GM Environment

GM To Be First Major U.S. Automaker to Manufacture Electric Motors

WASHINGTON (Jan. 26, 2010) – GM will expand its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities by becoming the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, a core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles.

By doing so, GM will lower costs and improve performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selection and production processes. The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid technology.
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GM Invests $246 Million in Electric Motors and Hybrid Components, Creating Jobs in Baltimore

BALTIMORE (Jan. 26, 2010) � General Motors will invest approximately $246 million in electric motor and electric drive manufacturing including construction of a high volume electric drive production facility at the Baltimore Transmission plant that will begin to manufacture in 2013 electric motors for GM�s Two-mode Hybrid system. The plant will be the first electric motor manufacturing facility in the U.S. operated by a major automaker.

By bringing this capability to the U.S., GM will create approximately 200 jobs. Local and state incentives, along with the Recovery Act funding announced in August 2009 by the U.S. Department of Energy, are helping to make this facility expansion and job creation possible.
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GM Builds First Lithium-ion Battery for Chevrolet Volt

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Jan. 7, 2010) – Exactly three years since the day the Chevrolet Volt concept car debuted, GM today manufactured the first advanced lithium-ion battery for a mass-marketed electric vehicle at GM's Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant.

“This is an important milestone for GM – and a critical step in bringing the Chevrolet Volt to market,” said GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre.

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EcoCAR Heads to Daytona for Winter Workshop

Now that winter is upon us, does it have you dreaming of fun, sun and the beach?� For EcoCAR students, their dreams these days are more likely to include HILs, emissions and vehicle inspections.� However, starting January 6, EcoCAR teams have the opportunity to take in some rays as the EcoCAR 2010 Winter Workshop heads to Daytona Beach, Florida.� The Daytona International Speedway and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are this year�s Winter Workshop event hosts and all the sessions will take place at these two sites. More…

GM Toledo Receives Award for Environmental Stewardship

TOLEDO (Dec. 10, 2009) - Ohio First Lady Frances Strickland joined Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski on Dec. 10 to present the Ohio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Stewardship. GM Toledo was one of six organizations receiving the award.

LaCrosse Gets ‘A Smidge Quieter’ from Recycled Cardboard

DETROIT (Nov. 30, 2009) — Recycling cardboard from GM’s stamping plant in Marion, Ind., is helping take the 2010 Buick LaCrosse to the next level of quietness. “A lot of people don’t understand that recycled materials can add quality,” said Lora Herron, a materials engineer on the LaCrosse team. “It can add superior performance depending on where you use it and how you use it.”

The 2011 Cruze: Chevrolet Unveils U.S. Version of Fuel-Efficient Global Compact Sedan

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 29, 2009) — Chevrolet unveils the U.S. production version of the 2011 Cruze compact sedan at the L.A. Auto Show on Dec. 2. It is a global car refined for America, delivering many segment-leading features and details that challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be in North America.