More than 80 percent of U.S. vehicles are exposed to one or more environmental corrosion creators, such as acid rain, intense sunlight, snow and ice, and road salt. GM brake rotor technical expert Jim Webster and his team were confident that slowing the oxidation brought on by the environment was a problem material science could solve.

By super heating the rotors at 560 degrees Celsius for a day in an oven the size of a tour bus engineers we able to use a nitrogen-rich atmosphere to bond nitrogen atoms to surface of the steel rotor, hardening and strengthening the rotor.

The name for the technology is Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing, or FNC, and it has most often been used to treat powertrain parts.  Since its introduction on brake rotors in 2008, FNC has helped reduce warranty claims on brakes by 70 percent.

Incorporating a unique surface treatment equivalent to one-tenth the width of a human hair, FNC creates sufficient friction and allows for effective braking performance while providing corrosion protection.

With FNC, GM vehicles are free of brake pedal or steering wheel shudder caused by an uneven buildup of rust on the rotor that occurs over time. FNC rotors create less brake dust than non-FNC rotors. And for vehicles with large open-architecture wheels that show off wheel hardware, FNC helps keep rotors looking clean and rust-free longer.

FNC rotor technology is featured on the Buick Lacrosse and Regal as well as on the Chevrolet Malibu, Impala and Volt in North America. It will be featured on more than 80 percent of GM’s U.S. vehicles by model year 2016.

By avoiding rotor repair and replacement, FNC treatment could save customers more than $400 over 10 years.

“Rotors aren’t a cheap thing to replace,” said Webster. “So doubling the average life expectancy of the brake rotors from 40,000 to 80,000 miles is something we think our customers will appreciate.”

First application is in 2013 model year Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse midsize crossovers.

GM analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database, found that far-side impact crashes, which the front center airbag primarily addresses, accounted for 11 percent of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-rollover impacts between 2004 and 2009 involving 1999 model year or newer vehicles.  These far-side fatalities, where the occupant is on the non-struck side of the vehicle, also represent 29 percent of all the belted front occupant fatalities in side impacts.

GM Front Center Air Bag Single Occupant Comparison

“The front center air bag is not required by federal regulation, and no other air bag in passenger vehicles today offers the type of restraint and cushioning this air bag is designed to provide for front occupants,” said Scott Thomas, senior staff engineer in GM’s advanced restraint systems.

The front center air bag is expected improve the vehicles’ record of third-party crash test performance. The 2012 model year editions of these midsize crossovers have received five-star Overall and Side Crash safety ratings from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program, and 2011 Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

GM Front Center Air Bag Double Occupant Comparison

GM and technology supplier Takata developed the front center air bag over the course of three years, testing many design iterations to achieve packaging, cushioning, and restraint for a variety of crashes and occupant positions.  Numerous elements of the air bag’s jointly patented cushion design address the restraint’s unique performance characteristics while considering a range of occupant sizes.

“While no restraint technology can address all body regions or all potential injuries, the front center air bag is designed to work with the other air bags and safety belts in the vehicles to collectively deliver an even more comprehensive occupant restraint system,” said Gay Kent, GM executive director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness. “This technology is a further demonstration of GM’s above-and-beyond commitment to provide continuous occupant protection before, during and after a crash.”

Chairman Hu Maoyuan and General Motors Co. (GM) Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson sign cooperation agreement

General Motors and Chinese automaker, SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., have signed a new agreement expanding and reinforcing a previous pledge of cooperation signed in November 2010.  The new agreement establishes Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) to jointly develop key components and vehicle platforms in China.  Under the agreement, teams of SAIC, GM and PATAC engineers will design and engineer new electric vehicle components, as well as vehicle structures and architectures.

Vehicles resulting from the partnership will be sold in China under Shanghai GM and SAIC brands. SAIC and GM will use the architecture to build electric vehicles around the globe for their own purposes. Product details and timing will be announced at a later date.  

“The co-development of this new electric vehicle architecture demonstrates the broad range of benefits made possible by the strong partnership between SAIC and GM,” said Tim Lee, president of GM International Operations. “For almost 15 years, our two companies have forged some of the industry’s most successful joint ventures. This unprecedented level of cooperation is another demonstration of our companies’ commitment to work collaboratively.”

