GM to Cut its Platforms by More than 50% in the Next Decade

At the second Annual Global Business Conference for investors and financial analysts, General Motors revealed details on a new plan that “will ensure a long-term sustainable performance” for the Detroit automaker.

Among other measures is the massive reduction of platforms used by GM brands globally in order to cut development costs and benefit from economies of scale.

“More of our components will be common and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures” said the GM CEO, Dan Akerson.

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Report: GM to Launch Key Fuel Efficient Cars and Trucks in the Next 18 Months

USA’s biggest car manufacturer, General Motors, is scheduling a series of new vehicle launches for its four brands in the next 18 months. And the dominant theme here, both in passenger cars and trucks, will be improved economy figures as GM prepares its vehicle lineup to meet the more stringent fuel-efficiency standards.

For example, the Detroit automaker plans to introduce 8-speed auto transmissions and downsized turbocharged engines in its new pickups, and also intends to fit more models with the eAssist light-hybrid technology.

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GM Recalls More Than 7,500 Trucks and SUVs Over Separate Gearbox and Steering Issues

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall campaign for two separate issues concerning GM trucks and SUVs.

The first recall concerns 6,768 units of the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon from the 2011MY due to a failure in a transmission clip that may not engage the “Parking” mode even though the driver has moved the lever to the appropriate position. GM’s dealers will repair the faulty automatic transmission free of charge, and the recall is expected to begin on July 19.

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GM Suspends Production of Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon in Louisiana Due to Lack of Parts from Japan

In yet another stark reminder of how intertwined today’s automotive business is, General Motors announced on Thursday that is suspending production at its Shreveport Assembly in Louisiana for the week of March 21 because of a parts shortage resulting from the crisis in Japan that started with last week’s tremendous earthquake and tsunami.

“We will resume production at Shreveport as soon as possible, and at this point, we have sufficient vehicles to meet customer demand,” General Motors said in a written statement.

The Shreveport Assembly in Louisiana produces the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks.

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DIY: How to Break a GMC Sierra in Two While Pulling it Out of a Frozen Lake

So, let's say your GMC Sierra pickup truck has landed upside down into a partially frozen lake, and you want to pull it out. Common sense says you should chain the truck on the end that's closest to land. Well, the guys that found themselves in this situation opted to chain the other end of the truck with disastrous results for some, hilarious for others. Watch the video after the jump but be warned, it's NSFW unless you lower the volume.

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GM Recalling More than 26,000 Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC SUVs and Trucks

General Motors is expanding a previous recall concerning a faulty rear-axle cross pin to include another 26,751 SUVs and trucks from the 2011 model year. The first recall was issued in late December and concerned approximately 1,260 Cadillac Escalades, Chevrolet Avalanche and Silverado 1500s, and GMC Sierra 1500s, all from the 2011MY. Read more »

GM Introduces Cell Phone Charging Mats at CES, Production Begins in 2012

Thanks to induction technology, mobile electronic devices, such as phones, can be wirelessly charged, just by placing them on special pads. At the 2011 CES in Las Vegas, General Motors announced plans to introduce the wireless charging technology in many future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products, beginning from the second half of 2012.

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GMC Shows More of its Detroit-Bound Sierra All Terrain HD Concept

We first reported on the new GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept in mid-December, but since then, General Motors has released a slew of new photos. The updated gallery includes the first photos of the design study's interior that has been spruced up with higher quality and more luxurious materials than the standard Sierra, upon which it is based.

Set to debut at next week's North American International Auto Show, GMC says the concept model is an exploration of heavy-duty truck capability combined with greater off-road versatility. Even if the Sierra All Terrain HD Concept doesn't make it as is onto the road, chances are that it will inspire a future production version. Full HD gallery after the break.

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