The General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly plant is getting a new Logistics Optimization Center. This new 400,000 square foot building will be adjacent to the rest of the plant in order to sequence and assemble part to help make the manufacturing process more streamlined and flexible. The cost is estimated to run about $44.5 million and 200 new workers will be needed.

Christine Sitek, GM North America manufacturing manager, said, “This project is the latest example of how we’re doing business differently in GM today. We’ve developed an innovative material strategy that increases efficiency and improves quality to benefit our customers, employees and the bottom line.”

While the investment seems like an astronomical amount, it will save money in the long run and makes sense to simplify the car building process.

“This investment was earned through the quality and flexibility that has been a hallmark of Lansing Grand River since it opened in 2001,” said Lansing Regional Plant Manager Tony Francavilla. “However, our plant could not be successful without the strong support from our local community, the city council and Mayor Virg Bernero. We’re committed to continuing world-class manufacturing performance for which we are known, and our customers demand.”

The General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant builds the Cadillac ATS and three of the Cadillac CTS models including the sedan, coupe and wagon. It also builds the high performance V Series of each model. Awards for these vehicles include:

• Car and Driver 10Best List for five straight years (CTS-V Sedan, Coupe and Wagon)
• Consumer Reports’ most-reliable domestic car 2012 (CTS Coupe)
• 2013 North American Car of the Year ( ATS)
• 2013 Car of the Year by Esquire (ATS)
• 2013 Autobytel Luxury Car of the Year (ATS)
• 2013 Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year (ATS)
• Lansing Grand River by the numbers

Source General Motors

While Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is heading to the Sons of Italy Foundation this Friday to be honored, another organization, the Italian American One Voice Coalition was a bit up in arms with some of the comments he made at the recent Detroit Auto Show. He has apologized for what was perceived as offensive remarks by the One Voice Coalition. A Chrysler spokesperson said the timing of this apology had nothing to do with Marchionne’s plans with the Sons of Italy.

Apparently, while Marchionne was talking about the new Alfa Romeo car that is going to be sold in the United States, he said, “with all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a wop engine.” The point he was getting at was that he felt an Italian designed Fiat engine would work about best for this specific model. Using the term “wop” is what seemed to have offended the Italian American One Voice Coalition.

This agency has been after Marchionne ever since he made that remark demanding an apology. The American Italian Coalition felt that it was a biased, ethnic slur even though for Marchionne, it was more than likely a fond term of endearment. Manny Alfano, founder and president of the coalition stated, “We jumped on it immediately.”

Marchionne’s apology stated, “Having had to live through a period of integration into another country a number of years ago, I am keenly aware of the negative implications of stereotyping and the significant efforts required to undo its effects (He moved from Italy to Canada in his youth). I am proud of my Italian heritage, and nothing I have said should be interpreted as an attempt at minimizing its value. I extend my apologies to anyone who may have been offended by my remark.”

This is the second time people have been up in arms about Marchionne’s colloquialisms. In 2011 he was prompted to apologize for using the term “shyster” when talking about the high interest rates on loans from the United States and Candadian governments.

Source Detroit Free Press

Connected World Magazine has named the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi as their Connected Car of the Year for this year due to its advanced technology and most advance driver assist features that help drivers keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and still stay connected to their smartphones at the same time through the Ford SYNC.

Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation, shares, “SYNC has helped us evolve as an automaker, to think and act more like a technology company, with a new level of openness and access that has forever changed how we look at our business and respond to our customers. Ultimately, SYNC embodies one of the many things Ford is all about: going further to transform innovative ideas into products that are affordable, attainable and valuable for millions of people.”

The recent Ford press release states that anyone with an internet connection and a Ford Fusion Energi, C-Max Energi and Focus Electric can download an app that allows them to:

• Find current and projected state of charge information including estimated range and the amount of charge time necessary for additional travel distances
• Program vehicle charging with utility input, allowing the car to start charging immediately or when electricity prices are lowest with the value charging feature, powered by Microsoft
• Using features powered by MapQuest®:
• Locate charging stations and get the destination sent to the vehicle
• Know if the vehicle can reach a specific charge station from its current location with the current charge level
• Create a journey with multiple stops, and determine the likelihood the car has adequate charge for the full journey
• Find the car by creating a route from a mobile phone to the vehicle
• Receive alerts if the vehicle isn’t charging when it’s scheduled to, or if charging stops unexpectedly due to a power outage, plug removal or other event
• Receive alerts during recharge when the vehicle has reached a particular preset charge level or has the ability to reach a particular destination
• Engage remote vehicle preconditioning, using grid power to heat or cool the battery and vehicle interior
• Remotely lock/unlock doors
• Use the built-in GPS system to locate the car
• Download performance and system data
• Earn various achievements for driving and ownership milestones that can then be posted to your Facebook or Twitter account
• Fun ways of understanding your driver behavior, with ratings from “Zen” to “zippy”
• Receive information personalized, depending on which key used

This app is available for either Apple iOS users or Google Android Users. The available driver assist technologies also helped the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi win this award. The technologies included are a land keeping system, driver alert system, blind spot information system, active park assist, collision warning, rear view camera and adaptive cruise control.

