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VOL. 39 NO. 26 MARCH 2, 2015Covers the Tech Center and the Immediate Area

WARREN, MICHIGAN

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Quality counts – and JD Powerhas counted GM’s quality quitehigh.Based on survey responses

from more than 34,000 originalowners of 2012 model-year vehi-cles, the 2015 Vehicle Depend-ability Study finds that theChevrolet Malibu is the segmentleader in the highly competitiveMidsize Car segment.And, for the third year in a row,

the Chevrolet Camaro ranks high-est in the Midsize Sporty Car seg-ment.Chevrolet ranked higher than

ever in this study, said GMspokeswoman Susan Waun.In addition, the GMC Sierra LD

and Chevrolet Silverado LD rankfirst and second in the LargeLight Duty Pickup segment andthe Chevrolet Silverado HD andGMC Sierra HD rank first and sec-ond in the Large Heavy DutyPickup segment.Among all nameplates, and for

the first time, Chevrolet, Buick,GMC and Cadillac all rank in thetop 10 among brands in thestudy, said Waun.Overall, Buick ranks second

behind Lexus, and is followed byToyota and Cadillac. Ram isamong the nameplates seeingthe highest increases in depend-ability compared with last year.

Among individual vehicle mod-els, GM and Toyota lead theaward count, each receiving a to-tal of seven awards, said JD Pow-er spokesman Jeff Young.The 2015 study tracks 2012

model year vehicles in their thirdyear of ownership, Waun said.GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe

and Suburban all rank in the Top3 of the Large SUV segment.These models also filled the

Top 3 positions in the Large SUVsegment in the 2014 JD PowerInitial Quality Study, where the2014 Chevrolet Suburban and2014 GMC Yukon ranked highestin a tie, along with the 2014

Chevrolet Tahoe, Waun said.“GM’s customer-driven ap-

proach to quality and depend-ability is breaking through,” saidGrace Lieblein, vice president,Global Quality.“Dependability is a top pur-

chase consideration and key tocustomer loyalty. These awardsreflect our commitment to pro-vide customers with the bestoverall experience in the indus-try.”Jeff Wrona, executive director

of Vehicle Engineering and Pow-ertrain Quality for GM, echoedwhat Lieblein said.“We are very proud of our ac-

complishments,” Wrona said.“We’ve working very hard acrossengineering, design and manufac-turing to get these results.“GM is on a relentless journey

to get the voice of our cus-tomers’ wants and embed them

in our products,” he said.The study, now in its 26th year,

examines problems experiencedduring the past 12 months byoriginal owners of 2012 model-

GM, Led by Chevy and Buick, Earns SevenAwards in JD Power Dependability Survey

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Craig Glidden

General Motors has appointedCraig B. Glidden as executivevice president and general coun-sel, effective March 1.Glidden will lead a team of staff

attorneys who are integrated in-to all of GM’s regional and func-tional teams in more than 30countries, said GM spokesmanPat Morrissey.“Craig Glidden has had a dis-

tinguished career managing com-plex legal issues around theworld, and his broad legal andsenior management expertise fits

perfectly with our strategic pri-orities and plans for globalgrowth,” said GM CEO MaryBarra.Glidden, 57, succeeds Michael

Millikin, 66, who is retiring in Julyafter a nearly four-decade legalcareer, including five years asGM’s general counsel.“I’m enthused to be joining

General Motors and its manage-ment team to help drive the com-pany forward,” said Glidden.“The company has made signifi-cant progress in recent years and

I look forward to further advanc-ing the business goals.”Before joining GM, Glidden was

executive vice president andchief legal officer for Lyondell-Basell Industries, one of theworld’s largest plastics, chemi-cals and refining companies. Heoversaw the company’s global le-gal, communications, govern-ment affairs and compliancegroups.Prior to joining LyondellBasell

Glidden Succeeds GM’s Retiring Milliken

by Jim Stickford

As Shakespeare once wrote,“past is prologue.” And that’scertainly the case with the 2015Buick Avenir concept car, whichmade its debut in January at theDetroit Auto Show.The vehicle, in part, was based

on six different Buick conceptand production vehicles from thebrand’s storied history.Greg Wallace, manager of GM’s

Heritage Center in SterlingHeights, said the first conceptcar ever built was a Buick.“If you go back as far as 1927

with GM’s LaSalle, you can see acar where its design isn’t allbased around function,” Wallacesaid. “You can see that its formwas influenced by the idea ofdesign.”GM was the first to hire a

designer whose job it was tocreate beautiful cars, Wallacesaid. His name was Harley Earland he was a legend at Buick andat GM for decades.Earl was commissioned by

Lawrence P. Fisher of Cadillac todesign the 1927 LaSalle, Wallacesaid. This work proved to be sosuccessful that Earl was hired tobe the first director of GM’sbrand new Art and Color depart-ment.This was an important step in

the auto industry, Wallace said. Itwas signaling the fact that carswere more than just transporta-tion, they were purchases wherestyle played an important role inthe consumer’s decision to buy.By 1938, Wallace said, GM cre-

ated the first true concept car –the Buick Y-Job. This vehicle,said Wallace, was influenced by

the cutting edge of technology inthe 1930s – aircraft design.Andrew Smith, the current

chief designer for Buick, said hethinks its very “cool” that thefirst concept car was a Buick.“The Y-Job gave the public a

peek at the creativity that wenton in the design room,” Smithsaid. “Right now, the role of aconcept car is to build excite-ment for the brand to show thepublic where we are takingBuick.”And that’s where the Avenir

comes in, Smith said. Part ofbuilding brand awareness forBuick is building on Buick’s pastas a brand that designed greatconcept cars and put into pro-duction beautiful vehicles thatshowed off the latest designs, hesaid.“The Avenir is showing where

Buick is going as a brand,” Smithsaid.“It’s showing the public just

what we can do. Buick is a cre-ative brand that doesn’t limitwhere we can take our vehicles.”Part of the fun of a concept car,

Smith said, is showing some of

the ideas that designers came upwith during the developmentprocess of various vehicles.“People don’t realize that we

do lots of concepts as we devel-op production vehicles,” Smithsaid. “As we develop these cars,we do ’bake-offs’ of our various

concepts within the design de-partment to help build enthusi-asm among the designers.“But we’re very strategic about

what concepts we show the pub-lic. They don’t get to see every

From Out of the Past ComesThe Newest Buick Concept

1972 Riviera SilverArrow III, one of many past-year Buicks to influence the new concept Avenir

As the saying goes, build a bet-ter mousetrap and the world willbeat a path to your door.Well, Dow Automotive Systems

has built that better mousetrapand has the award to prove it.The company’s BETAMATE

