GM Outlines All-Electric Path to Zero Emissions

GM Outlines All-Electric Path to Zero Emissions

GM Outlines All-Electric Path to Zero Emissions

General Motors announced today how it is executing on a major element of its vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, recently announced by GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra.

“General Motors believes in an all-electric future,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president of Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “Although that future won’t happen overnight, GM is committed to driving increased usage and acceptance of electric vehicles through no-compromise solutions that meet our customers’ needs.”

In the next 18 months, GM will introduce two new all-electric vehicles based off learnings from the Chevrolet Bolt EV. They will be the first of at least 20 new all-electric vehicles that will launch by 2023.

Given customers’ various needs, getting to a zero emissions future will require more than just battery electric technology. It will require a two-pronged approach to electrification — battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric depending on the unique requirements.

GM also introduced SURUS — the Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure — a fuel cell powered, four-wheel steer concept vehicle on a heavy-duty truck frame that’s driven by two electric motors. With its capability and flexible architecture, SURUS could be used as a delivery vehicle, truck or even an ambulance — all emissions free.

courtesy: www.gm.com

Holden Confirms Game-changing Onstar Technology Coming in 2019

Holden Confirms Game-changing Onstar Technology Coming in 2019

Holden Confirms Game-changing Onstar Technology Coming in 2019

GM started the connected car revolution 20 years ago, with the launch of OnStar and continues to deliver innovative solutions at a scale unmatched by anyone in the industry. Now Holden has confirmed that cutting-edge OnStar technology will be rolled out across the Holden portfolio from 2019 – offering customers connectivity and peace of mind like no other brand. Holden will be launching OnStar in 2019 initially with the Equinox SUV and then progressively rolling the technology out across all Holden products

Originally launched in North America in 1996, OnStar offers emergency, security, navigation, connections and vehicle manager services and will be available in Holden vehicles through a subscription model. OnStar serves nearly 13 million members in the U.S., Canada, China, Mexico, Europe and South America. Offering a range of standard, subscription and a la carte services such as the MyHolden mobile app, Advanced Diagnostics, Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, AtYourService, OnStar Smart Driver and 4G LTE Wi-Fi.

In 2016, OnStar surpassed 1.5 billion customer interactions and leads the industry with nearly six million 4G LTE Wi-Fi equipped-vehicles world-wide.

OnStar offerings are broken into five key streams:

Emergency:
Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services, Crisis Assist and Roadside Assistance

Security:
Stolen Vehicle Assistance, including Remote Ignition Block, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, and Theft Alarm Notification, Family Link

Navigation & Commerce
Turn-By-Turn Navigation and the ‘At Your Service’ Marketplace

Connectivity:
OnStar with 4G LTE and Wi-Fi Hotspot.

Vehicle Management:
Advanced Diagnostics, OnStar Smart Driver, Remote Access and Location Manager

OnStar will offer Australian customers a proven automatic crash and emergency response feature, the ultimate peace of mind, utilising GPS satellites and enhanced mobile capability to provide greater accuracy of location and greater coverage to get emergency services to customers wherever they need them.

OnStar will also provide unmatched security with the ability to protect your vehicle by providing alerts should the vehicle move away from its defined location, ignition blocking, and remote slow-down of confirmed stolen vehicles.

Providing real-time health checks of your vehicle to better tailor maintenance requirements to your specific driving conditions, and allows customers to use their mobile phone to monitor and track the health and service requirements of their vehicles via the MyHolden app.

The convenience of being able to remotely lock and unlock your vehicle wherever you might be in the world as well as assistance in helping you to find your vehicle in a crowded car park not just through location but by remote activation of the vehicle horn and hazard flashers

Furthermore, OnStar provides the ability to become a safer and more fuel-efficient driver by obtaining direct feedback on your driving style and techniques.

For fleet users, Holden will be able to provide a range of services to assist companies to promote a safe workplace when employees are in vehicles as well as full telematics capability.

“While OnStar uses very powerful and advanced technologies to deliver its services in the car and via the web and smart devices, it is simple and easy for the customer to use,” said Peter Keley, Managing Director, OnStar General Motors International.

“OnStar’s human touch is what makes it unique and differentiates it from other telematics services in the market. And the above is just the beginning. Once we connect you to your car remotely the possibilities to create experiences that make your drive more enjoyable and the way that we can enhance the usage of your time are endless.

“This is an important step as we will continue to grow GM’s connected vehicle solutions in this region of the world in the coming years,” said Mr Keley.
Additional information about availability of Holden vehicles sold in Australian with OnStar service and pricing will be announced in due course.

At a glance, OnStar is planning to offer the following services in Australia as a minimum:

• Automatic Crash Response
• 24/7 Emergency Services
• Stolen Vehicle Assistance
• Vehicle Diagnostics
• MyHolden Mobile Application
• Remote Start and Door Unlock
• In-vehicle 4G LTE Wi-Fi internet hotspots with ability to connect up to seven devices

courtesy: media.gm.com

Chevrolet’s New Medium-Duty Trucks to be Named Silverado

Chevrolet’s New Medium-Duty Trucks to be Named Silverado

Chevrolet confirmed that its all-new Class 4 and 5 trucks launching in late 2018 will be branded Silverado. The announcement came during Chevrolet’s Truck Centennial event, which kicked off a 100-day celebration of the first century of Chevrolet pickups.

“The first Chevy truck was built in 1918 for small business owners, and we have been expanding the market ever since because customers want specialized trucks that can tow and haul with confidence,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Marketing and Advertising for Chevrolet Trucks.

In the last three years alone, Chevrolet has revitalized the midsize pickup segment with the Colorado, launched a new range of Low Cab Forward trucks and introduced a completely redesigned 6.6-liter Duramax diesel for heavy-duty pickups.

John Schwegman, U.S. director of Commercial Product, said Chevrolet’s growth in the commercial market has moved in lockstep with the expansion of the brand’s truck portfolio. Commercial volume is up by 48 percent since 2013 and domestic segment share has grown year-over-year for the past 13 consecutive months.

“We are earning new business because we have more solutions to help businesses grow,” Schwegman said. “The Silverado 4500 and 5500 will stand out because we’ve designed the trucks around how customers work. They will be powerful, highly maneuverable and among the easiest trucks on the market to upfit with specialized bodies, such as dump bodies, rollbacks, freight boxes and more.”

Both the Silverado 4500 and 5500 will be available in Regular and Crew Cab models, with 4×2 and 4×4 capability and a wide range of GVWRs and wheelbases. Chevrolet will also offer these trucks with optional OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity provided by AT&T, which fleet management companies are embracing to help improve safety and productivity.

All Silverado 4500 and 5500 models will be powered by a Duramax diesel engine and Allison transmission, a legendary combination that has powered about two million trucks.

Allison Transmission, based in Indianapolis, is the largest designer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions. Their designs have been used in a variety of applications, including construction, fire, distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense, energy and refuse. They have helped drive Chevrolet’s hardest-working trucks since the 1950s.

The first Duramax diesel engines were introduced in Chevrolet and GMC trucks in 2001, and since then have accumulated more than 100 billion miles of real-world experience.

courtesy: www.gm.com