The collaboration is especially important and timely following the announcement of a number of more stringent emission and fuel consumption regulations around th

According to Chen Hong, president of SAIC Motor, “Our agreement will enable SAIC and GM to take advantage of economies of scale and get new technology to the market faster than by going it alone. It will help bring about our goal of leading the automotive industry in new energy vehicles and our vision of sustainable transportation, which we introduced at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.”

General Motors and LG Group plan to jointly design and engineer future electric vehicles using each other’s expertise.  The agreement will help GM expand the number and types of electric vehicles it makes and sells by using LG’s proven expertise in batteries and other systems.  For LG, the arrangement represents a widening of its portfolio as an automotive solution provider.

“Many solutions for tomorrow’s transportation needs may be available more quickly by building on our partnership strategy,” said GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky. ”Consumers benefit by getting the latest fuel-saving technology faster if we work with the best suppliers and we save time and money in the development process.”

The success of the extended-range propulsion system in the Volt and Ampera led to exploring other collaborations in the electrification of the automobile. Teams of LG and GM engineers will work on key components, as well as vehicle structures and architectures. Vehicles resulting from the partnership will be sold in many countries.

“This is a strategic development for LG and we fully support GM’s goal to lead the industry in the electrification of the automobile,” said Juno Cho, president and chief operating officer of LG Corp.

General Motors is already working on that situation and has signed a definitive agreement with ABB Group to identify joint research and development projects that would reuse Chevrolet Volt battery systems, which will have up to 70 percent of life remaining after their automotive use is exhausted.

After preliminary research, GM predicts that secondary use of 33 Volt batteries will have enough storage capacity to power up to 50 homes for about four hours during a power outage.

GM and ABB demonstrated an energy storage system that combines a proven electric vehicle battery technology and a proven grid-tied electric power inverter.

GM and ABB demonstrated an energy storage system that combines a proven electric vehicle battery technology and a proven grid-tied electric power inverter. The two companies are building a prototype that could lead to Volt battery packs storing energy, including renewable wind and solar energy, and feeding it back to the grid.

The system could store electricity from the grid during times of low usage to be used during periods of peak demand, saving customers and utilities money.  The battery packs could also be used as back-up power sources during outages and brownouts.

“GM’s battery leadership position doesn’t stop at the road – it extends throughout the life of the battery, including ways we can benefit society and the environment,” said Micky Bly, GM executive director – Global Electrical Systems, Electrification and Infotainment. “As we grow our battery systems expertise, we need to assure we’re optimizing the development of our battery systems with secondary use in mind from the start.

“Partnerships with organizations such as ABB provide real-world applications that prove what we’re doing is real, not fiction,” Bly said.

Using Volt battery cells, the ABB and GM team is building a prototype system for 25-kilowatt/50-kWh applications, about the same power consumption of five U.S. homes or small retail and industrial facilities.

A secondary use application for the high-voltage battery systems used in the Chevrolet Volt could store electricity from the grid during times of low usage to be used during periods of peak demand, saving customers and utilities money.

ABB has determined its existing power quality filter (PQF) inverter can be used to charge and discharge the Volt battery pack to take full advantage of the system and enable utilities to reduce the cost of peak load conditions. The system can also reduce utilities’ needs for power control, protection and additional monitoring equipment. The team will soon test the system for back-up power applications.

General Motors and other U.S. automakers have been slow to embrace the diesel option, even though top European makers have been offering an increasing number of diesel models with great success in the U.S.  GM already sells a diesel Cruze in Europe and Australia, but the engine would have to be re-engineered to meet U.S. emission standards, a process that could take up to two years.

Automakers are already facing mandates to increase fuel economy levels to 35.5 mpg by 2016 and there is talk of raising the bar to 56.2 mpg by 2025.  A diesel engine in the Cruze would be a major step toward the higher level.  Taking that one-step farther, by combining the diesel power with a plug-in hybrid could raise the fuel economy levels in the range of 80 to 90 mpg.

Diesels already make up about half the new car market in Europe where several companies are already working to combine the advantages of diesel and a plug-in hybrid.

No comment was made about a diesel version of the Buick Verano, a 2012 compact sedan that shares the same platform as the Cruze. GM plans to build the Verano starting this fall at their plant in Orion Township, Mich.

