The commitment by GM CEO Dan Akerson coincides with preparations for delivery of the first Chevrolet Volt electric vehicles with extended-range capability to customers in key states.

The new jobs will build on GM’s strategy to develop, validate and manufacture automotive battery, electric motor and power control technologies in-house as core competencies.    

“GM is going to lead the industry in the adoption of various vehicle electrification technologies, whether its electric vehicles with extended-range capability, like the Chevrolet Volt, or the recently introduced eAssist technology that will debut on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse,” Akerson said. “We want to give our customers energy choices other than petroleum and to make the automobile part of the solution when it comes to the environment.”

Deep experience and expertise in batteries, electric motors and power controls will ensure GM provides the best possible electric vehicle choices to customers around the world, Akerson said.

The 2007 reveal of the Chevrolet Volt has spurred a flurry of activity in the electrification of the automobile and has become an economic multiplier for the state of Michigan. GM’s electric vehicle engineering investment expands on the more than $700 million GM has invested in eight facilities in Michigan to support Volt production. 

GM has the industry’s largest and most technologically advanced battery systems lab at its Warren, Mich. Technical Center and has invested $336 million at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, home of the Volt, along with another $43 million at the industry’s only battery pack manufacturing plant in Brownstown Township, Mich.  An additional $162 million investment was announced last week to support powertrain operations in Flint and Bay City, Mich., and Defiance, Ohio.

In addition to GM’s investments, suppliers such as LG Chem, utility companies such as DTE Energy and organizations including the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, are investing in Michigan jobs to support Chevy Volt and electric vehicle development.

“The state of Michigan is proud to continue our long partnership with GM as it drives toward a leaner, greener future,” Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said. “As we work to diversify our state’s economy both within the auto industry and outside of it, electric vehicles will play a major role in re-establishing Michigan as the North American center of automotive manufacturing.”

About General Motors – General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Russia.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 8 million metric tons equals the CO2 emissions of one year of electricity use in 970,874 homes or the annual carbon reduction from 1.7 million acres of pine forest.

Chevrolet’s clean energy investments to be implemented in the next three to five years may include projects such as:

• Providing energy efficient technology such as smart energy sensors and solar panels to schools and other community-based facilities in need of upgrades to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and reduce heating bills. 
• Supporting wind farms and solar projects that deliver renewable energy to the grid and also help family farms increase their revenues per acre.
• Capturing flammable methane from community landfills that delivers clean energy to the grid and improves local air quality and safety.
• Contributing to forestry projects throughout America.

“GM has made great progress in reducing our environmental impact, but we know we can do more,” said General Motors CEO Dan Akerson.  “Chevrolet’s investment is an extension of the environmental initiatives we’ve been undertaking for years because the solution to global environmental challenges goes beyond just vehicles.

“This is an opportunity to connect with Chevy customers through clean energy projects that directly impact them,” Akerson said

GM estimates its new carbon-reduction goal equates to the emissions in 2011 from driving the 1.9 million vehicles Chevrolet is expected to sell in the United States over the next year.

“Chevy is an iconic emblem of America and it is a big deal that it is stepping forward to address one of our greatest challenges – moving us toward a low-carbon future,” said Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. “Chevy is clearly demonstrating that companies can act now and help propel clean energy solutions.” 

Since 1990, GM has decreased its manufacturing emissions by 60 percent. GM also has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to build fuel-efficient vehicles like the Chevrolet Cruze Eco, which gets an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway, and the Chevy Volt electric car with extended-range capability. The Volt allows 25-50 miles of pure electric driving on a single charge after which a small gasoline engine/generator creates electricity for an additional 300 miles.

“Chevy’s Volt and its clean energy investment both exemplify the bold leadership businesses can take today to address our changing climate,” Claussen said.” Its commitment to community-focused clean energy and energy efficiency investments will drive change and increase awareness across the country.”

Other GM initiatives include reducing water use by nearly 35 percent between 2005 and 2009 at manufacturing facilities worldwide; decreasing fossil fuel at GM plants by using landfill gas, hydro and solar power; recycling 90 percent of the waste the company generates; and operating 75 landfill-free facilities, more than half of its manufacturing plants globally.