1630 structural adhesive hasbeen selected as the winner of a2015 Golden Mousetrap award inthe category of Materials Assem-bly: Fastening, Joining and As-sembly Components.The Golden Mousetrap pro-

gram recognizes design, engi-neering, and manufacturing inNorth America and was hostedby UBM Canon and Design News.The Mousetrap awards were

given out Feb. 12 at a special

dinner in Anaheim, Calif.Used to bond the body struc-

ture of automobiles during as-sembly, BETAMATE 1630 enablesthe use of dissimilar substrateslike carbon fiber composites,aluminum or lightweight steel toachieve weight savings, im-proved fuel and assembly effi-ciencies, and sustainability.Dow Auto strategic marketing

manager Ana Wagner said that itwas an honor to win the awardand be recognized for the workDow chemists and engineers haddone with adhesives.“Adhesives have become very

important in automobile manu-facturing,” Wagner said. “Light-weighting is the key. While adhe-

sives don’t weigh much, what ad-hesives allow manufacturers todo results in vehicles weighingless.”Being able to bond dissimilar

materials together makes it pos-sible to reduce weight, Wagnersaid. And additional perform-ance advantages include im-proved crash safety, vehicledurability, and design flexibility.The continuous bead of adhe-

sive helps reduce noise andvibrations and the need for me-chanical fasteners is reduced oreliminated.The adhesive is also designed

to be easy to apply, providingbenefits on the assembly line aswell as in the finished vehicle.

“BETAMATE 1630 is a globalproduct,” said Mansour Mir-damadi, chief engineer, DowAutomotive Systems. “This al-lows us to support global vehicleplatforms and security of supply,while helping streamline the cus-tomer approval and specificationprocess.“Additionally, this structural

adhesive provides sustainabilitybenefits by supporting vehiclelightweighting, durability andlongevity, and manufacturing effi-ciencies.“It helps customers meet a

wide variety of targets.”BETAMATE 1630 also received

a 2014 R&D 100 award, said Dowspokeswoman Chris Swart.

Golden Mousetrap Award Goes to Dow for Adhesive

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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To Sam Miller-Christiansen, his2014 Chevrolet Volt is the bestcar he has owned.And he was willing to tell any-

one, including the team develop-ing the next-generation Volt.“I said that if they could im-

prove the overall EV range, itwould make one of my favoritecars even better,” Miller-Chris-tiansen said. “To my amazement,they’ve done it.”It is just one example of how

the 2016 Volt was engineeredwith input from the collectivevoices of loyal owners.Shortly after launching the

first-generation Volt, Chevroletconvened and met once a monthwith a customer advisory boardof 12 owners from across thecountry to understand how con-sumers were operating theirVolts.“The Volt represented a com-

pletely new classification of elec-tric vehicles, and we were unsureof how people would react orhow this vehicle would fit in theirdaily lives,” said Darin Gesse,product manager of ElectrifiedVehicles.“So, we began asking simple

questions like how and when theowners plugged in their Volt,which directly impacted the de-velopment of the next genera-tion.“We talk about putting the cus-

tomer at the center of everythingwe do, and we’ve literally donethat with the 2016 Volt.”The Volt team also wanted to

know what Volt features ownersliked and what features mightneed improvement. The teamtalked with Volt owners throughsocial media, plug-in events andInternet panels.Chevrolet spokeswoman

Courtney Moats said that someof the answers they receivedfrom customers surprised them.“What we found out was that

the most satisfying attribute ofthe Volt, according to our custo-ers, was how fun the vehicle is todrive,” Moats said.“They talked about the quiet

propulsion, the instant torqueand how it all combined to makethe Volt a very fun car to drive.”The most surprising feedback

that GM received, said Gesse,was that many Volt owners

would drive the Volt with thetransmission in “L” (or low gear)rather than in “D” (drive).Owners wanted to maximize

their regen braking efficiency byshifting into “L” to engage in-creased amount of regen brakingwhen coasting as they ap-proached slower traffic, Gessesaid.Consumers coined the term

“one-pedal driving” to expresshow they could manipulate de-celeration of the Volt withouthaving to put their foot on thebrake pedal.“Both of these findings led the

engineering team to develop Re-gen on Demand,” Gesse said.“This feature allows the driver toengage regen braking withouthaving to shift into ‘L’ or applythe brake pedal.“It not only provides the ability

to slow the vehicle down withouttouching the brakes, but alsogives the driver more control,which makes the driving experi-ence more engaging. It provides amore intuitive solution to whatcurrent owners are doing byshifting to ‘L’ while also makingthe vehicle more fun to drive.”The owners’ constructive and

candid feedback ultimatelyhelped the engineering team de-cide in which direction to takethe next-generation Volt, Moatssaid.In addition to more EV range

and improved fuel economy inextended range, customers alsoexpressed a strong desire for afifth seating position for shorttrips. The new Volt offers thosefeatures as well as increasedspace and available rear heatedseats.The 2016 Volt offers a GM-esti-

mated 50 miles of EV range, and atotal driving range of more than400 miles between fill-ups. Withregular charging, owners are ex-pected to travel, on average,more than 1,000 miles betweengas fill-ups, Moats said.That range is based on GM-es-

timated fuel efficiency of 41 MPGand 102 MPGe, a measure of theaverage distance traveled perunit of energy consumed.Chevrolet also learned cus-

tomers wanted a more intuitivevehicle interface. So the 2016Volt center stack is easier to use,

with fewer icons, separate cli-mate control knobs, and buttonsbelow the center display de-signed to provide clear and con-venient operation.Moats said customers also in-

fluenced these features:• Quieter engine at lower

speeds;• Light-emitting diode (LED)

headlamps, providing a more vis-ible, higher efficiency light;• Reduced air dam scraping

when entering or exiting drive-ways;• Heated steering wheel;• Regen on Demand – giving

drivers more control over regen-erative braking, which reclaimsenergy while the car slows;

• Customization of vehicle in-formation depending on driver’spreference;• Location-based charging se-

lection, making vehicle chargingat multiple locations easier tomanage;• More discrete charging noti-

fications;• Charge door open reminder;• Illuminated charge port;• Available spare tire.The current Volt enjoys some

of the highest customer loyaltyand quality scores in the indus-try, Moats said.In just four years, he said, Volt

has earned more accolades andmore “best buy” awards than anyother electric vehicle.