Not many cars can fit into just about any available parking space the way a Fiat 500 can. Urban drivers love to be able to jet around in these tiny compacts, but many of them just can’t stand feeling like all they can do is putt around the city when they would really like to zip around from point A to B. The 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo was created to do just that and it seems Fiat was able to get it right with this little car.

The 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo hosts a 1.4 liter MultiAir turbocharged inline four cylinder engine. This will give you 135 horsepower and 150 pound feet of torque. In this size car, that offer a definitely assertive driving experience. This is 25 fewer horses than what the Abarth offers, but more than the hatchback and you can look forward to getting from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds to help keep up with rush hour traffic.

Climbing inside the 2013 Fiat Turbo is a good reminder that this is a compact and if you have kids, pets, and other items to carry around with you, it’s not going to be the most comfortable. But for you, a passenger and perhaps some groceries, it should do just fine. The seats ride high so even though you are in a small car, you have the feeling of being just a little bigger than you really are.

The 2013 Fiat Turbo starts at $19,500 and there is a whole variety of options you can pick and choose through. The comfort and convenience package for an additional $650 should definitely be one option you choose is you want features such as automatic air conditioning, heated front seats and satellite radio. You can choose the Beats by Dr. Dre audio system for another $1,500.

Source YouTube

Consumer Reports is always hard at work trying to figure out what consumers value most and driving experience is a huge part of determining what new car you want to drive home as your own. Knowing which cars are considered to be the most fun to drive and least fun to drive can help you narrow down your search for that next perfect new ride. Consumer Reports used data from their handling, steering feel and body control scores and then took a secret ballot of testers so they could further rank their experiences in subjects such as sounds and other options that make up what is most or least fun.

The Most Fun Cars to Drive:

• Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ, BMW 135i, and Ford Focus ST – Most Fun Sports Coupes
• Mazda Miata, Mini Cooper S, Porsche Boxster – Most Fun Roadsters and Convertibles
• Chevy Corvette Z06 – Most Fun High Performance
• Ford Mustang – Most Fun Muscle Car
• Infiniti M37, Jaguar XJ, Audi A6, Cadillac CTS, and Porsche Panamera – Most Fun Luxury Sedans
• BMW 328i and Cadillac ATS – Most Fun Sports Sedans
• Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf, and Ford Focus – Most Fun Small and Subcompact cars
• Mini Cooper Countryman, Nissan Juke, Volkswagen Tiguan, BMW X1, and Ford Escape – Most Fun Small SUVs
• Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 – Most Fun Midsized SUVs

The Least Fun Cars to Drive:

• Scion tC – Least fun Sports Coupes
• BMW Z4 – Least Fun Roadsters and Convertibles
• Chevy Camaro – Least Fun Muscle Cars
• BMW 750Li and Volvo S80 3.2 – Least Fun Luxury Sedans
• Acura ILX – Least Fun Sports Sedans
• Nissan Versa, Scion iQ, and Smart ForTwo Small & subcompact cars – Least Fun Small and Subcompact Cars
• Jeep Compass – Least Fun Small SUVs
• Toyota 4Runner – Least Fun Midsized SUVs

Source Consumer Reports

The EPA Battle of the Buildings is a competition that allows businesses to compete for becoming the “Biggest Loser” in regard to losing energy costs and consumption. This year, three General Motors facilities have won. These are:

• Martinsburg, West Virginia Customer Care and Aftersales. This building was named a Top Water Performer for reducing water use by 51 percent.
• Ypsilanti, Michigan Customer Care and Aftersales. This building was ranked No. 14 overall for reducing energy use by 31 percent, resulting in more than $4.5 million in energy cost savings.
• Fontana, California Customer Care and Aftersales. This building was recognized for 20 Percent or Better Improvement, reducing energy usage by more than 30 percent.

Al Hildreth, GM’s company energy manager, said, “Through diligent monitoring of our energy use and continuous improvement activities, the buildings that completed the competition cut energy use by more than 20,000 metric tons of CO2. The continued recognition of our energy efficient work is testament to the work our team does daily to improve the efficiency of our plants and facilities.”

The strategies General Motors used to help cut their energy consumption includes tracking energy use, controlling light levels and turning lights off when they aren’t needed, monitored use of heating and cooling ventilation systems and water reductions wherever possible.

GM reduced its energy use through a variety of strategies, including tracking energy use, making the most of heating and cooling ventilation systems, and controlling light levels and turning lights off when unneeded. Water reductions were possible from leak repair and conservation.

Jean Lupinacci, chief of ENERGY STAR for commercial buildings and industrial plants, comments, “The impressive results of the third-annual National Building Competition are proof positive that any building can take simple steps to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings where we all work, play and learn. All of the participants in the Energy Star National Building Competition are finding more and more ways to cut energy use, saving thousands of dollars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Source General Motors