Chevy will be making investments through third-party organizations such as Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Ore. To define project criteria and the program’s investment portfolio, GM has engaged environmental experts, non-government organizations and academics through the Climate Neutral Business Network. Advisors include:

• Bob Sheppard, vice president of corporate programs at Clean Air-Cool Planet
• Derik Broekhoff, vice president of policy at Climate Action Reserve
• Mark Kenber, deputy CEO at The Climate Group
• Snehall Desai, Sustainability Marketer
• Janet Peace, vice president at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change
• Eban Goodstein, director of the Center for Environmental Policy, Bard College

“Chevy understands that to lead in the environmental arena it needs to collaborate with experts from outside its industry,” said Goodstein.  “Their engagement of NGOs and academia in development of the scope and strategy of this initiative shows their commitment to projects that will make the most impact across America’s communities.”

About General Motors  – General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Russia.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

Meanwhile, Ford reported on February 26 that it was spending $155 million at its Cleveland operations to build a new fuel-efficient V-6 engine for the 2011 Mustang. Ford’s investment at the Cleveland Engine Plant is supported by DOE’s Advanced Technology Manufacturing Incentives Program. The new Mustang engine is one of nine new or upgraded engines or transmissions for Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles to be released in the 2011 model year. The latest investment brings Ford’s total investment in powertrain engineering and facility upgrades in North America to $1.8 billion for the 2011 vehicle launches alone, with more to come. This year’s revamped engines and transmissions are part of a five-year effort, which began in 2008, to overhaul all of Ford’s powertrains. One of its most advanced new engines will be a new normally aspirated 2.0-liter direct-fuel-injection engine, the first of its kind for a North American Ford vehicle, which will be deployed in the 2012 Ford Focus. See the Ford press releases on the engine investment and the 2012 Ford Focus.

Chrysler is also revamping its powertrain lineup, implementing new technology that will contribute to an overall fuel-efficiency improvement of more than 25% by 2014. As a result of its new alliance with Fiat, the company’s five-year business plan has added a powertrain offensive, including a progressive vehicle electrification strategy. The overhaul will include adopting Fiat technology such as Multiair, Fiat’s patented electro-hydraulic variable valve actuation technology. Fiat will also add its direct-injection, turbocharging, and six-speed transmission systems to Chrysler’s portfolio. Four-cylinder engine options are being expanded at Chrysler with the introduction of Fiat’s 1.4-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines, both featuring Multiair. As part of its five-year plan, the Chrysler Group is currently developing a hybrid version of its Ram 1500 pickup for 2010. The company also continues its plan with the DOE to build a small test fleet of plug-in hybrid Ram 1500s and minivans.

Source:EERE

Currently, the transportation sector accounts for 28% of total U.S. energy use. As these vehicle technologies are adopted broadly across the country, they could save more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, and reduce carbon emissions from on-road vehicles by 20% by 2030.

Vice President Biden said;

“By investing Recovery dollars in next generation fuel efficient trucks here at home, we’re not only creating new job opportunities now, but helping lay a new foundation to keep American auto manufacturers competitive in the 21st century global marketplace. Through strategic public-private investments like these, the Recovery Act is helping lay the groundwork for an expansion of our clean energy economy.”

“Improving the efficiency of our vehicles is critical to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and addressing climate change,” said Secretary Chu. “Today’s awards will help demonstrate the potential benefits for long-haul trucks and passenger vehicles and will play an important role in building a more sustainable transportation system for the country.”

Three projects will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50%. These projects will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain hybridization.

The remaining six projects totaling more than $71 million will support efforts to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25-40% by 2015 using an engine-only approach.

The following projects have been selected for awards under two topic areas:

General Motors R&D received a $2.7 million federal award Monday that will help build a prototype using Shape Memory Alloy, or SMA, that would generate electricity from the heat in automotive exhaust.

“When you heat up a stretched SMA wire, it shrinks back to its pre-stretched length, and when it cools back down it becomes less stiff and can revert to the original shape” said Jan Aase, director of GM’s Vehicle Development Research Laboratory. “A loop of this wire could be used to drive an electric generator to charge a battery.”