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PAGE 2 MARCH 2, 2015TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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Plastomer Corp. of Livonia hasreceived the prestigious 2014General Motors Customer Careand Aftersales On-Time ShippingAward.Plastomer achieved Platinum

Supplier Status that states thatPlastomer played an importantrole in GM’s effort to design,build, and sell world-class vehi-cles.David Poole, general director

of Supply Chain, said Plas-tomer’s “dedication and commit-ment to consistently performabove expectations are verymuch appreciated by the entireGeneral Motors team and wewant to recognize your organiza-tion for its outstanding perform-ance.”The award comes at the con-

clusion of Plastomer’s 60th an-niversary year, said Plastomerspokeswoman Kim Baughman.“The family-owned company is

proud of its heritage as a Hall ofFame member in the flexiblefoam and die-cutting industry. Assuch, Plastomer has pioneeredstandards of quality, customersatisfaction, and quick responsefor customers like GM.“The company has a long rela-

tionship with GM that stretchesback six decades. We were sur-prised to receive this award, andalso proud. It’s always nice to berecognized for the work you do.”Baughman said that Plastomer

provides GM with foam and rub-ber parts such as HVAC gasketsand seat toppers.“Seat toppers go over actual

seats and provide protection tothe person sitting in that seat inthe case of heated or coolingseats,” Baughman said. “We em-ploy about 150 people, and havea plant in Livonia and warehous-es in Tennessee and Mexico.”“At Plastomer,” said George

Baughman Jr., Plastomer’s Salesand Marketing vice president,“we strive every day to delightour customers by going aboveand beyond what is required. ForGM to acknowledge our effortsin this way is very special.”

Plastomer EarnsGM’s Award forCustomer Care

Whatever Volt Owners Want, Volt Owners Get, Say Execs

Sam Miller-Christiansen with his 2014 Chevrolet Volt

DETROIT (AP) – U.S. safety reg-ulators have ordered Japaneseairbag maker Takata Corp. topreserve airbag parts from re-called cars for government inves-tigators and attorneys who aresuing the company.The order issued Feb. 25 by

the National Highway TrafficSafety Administration covers air-bag inflator mechanisms that canexplode with too much force,spewing metal shrapnel intodrivers and passengers. At leastsix people have been killed and64 others injured from the prob-lem. Ten different automakershave recalled about 17 million

cars and trucks in the U.S., andrecovered inflators have beensent to Takata.The order stops Takata from

destroying inflators except whenthey are tested and requires thecompany to set aside 10 percentof them for testing by plaintiffs’lawyers. Takata also has to comeup with a plan, to be approvedby the government, for gatheringand preserving the inflators.And the company must make

inflators available to the 10 auto-makers, who are close to hiringan outside company and a leaderfor their own investigation of theairbag problems.

Feds Demand Takata Parts

DETROIT (AP) – General Mo-tors is recalling about 67,000Cadillac ATS compact sportssedans to fix a problem with thepower sunroof controls.The recall affects cars from

the 2013-15 model years. GMsays the sunroofs can automati-cally close if the non-recessedswitches are even partlytouched. The recall is beingdone because the switches canbe activated with less force thanallowed under federal safetystandards.GM found the problem in test-

ing a 2016 model in January, butsays it knows of no crashes or in-juries. Repairs were made at thefactory and dealers have beentold to stop selling cars on theirlots until they are fixed.

GM Recalls 67,000Cadillac ATSs forSunroof Issues

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year vehicles, Young said.Overall dependability is deter-

mined by the number of prob-lems experienced per 100 vehi-cles (PP100), with a lower scorereflecting higher quality.The study has been enhanced

in 2015 to better measure thequality of today’s vehicles, par-ticularly related to new technolo-gies and features now being of-fered.The study covers 177 specific

problem symptoms groupedinto eight major vehicle cate-gories.The top two problems report-

ed by owners are Bluetooth pair-ing/connectivity and built-invoice recognition systems misin-terpreting commands.

These are also the most fre-quent problems reported byowners at 90 days, according tothe J.D. Power 2014 U.S. InitialQuality Study.“As we’ve seen in our Initial

Quality Study, owners view in-ve-hicle technology issues as signifi-cant problems, and they typical-ly don’t go away after the owner-ship honeymoon period is over,”said Renee Stephens, vice presi-dent of U.S. automotive at J.D.Power.“Furthermore, early indica-

tions from our upcoming 2015U.S. Tech Choice Study show thatvehicle owner expectations ofadvanced technology capabili-ties are growing.“Owners clearly want the lat-

est technology in their vehicles,and they don’t hesitate to ex-press their disapproval when itdoesn’t work.“Their definition of depend-

ability is increasingly influencedby usability.”Because issues with technolo-

gy impact overall dependability,they also impact repurchase in-tent.

The study finds that 56 percentof owners who report no prob-lems with their vehicle say they“definitely will” purchase thesame brand next time, comparedwith 43 percent of those who re-port three or more problems.Together with the fact that 15

percent of new-vehicle buyers in-dicate they avoided a model be-cause it lacked the latest techno-logical features – up from just 4percent in 2014 – technologyclearly plays a key role in affect-ing future purchase decisions.Among owners who experi-

enced a Bluetooth pairing/con-nectivity problem, 55 percent saythat their vehicle would notrecognize their phone, and 31percent say the phone would notautomatically connect whenentering their vehicle.The number of engine/trans-

mission problems remains high,Stephens said.Nearly 30 percent of the report-

ed powertrain problems are a re-sult of automatic transmissionhesitation and rough shifting.

Six of the top 10 problems aredesign-related as opposed to de-fects or malfunctions.

By vehicle category, Stephenssaid, the most frequently report-ed problems are related to exteri-or, followed by engine/transmis-sion and audio/communica-tion/entertainment/navigation.Overall vehicle dependability

industry-wide averages 147PP100, or approximately 1.5problems per vehicle.“At the three-year point, many

owners are thinking about replac-ing their vehicles, and we findthat how they feel about theircurrent vehicle’s quality and de-pendability impacts their intentto consider purchasing the samebrand again,” said Stephens.“Oftentimes, the issues owners

experience can be resolvedwith a software update or, in thecase of Bluetooth pairing prob-lems, dealers can step in to help.“In cases such as these, proac-

tively reaching out to ownerspresents an opportunity for auto-makers and their dealers to en-gage with customers in a positiveway.”