GM is making the offer to determine consumer appeal. It is available only to Oregon and Washington residents with valid driver’s licenses who title their vehicle in those states. The vehicle owner can seek to renew the insurance at the end of one year or go elsewhere for coverage.

The program not only gives the shopper a good financial incentive, it streamlines the car-buying experience and add value by addressing affordability – one of the bigger challenges facing many vehicle buyers today.

“We want to give residents of Oregon and Washington another reason to discover Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles,” said Chris Perry, U.S. vice president of General Motors Marketing.  “We have new products like the Chevrolet Cruze, Buick Regal, GMC Terrain and Cadillac CTS Coupe that are now even more appealing with a year’s worth of insurance.”

The auto insurance includes both liability and physical damage coverage and exceeds requirements in the two states. GM did not reveal if a poor driving record might affect the offer.

“This offer enhances the vehicle’s value proposition because our policy is considered one of the most comprehensive in the industry,” said Bill Moore, president of MetLife Auto & Home. “Our new car replacement feature is a benefit not found in most auto policies.”

The policy covers the vehicle and anyone who drives it with the owner’s permission for a full year from the date of purchase, as long as the original purchaser continues to own or lease the vehicle. The policy is not available on vehicles purchased or leased for certain commercial or fleet purposes.

Under MetLife Auto & Home’s auto policy, if a new car is damaged beyond repair within the car’s first year or first 15,000 miles, whichever comes first, MetLife Auto & Home will repair or replace the vehicle with a new vehicle, without deducting for depreciation. Many auto insurers subtract miles driven at the time a vehicle is damaged resulting in thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.

Complete program details and limitations are available at

www.chevyinsurancebreak.com

www.buickinsuranceoffer.com

www.gmcinsuranceoffer.com

www.cadillac.com/insuranceoffer.com.

Car Guys vs Bean Counters –“ The Battle for the Soul of the American Business” is Lutz telling it like it is, just as he did throughout his career and especially during his last nine years at General Motors.

The book that fills in the blanks of how and why the auto industry got so messed up especially when decisions were made by numbers people rather than the product people.

The Lutz book has dozens of humorous (but scary) examples of bureaucracy overload.  In the Chapter entitled, “A Failed “Culture of Excellence”” Lutz tells of a speech given by the dean of automotive writers, David E. Davis Jr., to GM executives.  A few days after, what Davis considered to be a successful speech, he received a letter from the General Motors “Outside Speaker Effective Analysis Group” with a statistical analysis of his speech.

Lutz’s response was “This was the result of too much money and too many overly educated, almost academically oriented people focusing their ray guns of unbridled excellence on targets of complete irrelevance.”

Several chapters deal with the nine year period when Lutz was asked to return to GM to head up GM North American development in September 2001.  He also talks about the Volt, other new products and of the GM bankruptcy.

“It’s time to stop the dominance of the number crunchers, living in their perfect, predicable, financially projected world (who fail, time and time again), and give the reins to the product guys (of either gender), those with vision and passion for the customers and their product or service….” Says Lutz, “It’s true in any business.  Shoemakers should be run by shoe guys, and software firms by software guys, and supermarkets by supermarket guys.  Passion and drive for excellence will win over the computer-like, analysis-driven philosophy every time.”

Car Guys vs Bean Counter is published by Portfolio Penguin and is now available in book stores everywhere in hardcover for $26.95.

Cadillac is now offering a new Shield warranty program to offer owners a higher level of service.   The Cadillac Shield is designed to heighten the brand’s focus on customer service by tying together the wide-ranging benefits and technologies Cadillac provides its owners.

Cadillac Shield includes Cadillac’s class-leading warranty coverage and recently launched maintenance program as well as courtesy transportation if warranty repairs are needed. It also includes 24-hour roadside assistance for the first five years or 100,000 miles.

“Cadillac offers a suite of ownership benefits that makes the brand a leader in the luxury market,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “Cadillac Shield allows us to raise consumer awareness of these benefits. It’s also a commitment by Cadillac to our owners to continually look for ways to improve these services and technologies.”