It is too soon to identify a vehicle where this technology could work, but hybrid or conventionally powered vehicles are possible applications.

“No one else anywhere in the world is doing this work as far as we know,” Aase said. “In a hybrid system, the electrical energy could be used to charge the battery. In a conventional engine, this could perhaps even replace the alternator without any load on the engine.”

The award from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Program Agency – Energy, or ARPA-E, was the only grant to an automaker among $151 million in distributed by the DOE. GM will work with HRL Laboratories; Dynalloy, Inc., a Tustin, CA manufacturer of shape memory alloys specially made to be used as actuators, and the Smart Materials Collaborative Research Lab at the University of Michigan.

“This award is significant for the gains in energy efficiency it could bring, and because it signifies how GM is doing business though collaboration and partnership,” said Alan Taub, GM vice president of global R&D.

“The days are gone when we would do this kind of groundbreaking work on our own. We need to continue to find ways to combine our deep technical knowledge with others who can help take our ideas from concept to commercialization,” he said.

The idea of an SMA heat engine “has been around for 30 years,” Aase said, but the few devices that have been built were too large and too inefficient to make it worthwhile.”

Even now, the technology is in the very early stages. Over the next two years, GM and its partners will work to create a working prototype.

“We’re taking advantage of a network of people that we’ve been working with for a number of years on shape memory alloys,” Aase said. “And we have some novel approaches to make this high-risk, high return project successful.”

DETROIT – The initial production color of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) is a silver exterior with an emerald hue. That’s official. What’s not certain is what Chevrolet will name that distinctive exterior color, so the company is turning to the public to help make the decision.

Starting today, on National Color Day, Chevrolet launches an online contest that asks for color name suggestions, with three finalists to be flown to Los Angeles this December to compete for a final chance to be among the first to test-drive a pre-production Volt.

“We want to invite consumers into the development process of the Chevy Volt and give people an opportunity to be part of our program,” said Maria Rohrer, director, global Volt and global marketing operations at Chevrolet. “We’re looking for a color name that captures the innovation and spirit of the Volt.”

The contest will award three finalists and a guest roundtrip airfare to Los Angeles, two nights standard hotel accommodations, a $400 gift card and admission to the LA Auto Show on December 2, 2009. The winner will be announced by Chevy on December 1 and be given the opportunity to test-drive the pre-production Volt.

Entrants can submit their color name at www.chevroletvoltage.com through 8:00 a.m. ET on November 4. Chevrolet will choose three finalists among all the entries, based equally on originality, creativity, and the ability to capture the innovation and spirit of the Volt. The finalists will advance to a second round, where consumers will vote for the entries on www.chevroletvoltage.com, starting 8:00 a.m. ET on November 16 and concluding at 8:00 a.m. ET on December 1. Consumers are limited to one vote per person and per internet protocol address during the voting period.

Contestants can enter multiple name recommendations. In the event more than one entrant submits the same color name, the entrant who submitted that color name first will receive an Entry and all other Entries will be void. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States and District of Columbia. Entrants must be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license.

The silver exterior with an emerald hue will be available exclusively on the Chevy Volt. The new, consumer-named paint will join a palette of other Volt exterior colors available to order at the start of production including Black, Silver Ice Metallic, Cyber Gray Metallic, Crystal Red Metallic and a premium White Diamond Tri-Coat.

The Chevy Volt is a practical E-REV with an engine generator that extends the total driving range. It is expected to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted of energy, the engine generator seamlessly operates to extend the total driving range to more than 300 miles.

Production for the Volt is expected to begin in late 2010. Pricing has not been announced. For full contest rules, visit www.chevroletvoltage.com

“We are proud that we have successfully scaled our technology to this significant level,” said Bill Roe, president and CEO of Coskata. “This facility is demonstrating that our efficient, affordable and flexible conversion technology is ready for commercialization. The next step is to build full-scale facilities and begin licensing our technology to project developers, project financiers and strategic partners.”

