be more dexterous than its predecessor and stronger too, able to lift a 20lb dumbbell without getting all red in the face. It also seems to have lasers in its knuckles for some reason we can't quite figure out, but we're digging the look nevertheless. R2 is said to be helping NASA into a "bold new era of space exploration," and while we don't know exactly when that bold new era begins (now?), we do have a particularly menacing video of the original Robonaut included below, as well as one two of the fit and trim new model. %Gallery-84663% [Thanks, Adam]
General Motors to manufacture electric motors, with first coming in 2013
Looks like General Motors is ready to make a sizable investment in its electric future. The company's announced it'll be sinking $246 million into a high volume motor production facility for designing and manufacturing electric motors -- the first U.S.-based automaker to do so, according to the press release. It's gonna be awhile until we see any results, however: the fruits of the labor won't be shown until 2013 with two-mode hybrid engines. Let's hope no one beats them to that "first" claim before then.
GM woos CFO Chris Liddell away from Microsoft
As you may or may not have heard, Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell announced that he was leaving the company late last month, but neither he nor Microsoft was doing much talking at the time about what he would be doing next -- other than that he would be "looking at a number of opportunities that will expand his career beyond being a CFO." Well, it looks like he will still be a CFO after all -- this time at General Motors. That move was just made official today, and follows news earlier this month that GM's current CFO, Ray Young, would be transferring to China. As you might expect given the executive situation at GM, however, there's plenty of speculation that this hire might be more than what it seems, and folks already talking that Liddell may actually be being groomed to take over as CEO of the company once he gets a bit more experience in the automotive industry.
Seven Chevy models eligible for $199 Autonet Mobile WiFi router
Slowly but surely, General Motors looks like it's pushing Autonet Mobile's in-car WiFi option to each and every one of the vehicles it sells, and while we recently heard that it was making its way into a few other autocars for the not-at-all-appealing price of $500 (up front), this offer sounds a wee bit more palatable. Dubbed "Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile," the add-on is now certified for installation in the Equinox, Traverse, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Avalanche and Express, and if you get in before December 31st, you'll be able to add internet to your ride for $199 after mail-in rebate -- though a 2-year service agreement (at $29 per month) is also required. Just think how silent your kids will be on that cross-country trek to visit the in-laws this Christmas, though. Totally worth it. %Gallery-80286%
Chevy Volt gets its own song and dance, humanity weeps aloud
And you honestly thought you'd see a decent return-on-investment from bailing these guys out.