™TechCenterNews™

MARCH 2, 2015 PAGE 3COVERS THE TECH CENTER AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA

GM, Led by Chevy and Buick, Earns SevenAwards in JD Power Dependability Survey

in August 2009, Glidden servedas senior vice president, generalcounsel and corporate secretaryof Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.Before that, he was in privatelaw practice.Glidden received a Bachelor of

Arts degree from Tulane Universi-ty in 1980, graduating magna cumlaude and Phi Beta Kappa. Heobtained a juris doctor degreewith high honors from FloridaState University in 1983, where heserved as editor-in-chief and man-aging editor of the Florida StateUniversity Law Review.Glidden is licensed to practice

law in Texas and Florida. He is amember and past chair of TheGeneral Counsel Forum and cur-rently serves on the Board of theHouston Bar Foundation. He wasbased in Houston.Barra praised Millikin for his

years of service to GM. “I’d liketo thank Mike for all he has doneto support GM throughout his38-year career, and especially inthe time he served as generalcounsel. I wish him and his wifeKaren all the best in retirement.”

Glidden SucceedsRetiring MillikinAs GM’s Exec VP,General Counsel

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1


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ProudlyFamily

Owned for40 Years

Yukons have mirrors that allow parents to watch back seat passengers.

Your parents weren’t joking –mothers and fathers really doknow how to keep an eye ontheir kids, at least when itcomes to creating family-friendlyfeatures on new cars and trucks.For example, the development

team for the 2015 GMC Yukonand Yukon XL leveraged theirown parental experiences, andadded a conversation mirror – asecondary rear-view mirror thathelps drivers keep an eye on kidsseated in the second and thirdrows, said GM spokesman BrianGoebel.The conversation mirror, stan-

dard on all 2015 Yukon andYukon XL models, lets parentsview the rear seats without usingtheir rear-view mirror.The additional mirror is inte-

grated into the overhead con-sole’s sunglass holder. Pushonce, and the compartment fullyopens, allowing access to an eye-glasses holder. Partially close thecompartment, and the mirrorlatches in position, providing awide view of the SUV’s interior.As roughly 30 percent of all

Yukon and Yukon XL customersare parents with kids under theage of 16, Goebel said, incorpo-rating family-oriented features isincredibly important to them.Keeping watch over younger pas-sengers seated in the second orthird rows of seats, however, canstill prove challenging.The idea for the mirror, said

GM spokeswoman Kelly Wysockicame from a GM designer – KayJarboe – who is also a mother.“As a mom, when it came time

to design the next-generationYukon and Yukon XL, I wanted togive our customers a better wayof keeping tabs on their kidswithout forcing them to turnaround and take their eyes offthe road,” said Jarboe, productmanager for the 2015 Yukon andYukon XL.While aftermarket conversa-

tion mirrors are popular withparents, they lack the integrationand sturdiness of a permanentfixture, Jarboe said.GM engineers found that

licensing a design which inte-grates the mirror into theconsole’s sunglass holder wasthe best option, but one that alsoposed some challenges.“We wanted a mirror contour

that provided a wide, door-to-door field of vision, allowingdrivers to quickly monitor bothback seats in a single glance,”said Jennifer Farah, an interiortrim design engineer.“At the same time, we didn’t

want the mirror to grow too largeand eliminate room for a pair ofglasses. As a mom, I can truly seethe value in keeping a watch overmy kids without turning my headaway from the road.”Wysocki said that she’s driven

the Yukon with the mirror herselfand said that it really works.“I have two daughters –

Samantha, who is three, andAlexandra, who is 12,” Wysockisaid. “So I know how parentswant to keep an eye on their kidsin the back seat when driving.“I didn’t find the mirror dis-

tracting at all. I could see whatwas happening in the back seatand still be able to concentrateon the road. It works.“As far as I know, they weren’t

able to slip anything by me whenI was driving.”

Eyes in the Back of Parents’Heads Not Needed in Yukon

Macomb County has receivedapproval from the State of Michi-gan’s Department of Treasury tosell bonds to fund retiree healthcare in an amount not to exceed$263,755,000, said MacombCounty spokesman John Cwikla.“With this approval, the coun-

ty has met the final requirementfor fully funding its retiree healthcare liability,” said MacombCounty Executive Mark A. Hack-el. “We anticipate that the bondswill be sold by the end ofMarch.”This funding approval follows

the recent high ratings by the na-tion’s two leading bond ratingagencies, which have both reaf-firmed Macomb County’s superi-or bond rating – Aa1 fromMoody’s Investor Services andAA+ from Standard & Poor’s,Cwikla said.“Let’s not forget this was all

made possible by strengtheningthe county’s financial positionover the past few years,” saidHackel.

Macomb CountyTreasury to SellRetirement Bond

It’s full speed ahead for theproduction of the 2015 Ford F-150pickup truck.Since May 2013, more than

8,000 skilled trades and produc-tion workers at Ford’s DearbornTruck Plant and Kansas City As-sembly Plant have undergone anintensive training program tosupport production of the newFord F-150, said Ford spokesmanMike Levine.Production at the Dearborn fa-

cility started last November. Thecompany has started buildingpre-production trucks at theKanas City facility. Levine saidFord should have full productionat both plants up and runningshortly.The production training pro-

gram to bring workers up to dateat both plants was designed tosupport F-150’s innovative manu-facturing process, which incor-porates the latest in advancedmaterials and forming and join-ing technologies, including acutting-edge riveting operationsystem versus conventionalwelding, Levine said.Totaling more than 400 hours

of in-class and hands-on courses,the skilled trades program cov-ers everything from installingand configuring new equipmentfor the production line to con-structing the truck’s advancedelectrical control system.“Through this program, we

have armed both our skilledtrades and production workers

with the skills necessary toproduce the next generation ofvehicle technology,” said ArisJanitens, Ford Launch Planningand Work Force Readiness man-ager.“Our workers now are able to

deal with the latest in automotivemanufacturing technology and,as a result, keep production onschedule to deliver best-in-class,quality trucks to our customers.”A unique element of the overall

program is the “train the trainer”model, Janitens said, in whichthe workers become subject mat-ter experts on the new equip-ment, enabling them to train thecrew they work with on a dailybasis.The new manufacturing