Unlike other technologies and facilities that may rely on one primary source of feedstock, Coskata’s flex ethanol facility will be producing ethanol from numerous feedstocks, including wood biomass, agricultural waste, sustainable energy crops, and construction waste. This flexible approach at the Madison facility is enabled by Westinghouse Plasma Corporation (WPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Alter NRG, and its plasma gasification technology. The feedstock flexible nature of the Coskata approach also allows for true geographic flexibility, meaning facilities can be built anywhere a feedstock can be sourced or delivered.

Coskata’s technology, as demonstrated through Project Lighthouse, will be able to reduce greenhouse gasses by as much as 96% over conventional gasoline, while using less than half the water that it takes to get a gallon of gasoline. In addition, the company’s ability to produce non grain-based ethanol that is as much as 7 times as energy positive as the fossil fuel used in the process, addresses many concerns related to traditional processes, including energy efficiency and the use of grain.

“The integrated biorefinery – utilizing Westinghouse Plasma Gasification on the front end and Coskata’s syngas-to-biofuels conversion process on the back end – serves as an excellent example of two leading companies working together to deliver a viable process to the biofuel market,” said Mark Montemurro, President and CEO of Alter NRG. “We’re excited to be delivering the feedstock flexibility to Coskata’s efficient and affordable process.”

The facility is a demonstration of “minimum scale engineering”, an industry standard term which means it is the smallest size that will still allow the company to scale directly to 50 million and 100 million gallon Coskata facilities. Some of the ethanol that is being produced at the facility has been delivered to the General Motors Milford Proving Grounds for early testing, as well as to another major strategic partner.

“We invested in Coskata so that we could enable the rapid deployment of commercially viable and environmentally sustainable ethanol globally,” said Bob Babik, GM Vehicle Emissions Director. “We’re proud to say that we have already accepted some of Coskata’s ethanol at our Milford facility.”

Globally, General Motors has produced more than 5 million flex-fuel vehicles to date. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 3.5 million GM flex-fuel cars and trucks on the road. For the 2010 model year, there are 17 E85-capable flex-fuel models from the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC brands.

GM is on track to make more than half of its vehicle production flex-fuel capable by 2012.

Coskata leverages proprietary microorganisms and efficient bioreactor designs in a unique three-step conversion process that can turn virtually any carbon-based feedstock into ethanol, from anywhere in the world. Coskata’s biological fermentation technology is ethanol-specific and enzyme independent, contributing to high energy conversion rates and ethanol yields. Additionally, the process requires no additional chemicals or pre-treatments, serving to streamline operational costs. In fact, the company has one of the lowest production costs in the industry, allowing it to directly compete with gasoline without long-term government subsidies.

About Coskata

Coskata is a biology-based renewable energy company that is commercializing technology to produce biofuels from a wide variety of feedstocks. Using proprietary microorganisms and transformative bioreactor designs, the company will produce ethanol that can be cost competitive with gasoline unsubsidized almost anywhere in the world, from a wide variety of feedstocks. Coskata has compiled a strong IP portfolio of patents, trade secrets and know-how and assembled a first-class team for the development and commercialization of its compelling syngas-to-ethanol process technology. For more information, please visit www.coskata.com.

Reva

New Delhi, September 24, 2009: General Motors India and Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop electric vehicles for the Indian market. This unique partnership will bring together two companies, established in their own field to develop car platforms, electric vehicle technology and advanced control systems.  The agreement was announced jointly by Karl Slym, president and managing director, General Motors India and Chetan Maini, deputy chairman and chief technology officer, REVA.

 Karl Slym, President and Managing Director, GM India said, “We are pleased to join hands with REVA to bring affordable small car platform based electric vehicles to the market in line with government objectives to reduce fossil fuel dependence. GM’s ability to develop platforms and REVA’s capability in developing electric drive-trains and control systems will result in, the consumer having a wider choice of EVs. We are going to be working closely with the Central and State Governments in India to develop infrastructure for electric vehicle charging and providing specific financial benefits to consumers, who make the choice to adopt an environment-friendly mode of personal transport.”

REVA-NXR

Speaking on the occasion, Chetan Maini, Deputy Chairman and CTO, Reva Electric Car Company said, “This unique collaboration symbolizes a global trendsetter for partnerships that will result in far reaching changes in the industry. Each of the partners will use its strengths, with the aim of making India a global hub for the development and manufacture of electric vehicles and related technologies. I am extremely happy that we have found a partner in GM India that shares our passion for reducing carbon emissions”.

