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The year 2015 should be a strong year for the car industry and a strong year for General Motors. That’s what GM CEO Mary Bar- ra said in a small media round- table held at GM headquarters on Jan. 8. She said the company expects light-vehicle sales in the United “Chevrolet is putting the show back in the North American In- ternational Auto Show.” That’s how GM spokeswoman Cristi Vazquez described Chevy’s new display that features six 20- foot-tall, transparent screens with coordinated LED lighting and music. The display will tell stories about the brand’s cars, trucks and crossovers. Nine chapters in the new show will include highlights of Chevro- let’s dependability, performance, belief in the power of play, avail- able in-vehicle Wi-Fi technology through OnStar 4G LTE and oth- ers, said Vazquez. “We’ve reimagined the auto show by putting the show back at the center with state-of-the-art technology,” said Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer for Global Chevrolet. “The display is designed to connect with attendees and show how the brand continues to find new roads.” The center aisle, or Main Street, features the latest vehi- cles from Chevrolet the Corvette Z06, Trax and, of course, the Colorado, 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year. Main Street leads the visitor to the Chevrolet Theater that contains a massive, high-resolu- tion, 73-foot-long, 20-foot-tall display, and the latest introduc- tion, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt. A safety experience in the theater will show how Chevrolet vehicles are designed to prevent, protect and respond to help keep vehicle occupants safe. Next to the theater, virtual reality technology will provide a driving experience of crash avoidance technology like available Lane Departure Warn- ing and Forward Collision Alert. During select public days, re- gional organizations will present ways they are using ingenuity to make a difference in their com- munity during The Possibilities Project feature presentations. Participating groups include United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Greening of Detroit, De-Tread and others. The public will also have an opportunity to record a 20-sec- ond video with their ideas for a better tomorrow and share the video via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail or text. The display will also make visi- tors a part of the experience through social media, Mahoney said. Visitors who take photos with My Chevy View in the display can share them through their own social media accounts. Tech Center News VOL. 39 NO. 19 JANUARY 12, 2015 Covers the Tech Center and the Immediate Area WARREN, MICHIGAN go to TechCenterNews.com for Scrollable Version of this week’s edition [email protected] DETROIT (AP) – Confident in the economy and cheered by cheap gas, Americans are likely to push new car sales to their highest level in a decade this year. Analysts expect sales to reach 17 million for the first time since 2005. That’s close to the record of 17.3 million set in 2000. Low gas prices are giving buy- ers more confidence, whether they’re buying their first sub- compact or upgrading to a larger SUV. Gas prices started this year at an average of $2.23 per gallon, down 33 percent from the begin- ning of 2014, according to AAA. The Energy Department esti- mates that lower gasoline prices will save U.S. households $550 this year. Popular new vehicles, like the Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Out- back, are also drawing buyers. Sales have now grown for five consecutive years – a rarity in the volatile auto industry. While sales are growing, the pace has slowed from double- digit increases in 2011 and 2012. That’s good news for buyers, who can expect to see bigger dis- counts in competitive segments like midsize cars as automakers fight to steal sales from each other. Alec Gutierrez, an analyst with the car buying site Kelley Blue Book, thinks sales could stay in the 17-million range for the next two or three years if interest rates stay low and the U.S. economy remains healthy. December, with its holiday dis- counts and warmer-than-usual weather, brought buyers out in droves, with sales up 11 percent over the previous year. Automak- ers reported December and full- year sales last week. For all of 2014, sales were up 6 percent to 16.5 million vehicles, according to Autodata Corp. That was the biggest year for the industry since 2006. Back then – as now – the Ford F-Series was the country’s best- selling vehicle and the midsize Toyota Camry was the best-sell- ing car. The top-selling SUV was the Ford Explorer, but it was only No. 14 among all vehicles sold, ac- cording to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. In 2014, two smaller SUVs – the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape – cracked the top 10 in sales as customers turned away from small and midsize cars when car- like handling and low gas prices made such vehicles more appeal- ing. Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors all reported 2014 sales increases, and Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai and Honda re- ported record numbers for the year. Ford’s sales were flat, but the Ford brand remained the top- selling brand in the U.S. Among major automakers, only Volkswa- gen’s sales fell. Here are more details about 2014 and trends to watch for this year: • BEST-SELLERS: General Mo- tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands – sold the most vehicles in the U.S. in 2014 despite a scandal over the delayed recall of faulty ignition 2014 New Car Sales Likely To Approach 2000 Record 2015 Buick Encore 2015 Chrysler 200 2015 Ford Escape Workers lay the groundwork for the Detroit Auto Show’s Chevrolet display at Cobo Center. Mary Barra Barra Looks to ‘Strong Year’ for Auto Industry Chevrolet’s Display at NAIAS Goes Full Throttle CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 274,483 vehicles last month for the auto- maker’s best December sales in seven years, said GM spokesman Jim Cain. Total sales were up 19 percent compared to a year ago. Retail sales were up 23 percent and fleet deliveries were up 6 per- cent. GM Retail Sales Up 23 Percent Fiat Chrysler reported U.S. sales of 193,261 units, a 20 per- cent increase compared with sales in December 2013 (161,007 units), and the group’s best De- cember sales since 2004. The Chrysler, Jeep, Ram Truck and Fiat brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in December compared with the same month a year ago, said Fiat Chrysler Sales Up from Last Year Ford continues as America’s best-selling vehicle brand for the fifth consecutive year and the F- Series remains the best-selling vehicle for the 33rd straight year and best-selling truck for the 38th year in row, said Ford CEO Mark Fields. Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales totaled 2,480,942 vehicles in 2014, primarily due to the all- new F-150 changeover and a Ford and F-Series Keep No.1 Ranking

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Page 1: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

The year 2015 should be astrong year for the car industryand a strong year for GeneralMotors.That’s what GM CEOMary Bar-

ra said in a small media round-table held at GM headquarterson Jan. 8.She said the company expects

light-vehicle sales in the United

“Chevrolet is putting the showback in the North American In-ternational Auto Show.”That’s how GM spokeswoman