process called for the overhaul ofboth Dearborn Truck and KansasCity Assembly facilities, Janitenssaid.Dearborn Truck saw its largest

manufacturing transformationin decades wherein legacy manu-facturing equipment was re-placed with the latest in produc-tion technology, including:• New press lines to help

stamp four different types of alu-minum alloys that assist withlightweighting the vehicle caband box.• New hydroforming lines to

use fluid pressure to form metaltubes into structurally strongsupport rails.• New chemical and heat treat

area for corrosion resistance and

material hardening, which re-sults in stronger, more durablematerials.• Implementation of a closed-

loop aluminum recycling systemprocess in which all aluminumassembly scrap is collected andsorted so it can be used again innew F-150s – a process that savesenergy and lowers cost.• Investment in 500 new

robots in the all-new body shopsto conduct state-of-the-art join-ing technology, resulting in atougher, more durable truck.• Updated paint shops with

dirt detection technology and in-creased automation for moredurable paint application.“An effective vehicle launch

starts by understanding the cur-rent processes and constraints ofan assembly plant to align themwith the new parts and process-es that are being rolled out,” saidBrian Miller, truck launch manag-er for Kansas City AssemblyPlant.“But the most important part

of a successful launch is the peo-ple. The people on the assemblyline are key to producing the besttruck on the road today.”The training program has re-

sulted in the successful launch ofthe 2015 F-150 at Dearborn TruckPlant, Janitens said. Kansas CityAssembly Plant is on plan tostart building production trucksby the end of the first quarter of2015.Combined, Dearborn Truck

and Kansas City Assembly willhave capacity to produce morethan 700,000 Ford F-150 pickupsper year for availability in 90markets globally.In January, Ford F-Series had

its strongest sales month since2004, the company’s best salesyear ever for F-150.F-150 models sat just 12 days

on dealer lots last month – turn-

ing faster than any other Ford ve-hicle, Levine said. In addition,more than 1.5 million peoplehave built and priced F-150 con-figurations online.The all-new F-150, said Levine,

is the toughest, smartest andmost capable F-150 ever – boast-ing a military-grade, aluminum-al-loy body and high-strength steelframe.

by Jim Stickford

What better place to show offjust what young potential car de-signers can do than at the 2015Autorama, which will be held atthe Cobo Center in downtownDetroit March 6-8.Fiat Chrysler spokeswoman

Gabrielle Schulte said that thecompany is hosting its thirdannual student high school cardesign competition.“We call it the ‘Detroit Autora-

ma High School Design Competi-tion,’” Schulte said. “I knowthat’s a mouthful to say. But forthe past couple of years, FiatChrysler has been holding acompetition at the Autoramashow.“We ask high school students

who are interested in car designto submit a car design based ona criteria we give them. Thisyear, students were asked todesign a Dodge brand vehicle formodel year 2025.”The first two competitions

were local, Schulte said. Thisyear’s is, for the first time, na-tional.“We’ve asked students from

across the country to submittheir designs,” Schulte said. “Theonly limits were the size of the

paper, and that the design behand-drawn using actual writingtools, as opposed to being creat-ed on a computer. We think astudent’s real talent comesthrough when he or she puts penor pencil to paper.”Schulte credits head of SRT

and Mopar Design Mark Trostlefor promoting this competitionas well as other efforts to attractthe young to automobile design.“Mark really believes in at-

tracting young people to thispart of the business,” Schultesaid. “He wants them to knowthat they can use their full cre-ative artistic talents working inthe auto industry.”And, by making the competi-

tion national, Fiat Chrysler isable to cast a wider net, Schultesaid.“We’ve received more than 100

designs from high school stu-dents across the country,”Schulte said. “That’s very en-couraging, and we’ve also no-ticed that there’s been a greatmix of designs coming from highschool boys and girls. It’s veryexciting to see these kids’ de-signs. They’re very talented.”The first prize award, which

will be presented on Friday,March 6, is a $60,000 scholarshipto the Center for Creative Stud-ies (CCS) in car design, Schultesaid.Fiat Chrysler also will be giv-

ing out several MAC Book Prosand other winners will be sent toa special three-week summercourse in car design at CCS.“This is good because these

students will have the opportuni-ty for three weeks to learn fromand interact with real car designcollege teachers,” Schulte said.


High School Students to Hand-DrawFuture Dodge in Design Competition

Assembly Line Workers Key to F-150 Launch

Ford trains the trainers for production of the new F-150 pickup truck.

FLINT, Mich. (AP) – The trans-formation of an eyesore in Flintbegins this spring as the brokenconcrete of Chevy in the Hole iscovered up and unwelcomingchain-link fences come down.The former GM industrial site

is slated to become Chevy Com-mons – a natural park along theFlint River that’s expected to in-clude wetlands, woodlands andgrasslands.The plan includes transform-

ing a portion of the formerChevy site into a public parkwith walking paths intertwinedin native plants, greens and wet-lands to help minimize stormwater management costs.

Old Chevrolet SiteTo Become Park

TOKYO (AP) – Honda MotorCo., the Japanese automaker atthe center of an airbag defectscandal, said Feb. 23 its presi-dent Takanobu Ito will step asideand be replaced by another Hon-da executive.The unexpected decision fol-

lows massive recalls by Honda ofvehicles equipped with airbagsmade by Japan’s Takata Corp.The airbags have inflators thatcan explode, expelling shards ofmetal and plastic. At least fivedeaths and dozens of injurieshave been linked to the problemworldwide.Takata airbags are used by

many automakers, but Hondawas the worst affected.Tokyo-based Honda said in a

statement that another Hondaexecutive, Takahiro Hachigo, willsucceed Ito, who will remain onthe board as an adviser. The an-nouncement did not mention theproblems with the airbags andcame amid a slew of other mana-gerial changes.

All the new appointments aresubject to board approval at thecompany’s annual shareholdersmeeting in June.Hachigo handled development

of the U.S.-built Odyssey minivanand has guided the automaker’sbusinesses in the U.S., Europeand China during his 33-year ca-reer with Honda.Ito joined Honda in 1978 as a

chassis design engineer and hasbeen president and CEO since2009. The company lauded himfor helping to expand its globalmanufacturing in emergingmarkets such as Mexico, Brazil,China and Indonesia.U.S. and Japanese authorities

have been investigating the Taka-ta airbags. The U.S. fined Honda$70 million, which was thelargest civil penalty leviedagainst an automaker, for not re-porting to U.S. regulators some1,729 complaints that its vehiclescaused deaths and injuries, andfor not reporting warrantyclaims.