 Development of small electric vehicles is a growth area around the global automotive industry and we are excited that this cooperation with REVA in India will accelerate GM’s progress to meet the emerging needs in many parts of the world ” , said Nick Reilly , President of GM International Operations . GM is pursuing several energy alternatives and advanced technology options to meet the varied needs of customers around the world. GM believes that electrically driven vehicles, based on battery and hydrogen fuel cell technology, offer the best long-term solution for providing sustainable personal transportation, he added.

 The two companies have begun feasibility studies of GM’s vehicle platforms sometime back to host the electric technology and they will announce more details about the vehicles soon.

 About General Motors India

General Motors India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors Company, USA, has completed over 12 years of operation in India. GM India started its journey in 1996 and now offers products under the Chevrolet brand, which was introduced in India in 2003. Chevrolet had already emerged as one of the fastest growing automotive nameplates in India. GM India produces the Chevrolet Captiva, Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet SR-V, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet Tavera for sale in India and operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Halol, Gujarat and in Talegaon, Maharashtra.

About REVA Electric Car Company Pvt. Ltd

Reva Electric Car Company, a Bangalore-based company with over 14 years of experience in electric vehicle (EV) research and development. It is the first company worldwide to successfully commercialize electric cars and was acclaimed by Business World India in 2006 as one of India’s “Cool Companies” and technology innovators. Today, REVA is selling or test marketing its products in 24 countries across Europe and Asia, as well as Latin and Central America. It has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars on the market with over 3,000 EVs on the road and more than 70 million kilometers of user experience. In recognition of its technology leadership, REVA was the recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2008 Automotive Power train Company of the Year award.

More than 50,000 gallons of gasoline have been saved so far in the fuel cell Equinox, more than 100 of which are part of the largest consumer fuel cell demonstration fleet in the world. The fuel cell electric Equinox runs on electricity created by an on-board fuel cell stack. The only emissions are wisps of water vapor.

About 5,000 people have driven the fuel cell Equinox in short test drives. More than 80,000 people in New York, Washington, D.C., and Greater Los Angeles, volunteered to drive the vehicles as part of Project Driveway, which began in November 2007.

The Fuel Cell Equinox carries about 4.2 kilograms of compressed hydrogen on board, enough for about 168 miles before a five-to-seven minute refill is required. Regenerative braking, which sends energy created in stopping, back to the vehicle battery, extends the driving range. Drivers refill at hydrogen stations in New York, Washington, and South California.

“It has never been our focus to get a million miles, but it’s given us an incredible learning experience,” said Mark Vann, who manages Project Driveway for Chevrolet. “This says a lot about the viability of fuel cell vehicles – that they are not one or two decades away but are doable today.”

The officially recognized millionth mile in a Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle was driven by Jeanine Behr-Getz, an author of children’s books and mother of a first-grade daughter in Greenwich, Conn. Behr-Getz was chosen to participate in Project Driveway because she would likely purchase a fuel cell vehicle out of concern for the environment and to reduce the nation’s use of petroleum.

“The Chevrolet Fuel Cell Equinox fit my family, groceries, golf clubs and work supplies with no problem and it drove the same as my fossil fuel crossover vehicle,” Behr-Getz said. “And as a bonus, I was the only parent allowed to idle my car in the pickup line at school.”

In Project Driveway, participants keep the mid-size Equinox crossovers for about two months with free fuel and insurance in exchange for providing regular feedback to engineers. Having people living with the vehicle helps Chevrolet improve the fuel cell experience. The feel of the regenerative brakes was one change that resulted from customer comments.

“I think when people first hear about the car, they expect something that looks like an experiment,” said Stephanie White, an Equinox fuel cell electric driver in Southern California. “So when they see how real the car is, particularly after driving it, they want to know, ‘Where can I buy one?’ or ‘When can I buy one of these cars?’”

The Equinox fuel cell is part of Chevrolet’s electrification of the automobile which continues next year with commercial production of the Volt extended -ange electric vehicle. Feedback and learning from the Equinox fuel cell is being shared with the Volt development team.

While Project Driveway shows how easily hydrogen-powered vehicles could become normal transportation, the high cost of development and lack of fueling infrastructure have prevented a decision on a mass production fuel cell vehicle.

In addition to individual drivers, Project Driveway vehicles are on loan to celebrities, a range of government and non-government entities, including the U.S. Postal Service which has delivered more than 700,000 pieces of mail in the Equinox. Other vehicles are used by Virgin Atlantic and Disney, which wrote the fuel cell into a featured role in a recent episode of the ABC Family comedy “Ruby & the Rockits.”

The significance of Project Driveway is especially appreciated in California, where most of the vehicles are in use.

“One million miles shows that people are driving the Equinox FCVs as part of their everyday lives,” said California Fuel Cell Partnership executive director Catherine Dunwoody. “Many of those miles were on California roads, including hundreds I put on one as a Project Driveway driver. Fuel cell vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell will provide regular people with the range and convenience of a conventional vehicle plus zero emissions, a low-carbon footprint and a sustainable, domestic fuel.”

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is one of America’s best-known and best-selling automotive brands, and one of the fastest growing brands in the world. With fuel solutions that go from “gas-friendly to gas-free,” Chevy has nine models that get 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway, and offers three hybrid models. More than 2.5 million Chevrolets that run on E85 biofuel have been sold. Next year, Chevrolet will soon offer the Volt, an extended-range electric vehicle scheduled for production in late 2010. Chevy delivers expressive design, spirited performance and provides the best value in every segment in which it competes. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

About General Motors: General Motors Company, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 219,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors Company acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors Company can be found at www.gm.com

GM Volt

Here is a note from Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America clarifing what he meant by this statement:

An online report today, subsequently picked up by various other forums, left an unflattering sense of my feelings toward electric vehicles and the people who support their development. Let me clearly state that, in my opinion, electric vehicles will be part of the future transportation of society – but only if we go about it the right way. In fact, Audi is working on electric vehicles.

I do not specifically recall using the term “car for idiots” during my informal conversation with the writer. It was certainly not my intention to leave the impression that I’m opposed to electrical vehicles, and if I was unclear on either of those points then I need to eat crow.

What I do recall is the essence of my contention, namely that the feasibility of the Chevrolet Volt as a concept is questionable. And that policy decisions – and the industry’s reactions to those decisions – are leading us toward a technology that may sound tempting on the surface, but, as of now, also contains many deep and unsolved economic and technological compromises.

“Mass electrification” of the vehicles on American roads could lead to problems like a strained electric grid. Large-scale utilization of electric vehicles will require massive investment in new power stations that are much cleaner than the ones in use in the U.S. today. Otherwise, it could merely shift greenhouse gas emissions from the tailpipes of cars to the smokestacks of coal-burning utilities. That’s not just my opinion. The California Air Resource Board this past April concluded that electric vehicles presently are second only to hydrogen cars in greenhouse gas impact when measured on a well-to-wheel basis.

Returning to the Volt, my point was simply one of its economic feasibility today. The 50% or so price increase that the Volt represents over a similar gasoline car cannot be offset through the savings from reduced fuel consumption. The only way to offset the extreme premium for the Volt is through taxpayer-funded subsidies. So I question if that makes economic sense.

Does that mean the Volt and other electric vehicles are forever impractical? Of course not.

In recent broadcast interviews, discussions with journalists and meetings with policy makers I have asserted that the future of automotive transportation lies not in any one “silver bullet”, but in a range of technologies that meet different needs – all while lowering emissions and fuel consumption. That includes plug-in electric cars when technological and economic hurdles make them more practical. It includes hybrid vehicles. And it includes clean diesel along with substantially more efficient takes on today’s gasoline internal combustion engines.

Admittedly I am a passionate advocate for the role that clean diesel technology can play in easing this nation’s challenges. Cutting through misperceptions about clean diesel and other technologies can be frustrating. If you’d like to hear my thoughts on these issues, go to a video of my recent remarks at www.audiusanews.com. Meanwhile, know that we are working toward a more sustainable future.