One major victory for GM is the announcement that it’s going to assemble the battery packs for the upcoming Volt, one of the new Chevrolet cars on tap for the automaker. The Volt is an electric-drive vehicle and those battery packs are going to be built in Michigan, the home state of the auto industry. The announcement represents a “real opportunity” for the state and the region that has been hit hard in recent years by decreasing numbers of available manufacturing jobs.

The announcement combined with the recent money from the federal government seemed to give the automaker a renewed sense of encouragement and enthusiasm. Workers rallied around the stage at one time on Monday and chanted messages like, “Let’s go, GM” and “100 more years!”

Other new Chevrolet cars that engineers are working on include the Chevrolet Spark and the Chevrolet Orlando. Both vehicles are promising superior fuel efficiency and they are slated to hit the North American market in 2011.

The New Chevrolet Cruze
This new compact car is supposed to get upwards of 40 miles to the gallon on the highways. This isn’t just any compact car, though. It’s more “refined and attractive than any previous small car,” according to Detroit Free Press writer Mark Phelan.

The 2011 Cruze has also been recognized as a segment favorite at the Paris Auto Show earlier this year. It was the worldwide debut for this new Chevrolet model. Those “in the know” expect it to beat out its competition in the segment without any problem.

The New Chevrolet Equinox
This crossover has a car-like platform combined with the convenience of a sport utility vehicle. With a V6 engine and other features, the newest edition of the Equinox is sure to make an impression at the Detroit show.

General Motors is also planning to debut other models in January at the show, including a replacement for the Malibu and other Chevrolet cars. If you’re in the area next month, stop by and take a gander at all the new cars you’ll see on dealer lots before long.

It certainly doesn’t seem like a good time to be in the automotive industry.

Yet some companies are handling the struggles better than others, I guess. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai all seem to be able to open up new factories despite the turmoil. And GM, Ford, and Chrysler are struggling to roll out new plans that may have customers thinking twice about domestic American cars. But is that really what is needed from the Detroit Three? They’re banking on a bailout, it seems, and may face collapse if something doesn’t happen soon.

GM, especially, seems locked in a fight to survive the times. With another factory facing cuts in Canada in Oshawa, Ontario, it seems like there’s no end in sight. GM is banking a lot on the Chevy Volt, which is coming in a couple of years, and will need every ounce of its resources to survive these tough times. How that will impact sales of Chevy cars and trucks in the long-term remains to be seen, as does any news about this bailout.

One thing’s for sure, though. GM is going to keep fighting.

With tough economic times, there’s nothing better than watching high-octane vehicles speeding around a track in circles doing things we could only dream of. The very fact that they can afford the gas prices alone is impressive, even for me. While I’m not a huge fan of NASCAR or most motorsports in general, I can appreciate why this is good news.

NASCAR boss Brian France, talking to reporters over the weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, acknowledged that the auto manufacturers “play a very important role in lots of ways with supporting teams, the branding and heritage.”

On Friday, GM and Ford revealed multibillion dollar losses for the third quarter of 2008. GM warned it could run out of cash in 2009 and, as such, also suspended acquisition talks with Chrysler. How this will impact the future remains to be seen, but it’s probably a good idea to take GM’s warnings seriously.

In the meantime, GM and Chevy cars continue to move off the lots at a relatively slow pace. Company execs are hoping for big-time turnarounds soon, as positive signs begin to come into focus about the economy, gas prices, and the general state of affairs in the country. With the goodwill still extended towards NASCAR, one can hope things start looking up real soon.

As is sometimes the case, production errors can make it to the sales models. In the case of the Chevrolet HHR, the mistake results in a recall. The recall doesn’t appear to have any major safety implications, however, and does not put the Chevrolet HHR in a bad light overall.

The HHRs under rule of the recall are from the 2006-2008 model years. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration found that the lid on the instrument panel storage bin was prone to unlatch during a crash, causing the lid to open. This failure of the latch is against regulations from the NHTSA that provide vehicle owners protection from interior mechanisms in the case of a crash.

GM is sending owners of HHRs a kit that will allow them to fix the faulty latch. Vehicle owners can also drop by a local dealership to have the proper repairs done and to have the vehicles brought into compliance with the NHTSA regulation.

There are have been no injuries or accidents linked to the problem and the latch kits should be available for motorists within the next month.

Chevy cars and trucks are no strangers to recalls. As a matter of fact, it is extremely rare for any car company to avoid recalls altogether. But if GM’s handling of the situation is any indication, it seems that the car company is well in control of its vehicles and in the protection of its customers.

The Aveo5 has been described as an important car for Chevy and GM and one that is expected to make an impact in the 2009 model year. It is the smallest offering from the car company and is expected to get in the ring with the other small cars from Honda and Toyota to compete for the consumer’s attention and, hopefully, to compete for overall small car sales.

The entire focus of the Aveo5 is based around GM’s premise that American buyers will be ready to buy small cars soon and will follow in the footsteps of Europe. I’m not sure if the GM heads have been paying all that much attention to the markets, but the American consumers are ALREADY buying smaller cars. GM continuously insists on being behind the times, even within its own consumer base.

Nevertheless, the Aveo5 is their answer and it is a satisfactory little car. A 1.6-litre DOHC four-banger lies at the heart of the beast. There isn’t much horsepower to speak of (106), but the car should work well for those who don’t mind a lack of force. Some reviews have the Aveo5 as the slowest passenger car in the 2009 model year.

But does that matter in today’s world? Perhaps if you have the need for speed, it does. But most people with such a desire won’t find themselves in the small car market to begin with, so the notion is almost superfluous on its head. Regardless of the so-called lack of power for the car set, the Aveo5 is an impressive vehicle. It stands among Chevy cars as a sign of a new direction and, seemingly, now is as good a time as any.

The program, launched in late August, applies to almost its entire line-up of 2008 vehicles and has been expanded to include most 2009 vehicles at dealerships, including all Silverado and Sierra pickups. GM’s better selling cars, such as the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac Vibe are also included in the extended offer

General Motors had troubling sales in July, with numbers down almost 18%. There has been pressure on the American automobile industry to cut costs due to rising material prices and gas prices, but many companies haven’t been heeding the warnings. Sadly, General Motors has been one of those companies and their sales have suffered as a result.

The employee pricing promotion has always proved popular and GM is banking on its ability to move some of their more popular models before the next ones roll in. So Chevy cars, trucks, GM trucks, and Pontiac vehicles will all be, hopefully, sailing off of the lots in the coming months.

Why not head on down to your local dealer today and see what kind of offer you can make on your favourite Chevy cars before the promotion draws to a close?