Takata refused the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Adminis-tration’s demand to issue anationwide recall of driver’s sideairbag inflators, though auto-makers have recalled the cars ontheir own.The recalls have clouded the

reputation of Honda and otherJapanese automakers for qualityand safety. They also raisedcosts for Honda, especially inNorth America, prompting thecompany to trim its annual earn-ings forecast after profit in theOctober-December quarterslipped 15 percent.The maker of the Fit subcom-

pact, Odyssey minivan andAsimo robot now expects a profitfor the fiscal year through Marchof 545 billion yen ($4.6 billion),down 5 percent from a year earli-er.But it said it expects to sell

4.45 million vehicles in the fiscalyear that runs through March,slightly above the previous fiscalyear’s total.

Honda President Ito Soon to be Replaced

MARCH 2, 2015 PAGE 5TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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GM has found that it’s actuallynot that hard being green.

Chevrolet’s efforts to help U.S.colleges further reduce their car-bon footprint earned a ClimateLeadership Award for InnovativePartnerships from the EPA Cen-ter for Corporate Climate Leader-ship.

The award recognizes organi-zations working collaborativelyon leading-edge climate initia-tives, said GM spokeswomanSharon Basel.

The Chevrolet Clean EnergyCampus Campaign engaged hun-dreds of stakeholders spanningthe education, energy, carbon,auditing, and nonprofit sectorsto develop a way for campusesto draw on a new source of fund-ing – carbon credits from the vol-untary carbon market – to helpfurther their large-scale energyefficiency efforts.

Campus leaders, Basel said,have learned about the programthrough webinars and work-shops. Dozens of students par-ticipated in the clean energy con-versation and successfully en-gaged their campus leaders tosecure funding.

“I am proud to recognize theChevrolet Clean Energy CampusCampaign and all of our ClimateLeadership Award winners fortheir actions to reduce the harm-

ful carbon pollution that’s fuelingclimate change,” said EPA admin-istrator Gina McCarthy.

“Our winners are providing theleadership, commitment, andsolutions needed to cut green-house gas emissions and meetthe challenge of a changingclimate head-on.”

The fourth annual nationalawards program is a partnershipwith the EPA, Association of Cli-mate Change Officers, the Centerfor Climate and Energy Solutionsand The Climate Registry.

The Chevrolet Clean EnergyCampus Campaign, Basel said, ispart of the brand’s voluntary ini-tiative to reduce 8 million metrictons of carbon emissions.

“To make a significant impactin reducing the effects of climatechange, we need to work togeth-er,” said Greg Martin, GM execu-tive director of Sustainability.

“The Clean Energy CampusCampaign is just one example ofhow a mix of different perspec-tives and talents can lead to newpathways to greater carbon re-ductions.”

Primary campaign stakehold-ers include the American Collegeand University Presidents’ Cli-mate Commitment managed bySecond Nature, the U.S. GreenBuilding Council, the Associationfor the Advancement of Sustain-ability in Higher Education, Bon-neville Environmental Founda-tion, Climate Neutral BusinessNetwork, Verified Carbon Stan-dard, DNV GL, Ball State Univer-sity, Valencia College, PortlandState University, Spelman Col-lege, University of Illinois atChicago, University of Wisconsin– Stevens Point, Boston Universi-ty, Rochester Institute of Tech-nology, University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign, Grand ValleyState University, and SouthernOregon University.

Chevrolet Earns Climate LeadershipAward for Reducing Carbon Footprint

“To make asignificant impact

. . . we need towork together.”

– Greg Martin,GM

concept we come up with.”And, Smith said, because Buick

is known for its creative designs,young designers are enthusiasticabout working for the brand.Being creative in 1938, Wallace

said, meant taking cues from theairplane industry.“That was the cutting edge

back then,” Wallace said. “Whilepeople knew that planes existed,most had never taken a planeflight. People used to have pic-tures taken of them next to air-planes just because it lookedcool, even if they never rode in aplane.“You can still see some strands

of that airplane-influenced DNAin today’s Buicks.”The major airplane influence

on the Avenir, Wallace said, wasthe Wildcat series, which was outbetween 1953 and 1955.“This vehicle had the look of a

jet fighter,” Wallace said. “The artdeco propeller plane designswere gone and Buick was in thespace age.“But beyond the look of a jet

fighter, the Wildcat had the latestpowertrain – compound carbure-tion. This was a really forward-looking vehicle.”Wallace said features such as

stand-alone headlight pods influ-enced other designers outsideGM. He noted that the ChryslerImperial of the early 1960slooked a lot like the Wildcat. Thename was popular and in 1985Buick used it for another conceptcar.“By this time, concept cars

were a way of telling the pubicwhat was coming down the roadin terms of development,” Wal-lace said. “It was so modern iteven had a telephone as one ofits features.”The next concept vehicle to in-

fluence the Avenir, Wallace said,was the Riviera Silver Arrow III in1972.“This was a precursor to the

‘boat-tailed’ Buicks of that era,”Wallace said. “It’s one of myfavorite concept cars. It had‘modern’ features like tractioncontrol and when you look at theinterior, it had pillow-top seats. Itwas just an outstanding-lookingcar.“It had halogen headlights,

which were new then and areonly now being replaced by LEDlights. It even had moving seatsand adjustable pedals, whichwould become popular later onin trucks and SUVs.”Wallace said the influences of

the Centieme concept car of 2003can be seen on proportion designcues on the Avenir. The Centiemealso emphasized interior design,a concept that had taken a backseat to other features. But fouryears later, some of that vehicle’sinterior cues could be seen inother Buick production vehicles.The last concept car to influ-

ence the Avenir, Wallace said, isthe Velite, which came out in2004. Besides using technologylike turbocharged engines, thisvehicle took its cues from previ-ous Buicks and included featureslike portholes and front fenderswhose look links back to thepast.“One look at the Velite and you

can see Buick’s DNA all over it,”Wallace said. “You don’t have tosee the tri-shield logo to knowthat car was a Buick. And underthe hood, it had a lot of horse-power. It wasn’t just pretty, andthis idea can be seen in the de-sign of the Avenir.”Smith said the Avenir reflects

not only Buick’s past, through de-sign cues taken from a variety ofconcept cars made over decades,but also the brand’s future.“GM chief designer Ed Welburn

pointed out that this is a vehiclethat designers around the worldworked on, and it’s true,” Smithsaid. “These days it’s much easi-er for different design teams indifferent countries to collabo-rate. And at GM we all know eachother.”This possible, Smith said, be-

cause since about 2000, GM hasmade a concerted effort to haveits designers work together.Smith, for example, is an Aus-tralian who’s worked at GM’s de-sign center in Australia and Ko-rea and is now based in Warren.He said his moving around for

the job is not unique and, as a re-sult, designers can use moderntechnology to communicate withpeople across the world they’veworked with face-to-face.Smith said that in the past

there might be a “national” styleof car design. Someone might beable to look at a vehicle and sayit was designed in the UnitedStates or Germany or Korea. Butnow vehicles are more designedaround the character of thebrand.“It’s not us in the United States

versus them anymore,” Smithsaid. “Really, it’s all us now.There aren’t enough of ‘them’anymore.”