Cristi Vazquez described Chevy’snew display that features six 20-foot-tall, transparent screenswith coordinated LED lightingand music.The display will tell stories

about the brand’s cars, trucksand crossovers.Nine chapters in the new show

will include highlights of Chevro-let’s dependability, performance,belief in the power of play, avail-able in-vehicle Wi-Fi technologythrough OnStar 4G LTE and oth-ers, said Vazquez.“We’ve reimagined the auto

show by putting the show backat the center with state-of-the-arttechnology,” said Tim Mahoney,chief marketing officer for GlobalChevrolet.“The display is designed to

connect with attendees andshow how the brand continuesto find new roads.”The center aisle, or Main

Street, features the latest vehi-cles from Chevrolet – theCorvette Z06, Trax and, ofcourse, the Colorado, 2015 MotorTrend Truck of the Year.Main Street leads the visitor

to the Chevrolet Theater thatcontains a massive, high-resolu-tion, 73-foot-long, 20-foot-talldisplay, and the latest introduc-

tion, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt.A safety experience in the

theater will show how Chevroletvehicles are designed to prevent,protect and respond to help keepvehicle occupants safe.Next to the theater, virtual

reality technology will provide adriving experience of crashavoidance technology likeavailable Lane Departure Warn-ing and Forward Collision Alert.

During select public days, re-gional organizations will presentways they are using ingenuity tomake a difference in their com-munity during The PossibilitiesProject feature presentations.Participating groups include

United Way for SoutheasternMichigan, Greening of Detroit,De-Tread and others.The public will also have an

opportunity to record a 20-sec-

ond video with their ideas for abetter tomorrow and share thevideo via Facebook, Twitter,e-mail or text.The display will also make visi-

tors a part of the experiencethrough social media, Mahoneysaid.Visitors who take photos with

My Chevy View in the display canshare them through their ownsocial media accounts.

™TechCenterNews™

VOL. 39 NO. 19 JANUARY 12, 2015Covers the Tech Center and the Immediate Area

WARREN, MICHIGAN

go to TechCenterNews.com for Scrollable Version of this week’s edition

[email protected]

DETROIT (AP) – Confident inthe economy and cheered bycheap gas, Americans are likelyto push new car sales to theirhighest level in a decade thisyear.Analysts expect sales to reach

17 million for the first time since2005. That’s close to the recordof 17.3 million set in 2000.Low gas prices are giving buy-

ers more confidence, whetherthey’re buying their first sub-compact or upgrading to a largerSUV.Gas prices started this year at

an average of $2.23 per gallon,down 33 percent from the begin-ning of 2014, according to AAA.The Energy Department esti-

mates that lower gasoline priceswill save U.S. households $550this year.Popular new vehicles, like the

Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Out-back, are also drawing buyers.Sales have now grown for five

consecutive years – a rarity inthe volatile auto industry.While sales are growing, the

pace has slowed from double-digit increases in 2011 and 2012.That’s good news for buyers,who can expect to see bigger dis-counts in competitive segmentslike midsize cars as automakersfight to steal sales from eachother.Alec Gutierrez, an analyst with

the car buying site Kelley BlueBook, thinks sales could stay inthe 17-million range for the nexttwo or three years if interestrates stay low and the U.S.economy remains healthy.December, with its holiday dis-

counts and warmer-than-usualweather, brought buyers out in

droves, with sales up 11 percentover the previous year. Automak-ers reported December and full-year sales last week.For all of 2014, sales were up 6

percent to 16.5 million vehicles,according to Autodata Corp.That was the biggest year for theindustry since 2006.Back then – as now – the Ford

F-Series was the country’s best-selling vehicle and the midsizeToyota Camry was the best-sell-ing car.The top-selling SUV was the

Ford Explorer, but it was only No.14 among all vehicles sold, ac-cording to Ward’s AutoInfoBank.In 2014, two smaller SUVs – theHonda CR-V and the Ford Escape– cracked the top 10 in sales ascustomers turned away fromsmall and midsize cars when car-like handling and low gas pricesmade such vehicles more appeal-ing.Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and

General Motors all reported2014 sales increases, and Nissan,Subaru, Hyundai and Honda re-ported record numbers for theyear.Ford’s sales were flat, but the

Ford brand remained the top-selling brand in the U.S. Amongmajor automakers, only Volkswa-gen’s sales fell.Here are more details about

2014 and trends to watch for thisyear:• BEST-SELLERS: General Mo-

tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet,Cadillac and GMC brands – soldthe most vehicles in the U.S. in2014 despite a scandal over thedelayed recall of faulty ignition

2014 New Car Sales LikelyTo Approach 2000 Record

2015 Buick Encore

2015 Chrysler 200

2015 Ford Escape

Workers lay the groundwork for the Detroit Auto Show’s Chevrolet display at Cobo Center.

Mary Barra

Barra Looks to‘Strong Year’ forAuto Industry

Chevrolet’s Display at NAIAS Goes Full Throttle

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

General Motors dealers in theUnited States delivered 274,483vehicles last month for the auto-maker’s best December sales inseven years, said GM spokesmanJim Cain.Total sales were up 19 percent

compared to a year ago. Retailsales were up 23 percent andfleet deliveries were up 6 per-cent.

GM Retail SalesUp 23 Percent

Fiat Chrysler reported U.S.sales of 193,261 units, a 20 per-cent increase compared withsales in December 2013 (161,007units), and the group’s best De-cember sales since 2004.The Chrysler, Jeep, Ram Truck

and Fiat brands each postedyear-over-year sales gains inDecember compared with thesame month a year ago, said

Fiat Chrysler SalesUp from Last Year

Ford continues as America’sbest-selling vehicle brand for thefifth consecutive year and the F-Series remains the best-sellingvehicle for the 33rd straight yearand best-selling truck for the38th year in row, said Ford CEOMark Fields.Ford Motor Company’s U.S.

sales totaled 2,480,942 vehiclesin 2014, primarily due to the all-new F-150 changeover and a

Ford and F-SeriesKeep No.1 Ranking

Page 2: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – TheFederal government is finingHonda $70 million -- the largestcivil penalty levied against anautomaker -- for not reporting toregulators some 1,729 com-plaints that its vehicles causeddeaths and injuries, and for notreporting warranty claims.The Japanese automaker

acknowledged in November thatit failed to report the death andinjury complaints to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Adminis-tration over an 11-year period be-ginning in 2003. The company ad-mitted it learned of the omis-sions in 2011 but had waitedthree years to take action.Honda also failed to report cer-

tain warranty claims and claimsunder customer satisfactioncampaigns throughout the sameperiod, federal officials said. Thesafety administration is imposingtwin fines: $35 million for not re-porting the death and injurycomplaints, and another $35 mil-lion for not reporting the warran-ty and customer satisfactionclaims. Both fines are the maxi-mums the agency is legallyallowed to impose.Transportation Secretary

Anthony Foxx said the fines re-flect the government’s determi-nation to take a tough stanceagainst automakers who with-hold safety information from reg-ulators.“What we cannot tolerate and

will not tolerate is an automakerfailing to report to us any recallissues,” Foxx said.The Honda complaints include

incidents related to air bagsmade by Japanese auto supplierTakata Corp., as well as other de-fective parts. Honda has recalledmore than 5 million vehicles inthe U.S. since 2008 to fix a poten-tially fatal defect in Takata-madeair bags. The air bag inflatorscan rupture after a crash and in-jure occupants with shards ofmetal.Honda has agreed to pay the

fines under a consent order itsigned with the traffic safety ad-ministration on Dec. 29, federalofficials said. But officials said

they have not yet received all thecomplaints from Honda andtherefore don’t have a tally ofhow many deaths and injuriesare involved.

“We have resolved this matterand will move forward to buildon the important actions Hondahas already taken to address ourpast shortcomings in early warn-ing reporting,” Rick Schostek, ex-ecutive vice president of HondaNorth America Inc., said in astatement.The company blamed the

omissions on “errors related todata entry, computer coding, reg-ulatory interpretation, and othererrors in warranty and propertydamage claims reporting.”Foxx said information about

Honda’s failure to disclose thecomplaints also has been for-warded to the Justice Depart-ment. The Center for Auto Safety,a consumer watchdog group,called for a criminal investigationof Honda after the company’sfailure to disclose the complaintsbecame public.Clarence Ditlow, executive di-

rector of the center, said $70 mil-

lion is too small a penalty consid-ering that incidents involvingTakata air bags are among thecomplaints not reported.“How many other deadly de-

fects are concealed in the 1,729death and injury claims not re-ported by Honda?” he asked.“The company must waive allstatutes of limitations at thestate and federal level over po-tential recalls or lawsuits arisingout of defects concealed in theunreported claims.”Federal law requires automak-

ers to submit death and injurycomplaints to regulators as partof an “early warning” system foridentifying potential safety de-fects that can lead to a recall.The fine against Honda caps a

tumultuous year for automakersand federal regulators. Includingthe fine against Honda, the trafficsafety administration imposed

$126 million in fines againstautomakers in 2014, more thanall the fines in the agency’s previ-ous 43 years.In May, the traffic safety ad-

ministration levied the first maxi-mum $35 million fine in its histo-ry against General Motors fortaking more than a decade to dis-close an ignition-switch defect inmillions of cars that has beenlinked to at least 42 deaths and58 injuries.Under an agreement with the

Transportation Department, GMadmitted it was slow to informregulators, promised to reportproblems faster and submitted tomore in-depth government over-sight of its safety operations.But lawmakers and safety ad-

vocates have also accused thetraffic safety administration ofnot identifying dangerous safetydefects based on reports made.

TechCenterNews31201 Chicago Road SouthWarren, Michigan 48093

586-939-6800

Contact us:[email protected]

Deadline: Thursday 5:00 p.m.for the next edition of Monday

William Springer II, publisherLisa A. Torretta, operationsJim Stickford, news

Tech Center News is a trademarkof Springer Publishing Co., Inc.

www.TechCenterNews.com

PAGE 2 JANUARY 12, 2015TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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Honda Fined $70 Million for Not Reporting Complaints

General Motors kicked off thenew year by making two key ap-pointments to the Global PublicPolicy team.Dan Turton is named U.S. vice

president, Federal and Adminis-tration Affairs, and Bryan Roosahas been appointed executive di-rector for North America.Turton, 47, is responsible for

GM’s federal policy strategy andwill oversee GM’s relationshipswith all executive branch andcongressional officials, said GMspokeswoman Laura Toole.“With more than 20 years of

experience in government af-fairs, Dan is a proven leader andwill be pivotal in driving thelong-term U.S. federal strategyfor General Motors,” said BobFerguson, senior vice president,GM Global Public Policy.Turton will report to Ferguson

and will be based in the GM of-fice in Washington, D.C. Hismove is effective Jan. 12, 2015.“I am thrilled to join General

Motors and its Federal Affairsteam,” said Turton. “I look for-ward to continuing to buildstrong ties across both aisles inthe Congress, and with federalagencies, to advance the priori-ties of one of America’s most im-portant companies.”Turton joins GM from Entergy,

where he most recently servedas vice president of Federal Gov-ernmental Affairs and head of itsWashington office. At Entergy, hewas responsible for developingand implementing the compa-ny’s engagement strategies withelected officials and key policy-makers, Toole said. Previously,he held positions in the WhiteHouse Office of Legislative Af-fairs and the House Committeeon Rules.Roosa, 52, currently GM’s ex-

ecutive director of State Govern-ment Relations, will become theexecutive director for NorthAmerica, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Inthis expanded role, Roosa willoversee GM’s government rela-tions in Mexico and Canada, andwill continue to oversee thoseactivities at the U.S. state and lo-cal level, Toole said.“As the leading automotive

manufacturer in the UnitedStates, GM also plays an impor-tant role throughout the entireNorth America region,” saidRoosa.“I am excited to work with

GM’s outstanding teams in Cana-da and Mexico to foster impor-tant relationships with their gov-ernments and elected leaders.”Roosa joined GM in 2002 and

has served in a variety of roleson the Public Policy team. Hecurrently represents GM on theboard of directors for the Michi-gan Economic DevelopmentFoundation and the MichiganManufacturers Association.He also is a principal of the

State Affairs Group of theAlliance of Automobile Manufac-turers and serves as vice-chair-man of the GMPAC.Prior to GM, he worked as a

staff member in the MichiganSenate.

Turton and RoosaNamed to Key GMPublic Policy Posts

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Page 3: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

States to reach a range of 16.5million to 17.0 million units in2015.The last time industry sales

reached 17 million units was in2001. The industry delivered 16.5million light vehicles last year,Barra said.“The U.S. economy and vehicle

sales have been reboundingsince 2009, and we believe thereis still plenty of room for the autoindustry to grow,” Barra said.“The strength of the labor mar-

ket, better job security and therecovery in home prices haveconsumers feeling pretty goodabout the future, so we expectpeople will continue to replacetheir older cars and trucks. Therecent sharp drop in fuel pricesand rising incomes should onlyadd to their confidence.“The most important change

we see coming is the return ofyounger and first-time buyers tothe market.”Strong real GDP growth, Barra

said, is expected to create newjob opportunities in 2015 – asmany as 200,000 new jobs permonth. That should drive higherlabor force participation and bet-ter job prospects for recent col-lege graduates.Third-party studies reinforce

this view, said GM spokesmanJim Cain. Third parties includethe National Association of Col-leges and Employers, which saidin its “Job Outlook 2015” reportthat employers plan to hire 8.3

percent more new college gradu-ates from the class of 2015 fortheir U.S. operations than theydid from the class of 2014.“A growing jobs market and

new vehicles that exceed expec-tations for fuel economy andhigh technology are the bestways to rekindle the love affairAmerica’s youth have historical-ly had with cars and trucks,”Barra said.Barra said Chevrolet is particu-

larly well-positioned to attractnew customers in 2015, since ithas reentered the mid-size pick-up segment with the Coloradoand launched seven small carsand crossovers in the last fouryears, including the Spark, Sonicand Cruze, which all posted theirbest-ever annual sales in 2014, as

well as the Trax, which began ar-riving in showrooms in Decem-ber.The Trax, Barra said, is GM’s

small SUV that offers seating forfive with available all-wheel driveand EPA-estimated fuel economyof up to 32 mpg on the highway.It also offers an available

4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and SiriEyes Free control of the audiosystem with compatible smart-phones.The emerging small-SUV seg-

ment in the United States isestimated to grow more than 80percent in the next few years,Barra said.The Trax is already on sale in

67 global markets, where it hasgenerated approximately 188,000sales since its 2012 introduction.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

™TechCenterNews™

JANUARY 12, 2015 PAGE 3COVERS THE TECH CENTER AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA

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Michigan’s brutal winters hitthe homeless the hardest, so ArtVan Furniture is teaming up withCass Community Social Servicesthroughout January to collectshoes and boots for individualsin need.As part of the retailer’s “Shoe

In” campaign, the public is en-couraged to clean out their clos-ets and drop off pairs of new andgently used shoes at all of ArtVan Furniture’s Michigan loca-tions, said Art Van spokeswomanDiane Charles. Men, women andchildren with no place to live willbe able to literally step intosomeone else’s shoes and pro-tect their feet during the coldwinter months.“When temperatures drop, the

need increases for warm, water-proof shoes and boots for indi-viduals who live outdoors sincefeet that are cold and wet are atgreat risk for frostbite or worse,”said Gary Van Elslander, presi-dent of Art Van Furniture. “Wecannot stand by and wait for theother shoe to drop; the time isnow to help those in our commu-nity struggling to survive.”“When I was a child, my moth-

er would use the old adage thatwe should ‘walk a mile in theother person’s shoes,’” said Rev.Faith Fowler, executive directorof Cass Community Social Servic-es. “It meant, of course, that weshould try and understand theircircumstances. She wanted us to

develop empathy and compas-sion. What better way to respondto the immediate needs of home-less people than to provideshoes that will keep their feetwarm and dry.”Collection bins will be located

in Art Van Furniture’s 39 Michi-gan locations through Jan. 30,Charles said. Cass CommunitySocial Services, one of the ArtVan Charity Challenge partners,will distribute the shoes andboots to the homeless. For moreinformation, visit artvan.com.Cass Community Social Servic-

es (CCSS) is a Detroit-basedagency that works across thecity in areas of concentratedpoverty providing programs forfood, health, housing and jobs,Charles said. CCSS prepares andserves one million meals annual-ly and 325 homeless men,women and children currentlystay in one of the agency’s shel-ters, transitional house or per-manent supportive housing pro-grams.The collection is just part of a

larger effort by Art Van to helpthe community. In November,the company, working withGleaner’s Community Food Bank,collected a record-breaking20,701 pounds of packaged andcanned food to help feed familiesin need the holiday season.Approximately 17,000 mealswere served thanks to the dona-tions.

Art Van Kicks Off a WinterShoe Collection Campaign

Page 4: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

PAGE 4 JANUARY 12, 2015TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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spokesman Ralph Kisiel.The Chrysler brand’s 53 per-

cent increase was the largestsales gain of any its brand andthe brand’s best December salessince 2007. The group extendedits streak of year-over-year salesgains to 57 consecutive months.“Our best December sales in a

decade pushed our full-yearsales over the 2-million-unitthreshold for our best annualsales since 2006,” said ReidBigland, head of U.S. Sales.“Last year marked our fifth

consecutive year of annual salesgrowth in the U.S., and onceagain, we were the fastest-grow-ing automaker in the country.”Eleven Chrysler U.S. vehicles

set records in the month of De-cember, including all three RamTruck brand and three Jeepbrand vehicles.The Ram pickup truck, Ram

ProMaster and Ram Cargo Vaneach logged their best-ever De-cember sales. The Jeep Patriothad its best sales month ever,while the new Jeep Cherokee andJeep Wrangler logged their best-ever December sales.The Chrysler 200, Dodge Dart,

Dodge Challenger and DodgeJourney each posted their best-ever sales in the month of De-cember, Bigland said. The Fiat500L turned in its best salesmonth since it was launched inJune 2013.Full-year Fiat Chrysler sales

were up 16 percent in 2014, com-pared with annual sales in 2013,Bigland said.The Jeep and Fiat brands each

recorded their best-ever annualsales in 2014.Fiat Chrysler finished the

month of December with a 72-day supply of inventory (537,731units). U.S. industry sales figuresfor December are projected byFiat Chrysler to be an estimated17.3 million units Seasonally Ad-justed Annual Rate (SAAR).Chrysler brand’s increase was

driven by the new 2015 Chrysler200 sedan and the Chrysler Town& Country minivan, Bigland said.Sales of the 200 were up 187 per-

cent. For the second straightmonth, the 200 outsold com-bined 200/Dodge Avenger salesfrom the previous year. Sales ofthe Town & Country were up 10percent compared with the samemonth a year ago. It was theminivan’s best December sales inseven years.The Chrysler brand’s annual

sales increased 2 percent, com-pared with sales in 2013, Biglandsaid. It was the brand’s best an-nual sales since 2008. The Town& Country had its best annualsales since 2007.Sales of the Ram pickup truck

were up 32 percent in December;its 56th consecutive month ofyear-over-year sales gains. It wasthe pickup truck’s best-eversales for the month of Decemberand its top sales month during2014.Ram Light Duty pickup sales

increased 45 percent in Decem-ber while Ram Heavy Duty pick-ups were up 9 percent.The Ram Truck brand’s annual

sales increased 28 percent in2014, its best full-year sales since2005. The pickup truck turned inits best annual sales since 2003.Jeep brand sales were up 19

percent, the brand’s best salesperformance ever in the monthof December and its 15th consec-utive month of year-over-yearsales gains.Full-year Jeep brand sales

were up 41 percent, the brand’sbest-ever annual sales perform-ance. The Jeep brand sold692,348 units in the U.S. in 2014,handily beating its previous an-nual record of 554,466 units in1999.Fiat brand sales were up 1 per-

cent, the brand’s best-ever salesin the month of December.Three Dodge brand vehicles

set sales records in December.Sales of the Challenger were up72 percent, the muscle car’s best-ever sales in the month of De-cember and the largest percent-age sales gain of any Dodgebrand model in the month.Likewise, Bigland said, the

Dart and Journey each recordedtheir best-ever sales in themonth of December.

Chrysler December Sales UpCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

planned 15 percent reduction indaily rental sales.“With 2,480,942 vehicles sold,

that was flat with a year ago, buta lot of that is explained by 13weeks of downtime with ourF-150 plants as we move to thechangeover in 2014, and also a 15percent reduction in our dailyrental sales,” said Fordspokesman Erich Merkle.“We posted a gain in December

and it was our best sales monthsince 2005.“F-Series is still early on. The

2015 F-150 made up just over 5percent of the retail sales mix ofthe F-150s in December, butthey’re turning really fast ondealer lots. It’s the fastest turn-ing vehicle in our showroomsnow, with just an average of 5days to turn, so we’re doingeverything we can right now toget as many of the new F-150s outto market as possible.”Sales totaled 220,671 vehicles

in December, up 1 percent from ayear ago and the automaker’sbest December sales since 2005.“Fusion and Escape posted

record years, and our newestproducts – including Mustang,Transit and Lincolns – areattracting strong customerdemand,” said John Felice, Fordvice president, U.S. Marketing,Sales and Service.“Demand for the all-new F-150

also is very high, and it now isthe fastest-turning vehicle inFord showrooms.”Merkle said, “Fusion did a

great job, not only for December,but if we look at the year forFusion, we totaled 306,860 vehi-cles. That was the first time thatthe Fusion sold above the300,000 mark as well.”F-Series sales were 74,355 vehi-

cles in December and 753,851 ve-hicles for all of 2014.Escape sales increased 5 per-

cent in December versus a yearago – totaling 25,603 vehicles –for its best-ever December per-formance and record full-yearsales of 306,212 vehicles.Fusion also achieved record

performance for the year, withsales of 306,860 cars.Explorer sales totaled 16,632

vehicles in December, up 6 per-cent from a year ago, making2014 Explorer’s best sales per-formance since 2005, with189,339 utilities sold.Transit had a breakout month

in December, with sales of 10,030vans. This represents the vehi-cle’s best month since its Junelaunch.Transit Connect produced its

best sales month ever, with 5,012sales, a 32 percent increase froma year ago, Merkle said. 2014 wasa record year for Transit Connectwith sales of 43,210 vans.Sales of the new Mustang con-

tinue climbing, with Decembersales of 9,511 vehicles, a 66 per-cent increase from a year ago.With sales increases coming inall regions of the country, Mus-tang posted its best Decembersales since 2006, Merkle said.Lincoln sales of 9,690 vehicles

were up 21 percent versus last

December for the brand’s bestDecember results since 2009.For the full year, Lincoln sales

were up 16 percent, with 94,474vehicles sold, making it Lincoln’sbest year since 2008.MKC reached its best monthly

sales since launch, with 2,310sold. Navigator sales increased90 percent in December, with1,792 utilities sold.“We had our best December

sales for Lincoln since 2009, withsales up 21 percent. And, for theyear, Lincoln had its best salesyear since 2008,” Merkle said.

Ford, F-Series Keep No.1 RankingCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

DETROIT (AP) – General Mo-tors is recalling 92,221 full-sizetrucks and SUVs for a defect inignition lock systems that cancause safety problems in hotconditions.The first recall of the new year

covers certain 2011-12 modelsand 2007-14 models that were re-paired with defective parts.The affected models are

Chevrolet Silverado light-dutyand heavy-duty pickups; Ava-lanche, Tahoe and Suburban;GMC Sierra light-duty and heavy-duty pickups; and Yukon andYukon XL; Cadillac Escalade, Es-calade ESV and Escalade EXT.GM says the ignition lock actu-

ators may be too wide, makingturning the key difficult when it'shot inside the cab.

GM is Recalling92,000 SUVs andFull-Size Trucks

DETROIT (AP) – Subaru is re-calling about 199,000 cars andSUVs for a second time to fixrusty brake lines that can leakfluid and cause longer stoppingdistances.The recall covers the 2009

through 2013 Forester, 2008through 2011 Impreza, and the2008 through 2014 WRX andWRX-STI models. It affects vehi-cles in 20 U.S. cold-weatherstates where salt is used to clearroads in the winter. Subaru saysin documents posted Jan. 8 bythe National Highway TrafficSafety Administration that saltywater can splash on the brake

lines through a gap in the fueltank protector. That can causerust and leaks. A recall from lastyear for the same problem didn'twork due to incomplete repair in-structions to dealers.Dealers will fix the problem at

no cost to owners. The recall af-fects cars now registered or orig-inally sold in Connecticut,Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,Maine, Maryland, Massachu-setts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis-souri, New Hampshire, New Jer-sey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylva-nia, Rhode Island, Vermont, WestVirginia, Wisconsin and Washing-ton, D.C.

Subaru Recalls Same Vehicles

Page 5: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

JANUARY 12, 2015 PAGE 5TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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To ensure proper heating, GM engineers simulate snow year-round.

No one would call the 2015Chevrolet Cruze a car for babies,but that hasn’t stopped GM fromusing an item commonly foundon an infant’s changing table.“Diaper material is perfect

for testing for snow intrusionand packing properties,” saidNicholas Jahn, GM Vehicle Ther-mal Systems engineer.The material is used to simu-

late snow year-round, ensuringheating systems in cars like theCruze can quickly and efficientlywarm its interior.Packed snow on a vehicle can

prevent air from entering the in-let panel at the bottom of thewindshield, obstructing the flowof air into the heating systemand reducing the amount of air itcan push out, said GM spokes-woman Annalisa Bluhm.This can lead to less efficient

warming of the car’s interior andwindshield defrosting.“The last thing anyone wants

to do when it’s freezing cold outis scrape their windshield,” saidJahn.“The testing we perform on the

Chevrolet Cruze with the diapermaterial allows us to maximizethe car’s heating capabilities.”Ironically, Jahn said he acci-

dentally stumbled upon hisdiaper-based testing method in

the middle of summer.During a swim with his daugh-

ter, he noticed her diaper multi-plied in size when it came intocontact with water.After some research, he found

that sodium polyacrylate – theabsorbent material found in dia-pers – starts as a powder butturns into a snow-like substancewhen saturated.In Jahn’s test, he sprinkled the

reusable snow onto the air inletvents along the bottom of theCruze’s windshield, then startedthe car and let it idle.After a few minutes, Jahn re-

moved the inlet panel and in-spected how much snow wassucked into the system and howmuch of the intake vents re-mained blocked.Before discovering the materi-

al, Jahn said he had to either relyon Mother Nature to providesnow, or find a scheduled open-ing at one of GM’s state-of-the-artclimatic wind tunnels.Sodium polyacrylate, however,

can be used anywhere, he said,at any time, and in any season.Better yet, when the materialdries, it can easily be reused.A more efficient heating sys-

tem especially benefits thosewho use the OnStar Remote KeyFob services.

Improved In-Cruze HeatingCan Be Pinned on Diapers

ALMMII, the American Light-weight Materials ManufacturingInnovation Institute, will cut theribbon to officially open its newinnovation acceleration centerin Detroit on Jan. 15.The 100,000-square-foot facili-

ty is part of a national network ofresearch institutions and indus-trial companies geared towardadvancing America’s leadershipin manufacturing technology.The center’s focus is to accel-

erate the transfer of new manu-facturing technology from theresearch lab to the productionfloor for products using light-weight metals -- including alu-minum, magnesium, titanium,and advanced high-strengthsteel alloys, said ALMMII execu-tive director Lawrence E. Brown.An equally important mission

of the center is the training ofthe workers who will be usingthese new processes in factoriesand maintenance facilitiesaround the country.ALMMII is funded by the U.S.

Naval Research Laboratory, withstrong support from industrypartners and academic researchinstitutions. It will be led by in-dustry with input from the gov-ernment. The lead partners infounding ALMMII are the Univer-sity of Michigan, Ohio State Uni-versity and EWI, an independentresearch organization based inColumbus, Ohio.ALMMII established its head-

quarters in Detroit, Brown said,because it is the center of thelargest concentration of automo-tive research and developmentcenters in the world. The loca-tion places the center along I-75,an industrial corridor that con-nects states in which nearly halfof America’s manufacturingworkforce is located.

ManufacturingResearch GroupTo Open New HQ

Page 6: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

switches in older small cars. GMsold just over 2.9 million vehi-cles, up 5 percent from 2013.

• WINNERS AND LOSERS:Among major automakers, Sub-aru was the biggest gainer, withsales up 21 percent.

Fiat Chrysler was the year’sother big gainer, with sales up 16percent to 2 million, thanks tostrong demand for its Jeep andRam brands.

Volkswagen had a difficultyear, as sales fell 10 percentwhile the German automakerwaited for new vehicles to hitU.S. showrooms.

Mini also struggled as gasprices fell, with sales down near-ly 20 percent.

• SUV BOOM: Gas prices ac-celerated the switch from cars toSUVs. Light trucks, the category

that includes SUVs, outsold carsin 2014 – the first time that thishas happened since 2011, ac-cording to car shopping site Ed-munds.com.

That’s partly because auto-makers are offering more typesof SUVs, including fuel-efficientsubcompacts such as the BuickEncore, to appeal to young fami-lies and Baby Boomers. Thetrend is likely to continue in2015.

• LUXURY GROWTH: As thestock market rose, so did sales ofexpensive vehicles. BMW, Audi,Porsche and Land Rover all re-ported record U.S. sales in 2014.Lexus luxury sales outpacedmass-market sales last year, andthey’re expected to do so againthis year.

Luxury makers are offeringmore models, like the newMaserati Ghibli sedan and Lin-

coln MKC SUV, and they’re ex-panding their customer basewith lower-priced models like theMercedes GLK-Class and JaguarXE due out this year. Mercedes-Benz was expected to be the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S.for 2014.

• PICKUP WARS: Ford’s F-Se-ries, the best-selling truck in theU.S. for 38 years, saw sales dropin 2014 as the company tem-porarily halted production toprepare for its new aluminum-sided F-150.

The new truck arrived at deal-erships in December, but inven-tory won’t be at normal levelsuntil the middle of 2015.

In the meantime, rivals are of-fering big deals to lure customersaway.

Ram truck sales rose 24 per-cent in 2014, while Silveradosales gained 10 percent.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

PAGE 6 JANUARY 12, 2015TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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Clinton Township

586-868-2600

2014 New Car Sales Could Approach Record

Tickets are now available forthe Charity Preview of the 2015North American InternationalAuto Show.

The black-tie event will beheld at the Cobo Center in De-troit on the evening of Friday,Jan. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m.

“Proceeds directly benefit awide range of children’s chari-ties,” said NAIAS spokesman JoeRohatynski.

“Funds raised will supportservices for children of all agesfrom birth to 18. Since the year1976, the Charity Preview hasraised more than $91 million forsoutheastern Michigan chil-dren’s charities – over $47 mil-lion of which was raised in thelast 10 years alone.”

Tickets to the event are $400per person, of which $390 is taxdeductible, Rohatynski said. Toorder tickets, call 888-838-7500,or go to the Web site naias.com.

Money raised at the event willbe donated to several local char-ities, including the Boys & GirlsClubs of Southeastern Michigan,Boys Hope Girls Hope Detroit,the Children’s Center, the Chil-dren’s Hospital of MichiganFoundation, the Detroit AutoDealers Association CharitableFoundation Fund, the Detroit In-stitute for Children, the DetroitPolice Athletic League, the Jud-son Center and the March ofDimes Metro Detroit.

Event sponsors include FirstMerit Bank, Cars.com, ComcastSpotlight, Delta Airlines, theMGM Grand Detroit Hotel andCasino, MLive Media Group,WXYZ-TV, Abbott Nicholson At-torneys at Law, the AmericanChemistry Council – Plastics Di-vision, Centerplate, Dealer Re-sources Inc. and GovernmentConsultant Services Inc.

NAIAS Black-TieCharity PreviewSet for Jan. 16

GM employees looking to gettickets for the 2015 North Ameri-can International Auto Showshould contact members of ClubGM.

This year’s show tickets areavailable through the club for$10 for adults. Purchased at thedoor, tickets are $13 for adults.

Club GM stores will sell thetickets on Thursday, Jan. 15, andFriday, Jan. 16, and on Tuesdaythrough Friday, Jan. 20, throughJan. 23.

The tickets will be good onany show day between Saturday,Jan. 17, and Sunday, Jan. 25.

Those wishing to order bymail may send a self-addressedstamped envelope and check toLen Wernette, 26367 Middlebelt,Farmington Hills, MI 48334.Checks should be made payableto Club General Motors.

Club GM is SellingAuto Show Tickets

Page 7: WARREN, MICHIGAN - springerpublishing.comspringerpublishing.com/archive/print_edition_morgue/2015/...tors – with its Buick, Chevrolet, CadillacandGMCbrands–sold the most vehicles

JANUARY 12, 2015 PAGE 7TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

*GM Employee Pricing Plus Tax, Title, Lic. and Doc. No Security Deposit Required. Total due at lease signing 2015 Regal FWD $1672, 2015Yukon SLE $3060, 2015 Enclave-FWD $1646, 2015 Lacrosse Base -1SB $1670, 2015 Acadia FWD SLE-1 $1568, 2015 Sierra 1500Double Cab 4WD $1905, 2014 Encore $1667, 2015 Terrain $1665. *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 In Household.Programs subject to change. Photos may not represent actual vehicle. Price is subject to change without notice. See dealer for details. Expires 1/31/15.

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*Pictures may not represent actual sale vehicle. All applicable rebates including conquest and/or loyalty offers have been deducted from Sale Price/Payment and are subject to change by the manufacturer without notice and are plus title, tax and plate fees. GM Employee discount is required exceptwhere noted. Leases are 10,000 miles per year, and are plus title, tax and plate fees. GM Loyalty requires 1999 or newer vehicle. Auto Show Bonus Cash is on Cruze, Equinox and Malibu. Certain restrictions apply, see dealer for complete details on all incentives/offers. Sale ends 1/16/2015@ 6:00PM.

2015MALIBU “LT”• 2 Yr/24,000 Scheduled Maintenance INCLUDED!

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The Buick Achievers Scholar-ship Program is now acceptingapplications for 2015 scholar-ships.

The deadline is 5 p.m. ESTFriday, Feb. 27.

This is the fifth year BuickAchievers scholarships will beawarded to students who excelin the classroom and give backto their communities, said GMFoundation spokeswoman GennaYoung.

Special consideration is givento students who are female, mi-norities, first-generation collegestudents, military veterans andmilitary dependents.

To be eligible for the program,high school seniors or currentundergraduate students must beseeking a college degree in sci-ence, technology, engineering,math (STEM), or other eligiblefields related to the automotiveindustry.

“Our country is in need ofSTEM grads, as the focus on in-novation and technology contin-ues to sharpen,” said VivianPickard, president of the GMFoundation, which funds the pro-gram.

“Through the Buick AchieversScholarship program, we are

helping shape the next genera-tion of leaders and innovatorsfor the automotive industry andother sectors that are so impor-tant to the future of our country.”

For Buick Achiever, KetteringUniversity alumnus and GM em-ployee Frisco Pullom, this schol-arship provided the freedom tofocus on his education.

“My first semester after receiv-ing scholarship funds,” saidPullom, “I was able to removework and fundraising from myschedule, and I made the dean’slist for the first time in my aca-demic career.

“After graduation, I was able tosecure a position with GeneralMotors as a value chain engineer.

“It feels good to be able to con-tribute to a company that is com-mitted to helping students pre-pare for their careers.”

Since its inception in 2011, theBuick Achievers Scholarship Pro-gram has awarded more than $27million in scholarships to 3,400students, Young said.

This year, the program willaward 50 scholarships of up to$25,000 per year, renewable forup to four years – or five yearsfor qualified engineering pro-grams.

Buick Achievers ProgramReady for New Scholars

Based on its recent analysis oflithium-ion batteries for thetransportation market, Frost &Sullivan presented A123 Systemswith its annual award for Com-petitive Strategy Innovation &Leadership.

The 2014 Global Frost & Sulli-van award went to A123 becausethe company “extended the lifecycle of its lithium product whilesimultaneously adding reliabilityand safety,” said Frost & Sullivanresearch analyst Imran Khan.

While A123 Systems has his-torically offered solutions acrosstransportation, energy storage,and industrial segments, saidFrost & Sullivan spokeswomanMireya Espinoza, it recently soldoff its lithium-ion battery integra-tion operations for the energystorage sector to NEC.

Although it will remain a sup-plier of lithium cells to NEC, thischange in focus to end-user ap-plication will enhance its posi-tion in the engineering and man-ufacturing of lithium-ion batter-ies.

At the same time, Espinozasaid, this move will help the com-pany target the high-growthautomotive market, specificallythe micro-hybrid segment whereit already has three customers inseries production.

A123 Systems is also expand-ing its presence in the mass tran-sit market, another fertile seg-ment in transportation.

Demonstrating its dedicationto entrenching itself in the mar-ket, A123, Espinoza said, ac-quired rights to Leyden Energy'shigh-power technology and relat-ed technical staff.