All new owners will become part of the Cadillac Shield along with previous buyers of 2011 models. The ownership benefits covered by Cadillac Shield include:

• Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, which provides scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, multi-point vehicle inspections and replacement of engine and cabin air filters for the first four years or 50,000 miles
• Five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty
• Four-year, 50,000-mile vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage
• 24/7 roadside assistance for the first five years or 100,000 miles
• Courtesy transportation during service visits for warranty issues.
• Standard one-year OnStar Directions and Connections plan, which includes automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation, vehicle diagnostics, stolen vehicle assistance and hands-free calling.
• OnStar smart-phone app, which allows owners to track diagnostic information, such as oil life and fuel-tank levels, through their iPhone or Android, as well as access common key fob functions, such as starting the engine, unlocking doors and turning on the lights.
• myCadillac smart-phone app that allows owners to set a reminder of where they parked, schedule maintenance services, locate a dealer and request roadside assistance through their iPhone or Android.

Cadillac dealers will begin promoting Cadillac Shield this month through a comprehensive marketing program.

For more information go to http://www.cadillac.com/shield/.

The popular General Motors OnStar communication system is now available on General Motors vehicles that didn’t have the service installed at the factory and on vehicles built by other manufacturers.

Starting in the spring of 2011 More than 1,600 retailers, including all nationwide Best Buy locations, will sell OnStar’s new $299 retail mirror that offers key safety and security features such as Automatic Crash Response, Hands-Free Calling and Turn-by-Turn Navigation.

The OnStar retail product offers the key features that have made OnStar’s “blue button” an icon, including Automatic Crash Response, Turn-by-Turn Navigation, Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, one-button access to emergency and roadside services, and hands-free calling, including Bluetooth connectivity.

Best Buy, OnStar’s first strategic retail partner will offer on-site installation for $75 to $100, while online retailer Crutchfield will sell the product nationwide with referrals to third-party installers. A range of service plans will be available, starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year. The retail mirror goes on sale this spring.

Currently, the OnStar mirror is certified to work on 99 percent of the top 20 selling non-GM vehicles over the last 10 years, or approximately 55 million cars and trucks. OnStar expects to certify additional models in the months ahead.

Key features of the OnStar mirror include:

• Automatic Crash Response. An accelerometer built into OnStar the mirror detects the sudden shock of an impact from the front, side, or rear of the vehicle and automatically calls an OnStar advisor. If the driver doesn’t respond, or responds to say there has been a crash, an OnStar advisor will direct emergency responders to the exact GPS location of the vehicle.
• Link to Emergency Services. By pressing OnStar’s red emergency button, drivers are immediately connected to a specially trained emergency advisor for assistance in situations occurring inside or outside of their vehicle.
• Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. If the vehicle is reported stolen to local law enforcement, OnStar subscribers can call 1-888-4-OnStar (1-888-466-7827) from any phone. OnStar advisors, available 24/7, can attempt to locate the vehicle through the mirror’s internal GPS and provide the location to law enforcement.
• Turn-by-Turn Navigation. With OnStar’s most popular service, drivers can press OnStar’s blue button and ask OnStar advisors for directions to a specific location or ask the advisor to find a point of interest such as a gas station or nearby restaurant. The directions are then downloaded to the OnStar system, which provides spoken turn-by-turn directions for reaching the destination.
• Roadside Assistance. In non-emergency situations, drivers can push the blue button or call 1-888-4-ONSTAR for help with problems such as keys locked in the vehicle, a flat tire, or running out of gas.
• Hands-Free Calling. OnStar allows drivers to make hands-free, voice-activated calls either through a Bluetooth connection to the driver’s mobile phone or through prepaid packages of minutes purchased through OnStar.

All these services are available directly through the OnStar mirror, without requiring the driver to bring along a mobile phone or even own a mobile phone. In the event of an accident, emergency services are alerted even if there is no mobile phone in the vehicle, the phone is damaged in a crash or the driver is unable to use a phone.

OnStar is now in its ninth generation of technology. The first-generation OnStar product in 1996 was comprised of 38 individual components and could take up to four days to install. Now all of the technology required to deliver the OnStar experience fits inside a rearview mirror weighing only 23 ounces, and professional installation is expected to take less than an hour. This requires removing the vehicle’s current rearview mirror, replacing it with the OnStar product and running an electric power source to the new mirror. For more information on OnStar’s innovation and the new OnStar mirror, visit www.onstar.com.