Smith said that currently thereare no plans to make the Avenir aproduction model, but “neversay never.” It is possible, he said,

that if there is enough demandfrom the public, GMmight decideto take the vehicle from conceptto reality.



*GM Employee Pricing Plus Tax, Title, Lic. and Doc. No Security Deposit Required. Lease Conquest Rebate Must Have Non GM Lease In Household To ExpireWithin 90 Days Of Delivery Of New Purchase Or Lease. Loyalty Rebate Must Have 1999 or Newer GMVehicle InHousehold. Programs subject to change. Photos may not represent actual vehicle. Price is subject to change without notice. See dealer for details. Expires 2/28/15.

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1938 Y Job reflected the art deco airplane designs of the era.

1954 Wildcat II still influenced by planes, but this time jets of the 1950s.

2004 Velite showed classic Buick beauty a decade before the Avenir.

2003 Centieme was a return to beautiful interiors for Buicks.1985 Wildcat mirrored planes of the day – this time a “Stealth” fighter.

The 2015 Avenir is a concept car that’s influenced by all these Buicks.

Detroit and radio stationWXYZ have a storied history inthe radio industry and this willbe celebrated by MCC throughits “101 People, Places andThings that Made Michigan” ex-hibit.Larry Zdeb, radio historian

and Lone Ranger collector, willshare the history of WXYZ radioshows, including the LoneRanger.He will be joined by Shirley

Pate-Maylock, formerly ShirleyAnn Russell, who was a per-former on the Lone Ranger radioshow.The presentation begins at 11

a.m. on Friday, March 13, atMCC’s Lorenzo Cultural Center,located at 44575 Garfield Road inClinton Township. Pre-registra-tion is required to attend theevent. Call 586-445-7348 to re-serve a spot and return to thethrilling days of yesteryear.

The Lone Ranger Rides Again at MCC

From Out of the Past Comes the NewestBuick Concept, Preparing for the Future

MARCH 2, 2015 PAGE 7TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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$17,004*LEASE FOR36 MONTHS$89*$999DOWN

2015

NEWREGAL

PURCHASE A 2014FOR


$999DOWN

2015

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$999DOWN

2015

NEWENCORE

PURCHASE A 2014FOR

$18,660*LEASE FOR24 MONTHS$116*$999DOWN

2015

NEWTERRAIN

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$22,847*LEASE SLE-124 MONTHS$87*$999DOWN

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NEWENCLAVE

PURCHASE A 2014FOR


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NEWTRAVERSE

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NEWEQUINOX

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$21,687*LEASE LT24 MONTHS$119*$999DOWN

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NEWCAMARO

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LEASE FOR39 MONTHS$219*

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DBL. CAB15002WD

1LT

LS 1LS 1LS

NicoleDodge

[email protected]

JimPfeifle

[email protected]

DennisThacker

[email protected]

See us for your GM employee purchases.

1-866-452-130026125 Van Dyke at 101/2 Mile Rd.

Visit our website: edrinke.comSHOWROOM HOURS: Mon. & Thurs. 8:30am-9:00pm; Tues., Wed., & Fri. 8:30am-6:00pm

All prices and payments include GM rebates. Picturesmay not represent actual vehicle. Prices subject to change per GM incentives. Prices and payments are inclusive of active GM em-ployee discount (unless otherwise stated). All leases are 10,000miles per year with approved STier credit w/ $999 down (unless otherwise noted). Must have lease loyalty and/or con-quest. Must have closing competitive lease. For Sierra,must trade in ’99 or newermodel vehicle. Prices and payments are plus tax, title, plate fee w/ acquisition fee up front, refundablesecurity deposit required on certain vehicles – to be determined by lender. GM employee discount to everyone valid on certainmodels. $3,500 trade in is valid on 2004 or newer vehiclesw/ under 115kmiles in drivable condition,no branded titles. See salesperson for details. ** Certain restrictionsmay apply, see dealer for complete details. Exp date:3/2/2015. Paul

[email protected]

ED RINKE GM CARDOFFER– TOP OFF –UP TO $3,000

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All applicable rebates including lease/conquestoffershavebeendeducted fromsaleprice/payment.Picturesmaynot representactual vehicle. Pricessubject tochangeperGMincentives.Pricesandpaymentsare inclusiveofactiveGMEmployeeDiscount (Unlessotherwisestated).BelowGMPricingonlyvalidoncertain models. Equinox,TraverseandCamaroare all 24month leases.Volt,CruzeandMalibu are all 36month leases. Silveradoand Impala are 39month leases.All leases are10kmiles per yearw/ approvedSTiercredit w/ $999 or $1669 due at signing. Prices & payments are plus tax, title, and plate feeswith acquisition fee up front. Refundable security deposit required on certain vehi-cles –to be determined by lender. For Silverado,must trade in ’99 or newermodel vehicle. GM Employee discount to everyone valid on certainmodels. $3500 trade-in is validon 2004 or newer vehicleswith under 115kmiles in drivable condition,no branded titles, see sales person for details. **Certain restrictionsmay apply, see dealer for completedetails. Expiration Date – 3/2/15.

