Safe Kids Launches 2012 Heat Stroke Prevention Campaign
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Every year, dozens of children die of hyperthermia, also known as heat stroke, while unattended in vehicles. To help prevent these tragic deaths, the General Motors Foundation and Safe Kids Buckle Up are launching the 2012 Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car campaign to arm parents and caregivers with preventive tips and tactics.
Chevrolet, GMC Announce Bi-Fuel Pickup Pricing
DETROIT – Chevrolet and GMC extended cab heavy-duty pickup trucks with a bi-fuel option will sell for $11,000 above the suggested base-vehicle price. Fleet and retail customers can place orders for the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra 2500 HD beginning Thursday (April 19).
Bi-fuel option to cost $11,000 on GM pickups [w/video]
General Motors has released pricing for the bi-fuel option for the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD and GMC Sierra 2500 HD, and it’s a pill that probably won’t go down easy. Buyers who want their workhorses to suck down either compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline can look forward to ponying up $11,000 for the pleasure. That big chunk of change adds a Type 3 tank in the bed for CNG, and GM says that with both fuels, the trucks will have an effective range of 650 miles. The bi-fuel option is available on any heavy-duty truck configuration, including four-wheel drive and extended cab models.
The automaker says the bi-fuel trucks are a way for business owners to safeguard themselves against volatile gas prices, and that the option could save anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 over the course of three years depending on fuel fluctuations. However, any option on a work truck that only might break even in three or four years seems like a tough sell in our book, especially given the reduction in useable bed area. Hit the jump for the full press release as well as a quick video.
Bob Lutz praises Leaf and Volt, says national security requires going electric
Bob Lutz is not going to take attacks on the electric car lying down – the closest he’ll come to that is doing push-ups on The Colbert Report. After spending a few of his Forbes columns laying into right-wing pundits for their attacks on the Chevrolet Volt, he is switching to a positive message about how plug-in cars can help with American national security. It is not surprising that Lutz, a former Marine, co-authors the article with two former U.S. Marines commandants and the CEO of FedEx (the three are all members of Securing America’s Future Energy’s (SAFE) Energy Security Leadership Council). The gist? Well, here’s part of the opening paragraph:
When … threats exist because the United States is the protector of the world’s global oil supply lines, it is a clear illustration of how our nation’s over-reliance on a single, globally priced fuel impacts our national and economic security.
America’s addiction to gasoline costs the government billions of dollars a year, an estimated $80 billion, in fact, to guard the sea lanes, including one little area by Iran:
From a national security perspective, the U.S. military is forced to protect the world’s vital oil infrastructure. The single greatest chokepoint is the Strait of Hormuz, through which 17 million barrels of oil per day passed in 2011 – 20 percent of global supplies. Protection of the sea lanes of commerce has become an American burden and will remain so, costing the United States Treasury an estimated $80 billion per year while taxing our military, which is already engaged on multiple fronts.
It’s arguments like this that have made the recent right-wing criticism of the Volt such a mystery. If we use less gasoline, we can spend fewer lives and less treasure importing the fuel (of course, we don’t lose many lives at the Canadian border, which is where most of our imported oil comes from). The Army says that today’s soldier uses an average of 22 gallons of gasoline a day.
Lutz and his co-authors are quite clear that high gas prices are hurting Americans’ pocketbooks, “essentially” wiping out tax cuts that Presidents Bush and Obama put into place. That’s why, they say, “government action is needed to mitigate the risks of oil dependence, because there is no free market for oil.” This intervention contains both expanded domestic production and – surprise – plugging in our light-duty transportation fleet as much as possible and feeding our big trucks lots of natural gas. To that end, they write:
This Week in Motorsports — Week of April 16, 2012
This Week in Motorsports is a video recap of weekend motor sports events in NASCAR, the Nationwide series and other competitions under the Chrysler Group LLC banner. This week, As Penske Racing drivers Brad Keselowski and A.J. Allmendinger compete in the season-long Sprint Cup Series Points standings, other drivers under the Penske umbrella continue to show progress on the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series circuits, as well as the NHRA and Viper Cup Series.
2013 Dodge Dart pricing ranges from $15,995* SE to $22,495 R/T
Filed under: Car Buying , Budget , Sedan , Dodge With the compact segment becoming ever more crowded, Dodge is getting aggressive with its new Dart . As promised , pricing on the Italian-bred sedan will start at $15,995 (*before a $795 delivery charge). That undercuts key rivals like the $16,800 Chevrolet Cruze , $16,500 Ford Focus , and $16,130 Toyota Corolla . You can still buy a Honda Civic sedan cheaper, but by only $40. Above the base Dart are four more trim levels. However, even the $15,995 SE gets Dodge’s 160-hp, 2.0-liter Tigershark four-cylinder and a six-speed manual. Occupants get 10 airbags, a seats clad in “denim” cloth, power windows, LED taillights, a CD player with MP3 hookup and projector headlights. Anyone living in warmer climates should definitely look at the SXT, though. An extra $2,000 gets the most-appreciated feature ever: air conditioning. We can’t imagine living without it, but not every competitor offers A/C on their base models. The SXT also adds 17-inch alloys, power door locks, keyless entry, split rear seat, a security system and upgraded sound system. Options include navigation (natch), backup camera, sunroof and a 506-watt sound system. Go for the Rallye level for $18,995 if you want the Multiair turbocharged 1.4-liter engine that has more torque (184 pound-feet) but no additional horsepower. The force-fed powerplant is optional, but the Rallye’s sportier body trim and wider selection of interior colors are standard. The $19,995 Limited level adds a seven-inch “reconfigurable instrument cluster display,” fog lamps, active grille shutters and premium accent stitching. Leather seats also become optional at this level. At the top of the heap is the Dart R/T (shown above) starting at $22,495. In the third quarter of 2012, Dart buyers will be able to buy the R/T and get a 2.4-liter, Tigershark four-cylinder with 184 horses and 171 lb-ft yoked to either a six-speed manual or Autostick automatic. The R/T also comes with all the goodies on the Limited but adds 18-inch alloys, sport suspension, more aggressive front fascia, dual exhaust, unique seat leather and a heated steering wheel. The first Dart shipments will hit dealers beginning in June. Check out the press release after the jump for even more details. Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart pricing ranges from $15,995* SE to $22,495 R/T 2013 Dodge Dart pricing ranges from $15,995* SE to $22,495 R/T originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .
