Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 18, 2009

The plans, updated in the context of a worsening sales outlook for the entire auto industry, outline a need for up to an additional $16.6 Following the steep decline in US industry sales in December 2008 and January 2009, GM responded by further lowering its forecast for 2009 US industry sales to 10.5 million units (57.5

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Chrysler GM Saturn Production 150

Green Car Congress

MAY 5, 2009

Prototype Saturn Vue PHEV plugging in to a Coulomb Chargepoint ( earlier post ) in San Jose, CA. Based on the current restructuring plan, GM is accelerating the wind-down or sale of Saturn to the end of this year. Click to enlarge. of Energy (DOE) and nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Earlier post.).

VUE 150

VUE Plug-in GM Saturn 150

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 11, 2009

GM has simplified the two-mode hybrid system for application in front-wheel drive vehicles—the Saturn VUE being the first instance ( earlier post )—while retaining its functionality and capability, according to Mark Selogie, Senior Manager Power Electronics, GM Powertrain, speaking at the SAE Hybrid Symposium in San Diego (11-12 Feb).

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VUE GM San Diego Hybrid 150

Green Car Congress

APRIL 27, 2009

General Motors presented an updated Viability Plan that accelerates and deepens the cuts in US brands and nameplates, dealers, manufacturing operations and employees intended to enable GM North America to breakeven (on an adjusted EBIT basis) at a US total industry sales volume of approximately 10 million vehicles.

GM 150

GM Saturn Hummer 2008 150

Green Car Congress

MAY 15, 2009

GM began contacting its dealers today regarding its long term planning, and is advising approximately 1,100 “ underperforming and very small sales volume US dealers ” that GM does not see them as part of its dealer network on a long-term basis. Mark LaNeve, GM Vice President of Sales Service and Marketing. outside of GM’s control.

Dealers 150

Dealers GM Saturn Future 150

Plugs and Cars

JULY 31, 2008

All the wind farms and solar panels in the world won’t do anything to lower the outflow of hundreds billions of dollars annually or decrease our pump-fueled funding of Islamic fundamentalism unless we build cars that can use that cleaner electricity. Put the bumper sticker and your car and let everyone know.).

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Al Gore Plug Gore 100

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2009

At the recent SAE 2009 World Congress in Detroit, General Motors engineers presented the first front-wheel-drive (FWD) iteration of their two-mode hybrid transaxle, termed the 2MT70 ( earlier post ), scheduled for its first application in the Saturn 2009 VUE 2-Mode Hybrid light sport-utility vehicle later this year ( earlier post ).

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GM Saturn Hybrid VUE 257