SHOWROOM HOURS:Mon. & Thurs. 8:30am-9pm

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Woodland Urgent Care22341 W. 8 Mile Road

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You’ll Get Your Tax BreakPlus 100’s if not 1,000’s More

General Motors has become asupporter of the U.S. Depart-ment of State Veterans Innova-tion Partnership (VIP), which of-fers military veterans a one-yearpaid fellowship in a U.S. Govern-ment agency.“We know that transitioning

from military to civilian life canseem like a daunting task, andwe want to do everything in ourpower to help them,” said KenBarrett, GM chief diversity offi-cer.“These men and women have

given so much for our countrythat they deserve our best ef-forts to make a difference intheir life.”Launched by the U.S. Depart-

ment of State in support of Exec-utive Order 13518 – Employmentof Veterans in the Federal Gov-ernment – VIP supports veter-ans’ transition to diplomacy anddevelopment careers by assist-ing with educational opportuni-ties to study international rela-tions; establishes fellowship op-portunities at U.S. Governmentforeign affairs agencies, and fa-cilitates international public andprivate employment opportuni-ties.GM employs thousands of mili-

tary veteran employees and hassupported the U.S. armed forcesfor generations, said GM spokes-woman Laura Toole.GM is a corporate sponsor of

the U.S. Chamber of CommerceFoundation’s “Hiring Our He-roes” program – which helpsreturning veterans and theirspouses find jobs – and a part-ner in a coalition of private sec-tor businesses dedicated tohiring 100,000 veterans by 2020.The company also established

GM’s Service Technical College,which offers free training to vet-erans and returning servicemembers to prepare them fortechnical and non-technicalentry-level roles in a dealership,Toole said.GM also assists veterans by

supporting The Achilles Free-dom Team of Wounded Veterans,which helps wounded veteransovercome injuries through ath-letics.“The Veterans Innovation Part-

nership is about recognizing notjust how the State Departmentcan help veterans, but abouthow veterans can help the StateDepartment,” said AndrewO’Brien, special representativefor Global Partnerships.“We want to tap into the im-

portant leadership and serviceexperience that they offer.“We are grateful to partners

like General Motors for theircommitment in making a pro-gram like this possible.”

GM Backs VetsTransition toCivilian Life

DETROIT (AP) – Fiat Chrysleris recalling nearly 26,000 midsizecars in North America to fixautomatic transmissions thatmight not shift into park.The recall covers the Chrysler

200 with V6 engines from the2015 model year. The companysaid manufacturing issues at aparts supplier’s factory cancause the transmissions to mal-function. Cars can roll away un-expectedly if the transmissionswon’t shift into park.The company said Feb. 26 that

owners should activate the park-ing brake before shutting off theengine, until repairs can bemade. There have been five cus-tomer complaints about theproblem, but no known crashesor injuries. Dealers will inspectand replace transmissions ifneeded. Customers will be toldwhen they can bring the cars in.

Chrysler Recalls2015 200s to FixTransmissions

MARCH 2, 2015TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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A Prestige AutomotiveGroup Company

Exclusive Service Offers and Coupons:OPEN SATURDAY 9:00AM-2:00PM

Service Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am-6:00pm

Visit our website: www.PrestigeCadillac.com for all our specials* Tax, title, license and dealer fees extra. No security deposit required. 30,000 miles with approved lease. Mileage charge of $.25 per mile over 30,000 miles.Lessee pays for excess wear and tear charges. All applicable rebates to dealer. Photo may not represent actual vehicle. ATS, CTS, XTS & SRX must show proof ofcurrent lease of a 2004 or newer GM vehicle and lease eligible new 2014 Cadillac. MRSP’s: ATS $38,240,ATS Coupe $41,440, CTS $48,340, XTS $45,595, Escalade$82,245, SRX $38,600. Due at signing ATS $3,059, ATS Coupe $3,819, CTS $4,109, XTS $3,179, Escalade $3,974, SRX $1,729. See dealer for details. Takedelivery by 3/2/2015.

FREE27 MULTI-POINTINSPECTION

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When it comes to renewableenergy, sometimes the answer,my friend, is blowing in the wind.

General Motors has an answerto that old Bob Dylan song.

For the first time, GM isprocuring wind to power its man-ufacturing operations, enablingone of its Mexico facilities’ elec-tricity needs to be run mostly onrenewable energy.

This addition of 34 megawattsof wind power allows GM toachieve its corporate goal of re-newable energy use four yearsearly, said GM spokeswomanSharon Basel.

Construction of the wind farmbegins in the second quarter ofthis year. When complete, morethan 12 percent of GM’s NorthAmerican energy consumptionwill come from renewable energysources, up from 9 percent, Baselsaid.

The company’s current renew-able energy use – comprised ofsolar, landfill gas and waste toenergy – totals 104 megawattsagainst a goal of 125 megawattsby 2020. The use of clean energyreduces greenhouse gas emis-sions and GM’s impact on cli-mate change.

Seventy-five percent of theenergy coming from the wind tur-bines will power most of GM’sToluca Complex sitting on 104acres, making it the company’slargest user of renewable energy,Basel said.

The remaining capacity willhelp power its Silao, San Luis Po-tosi and Ramos Arizpe complex-es. The use of renewable energyhelps these facilities avoid near-ly 40,000 tons of carbon dioxideemissions annually.

“Our commitment to sustain-able manufacturing processes isone way we serve and improve

the communities in which wework and live,” said Jim DeLuca,GM executive vice president ofGlobal Manufacturing.

“Using more renewable energyto power our plants helps us re-duce costs, minimize risk andleave a smaller carbon foot-print.”

It’s a sign of the times whenmajor companies commit somuch to environmental aware-ness, DeLuca said.

GM signed a power purchaseagreement with Enel Green Pow-er, which is developing and con-structing a massive wind farm inPalo Alto, Mexico, DeLuca said.The company’s use of 34megawatts of energy is equiva-lent to the power produced by 17wind turbines.

“Mexico is an ideal location forour first wind project,” said RobThrelkeld, GM global manager ofrenewable energy.

“Energy is fed to a nationalgrid, making it easier to reduceor add energy capacity at a facili-ty. There’s also a good businesscase as prices for traditionalpower are about a third greaterthan the United States.

“Once online, we’ll evaluatethe project to better understandhow we can expand the use ofwind power.”

GM, Basel said, is a foundingmember of the Business Renew-ables Center, a collaborative plat-form launched earlier this monthby the Rocky Mountain Institute.

The center aims to acceleratecorporate renewable energy pro-curement with a goal of nearlydoubling U.S. capacity of windand solar energy by 2025.

It’s all new and it’s for the envi-ronment as well as efficiency.

But, as Dylan said, “The TimesThey Are a-Changin’.”

GM Saves Energy with NewWind Turbines in Mexico

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