As Leyden Energy specializedin developing lithium titanatebatteries that utilize non-flamma-ble electrolyte material, A123Systems is able to address a keyproduct safety challenge associ-ated with lithium-ion batteries,she said.

Given the demanding nature ofthe transportation segment, Es-pinoza said, “Frost & Sullivan ap-preciates A123 Systems’ continu-ous investment in R&D to im-prove lithium-ion battery capa-bility.”

A123 recently launched itsNanophosphate EXT lithiumproduct that offers substantialpower capability at low tempera-tures, while delivering longer life

at higher temperatures, said Es-pinoza.

“A123 Systems has effectivelyestablished itself as a lithium-iontechnology innovator,” saidKhan.

“Specifically, within the auto-motive segment, A123 Systems’lithium batteries offer more pow-er density, thereby helpingmicro-hybrid vehicle manufac-turers comply with regulationsaimed at boosting vehicle fuelefficiency.”

A123 Systems has out-strate-gized its rivals, Khan said, bymaintaining focus on the auto-motive and mass-transit seg-ments, which are less subject topricing pressures than the con-sumer market segments.

Similarly, A123 Systems’affiliation as a member of theWanxiang Group provides it witha solid manufacturing base inChina, which is a promisingmarket for lithium-ion batteriesacross a range of applications,including transportation.

“A123 Systems works closelywith its automotive OEM cus-tomers across the globe to devel-op solutions that address theirconcerns regarding battery capa-bility and safety,” said Kahn.

“Its decision to align resourceswith its core strengths, andacross high-growth markets,showcases its holistic marketingstrategy to meet internal andexternal stakeholders’ objec-tives.”

With its strong overall prod-uct, R&D, and marketing focuson the transportation segment,Khan said A123 Systems hasrightly earned the 2014 GlobalFrost & Sullivan Award for Com-petitive Strategy Innovation &Leadership.

Each year, Espinoza said, Frost& Sullivan presents this award tothe company that has leveragedcompetitive intelligence to suc-cessfully execute a competitivestrategy that results in strongermarket share, competitive brandpositioning and customer satis-faction.

Frost & Sullivan’s Best Prac-tices Awards recognize compa-nies in a variety of regional andglobal markets for outstandingachievement in areas such asleadership, technological innova-tion, customer service, and prod-uct development.

A123 Systems Earns AwardFor Extending Battery Life

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PAGE 8 JANUARY 12, 2015TECH CENTER NEWS - WARREN

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“Chevrolet was strong in everysegment of the market, frompickups and SUVs to cars andcrossovers. Buick and GMC alsohad strong sales across theboard, and our growth far out-paced the industry average,”said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice presi-dent of Sales Operations.“Everything you need to have

a great month was in place: Con-sumers felt good about the direc-tion of the economy, interestrates and fuel prices were low,and our dealers did a great jobintroducing customers to our in-credible range of new and re-designed vehicles.”Cain said GM’s unique three-

pickup strategy – with new mod-els spanning the light-duty,heavy-duty and mid-size seg-ments – drove combined deliver-ies to almost 87,000 units in De-cember, a 43 percent increasecompared with a year ago.Five GM vehicles – the Chevro-

let Corvette and Spark, the BuickEnclave and Encore and the GMCSierra – had their highest Decem-ber sales ever.Additionally, Seven GM vehi-

cles – the Chevrolet Cruze, Equi-nox, Sonic and Spark, the GMCTerrain, and the Buick Enclaveand Encore – had their best-everannual sales in 2014, Cain said.Sales to individual consumers

drove GM’s results, and were thehighest in 75 months, McNeilsaid. Chevrolet, Buick and GMCretail deliveries were up 25 per-cent, 28 percent and 29 percent,respectively, compared with a 10percent increase for the industryas a whole. Chevrolet had itsbest December retail sales since2005 and Buick and GMC hadtheir best December retail salessince 2004.GM commercial sales, which

are about 24 percent of fleetsales, were also strong.Deliveries were up 38 percent

compared with a year ago, driv-en by a 65 percent increase inpickup sales. Decembermarked the company’s 14th con-secutive month of higher year-over-year sales in the commer-cial segment.Additional December high-

lights (vs. 2013, except as noted)include strong Chevrolet sales.In the pickup market, dealers

delivered nearly 58,000 Silvera-dos, for the truck’s best Decem-ber since 2005.In addition, the Colorado saw

sales of more than 4,000 units, asavailability improved throughoutthe month.All of Chevrolet’s redesigned

SUVs posted double-digit gains,with Tahoe up 30 percent andSuburban up 16 percent, McNeilsaid.

In the crossover market, theTraverse was up 11 percent andthe Equinox was up 24 percent.In addition, dealers delivered 739new Trax small crossovers,which started shipping duringthe month.In the passenger car market,

Spark deliveries were up 76 per-cent, Sonic was up 23 percent,Malibu was up 9 percent and Im-pala was up 23 percent.

In the sports car segment, Ca-maro was up 32 percent andCorvette was up 18 percent.GMC saw Sierra deliveries up

31 percent to more than 23,000units. Yukon deliveries were up31 percent.The GMC Canyon, named

Autoweek magazine’s “Best of theBest” Truck for 2015, had sales ofmore than 1,500 units.Every Buick car and crossover

posted a sales increase, with thelargest gains posted by the En-clave, up 53 percent, for its bestmonth ever, and the LaCrosse,up 61 percent.In Cadillac, the brand saw

Escalade deliveries increase 62percent.Sales of the CTS sedan in-

creased 4 percent in December.GM has now posted 27 consec-

utive months of year-over-yearaverage transaction price (ATP)increases, said Cain.ATPs were a record $36,300, ac-

cording to J.D. Power PIN esti-mates through Dec. 21, up morethan $1,000 per unit comparedwith November and up about$3,000 versus a year ago.Incentive spending as a per-

centage of ATPs was 10.4 percentin December, down 0.8 pointsmonth over month, Cain said,while industry average spendingwas 9.8 percent of ATP, down 0.4points.Sales to government cus-

tomers were up 11 percent andsales to rental customers weredown 13 percent.On a volume-and-mix basis, GM

had its most successful year inthe fleet business since 2008, andwas No. 1 in deliveries, surpass-ing Ford Motor Company, McNeilsaid.GM estimates that the season-

ally adjusted annual selling rate(SAAR) for light vehicles in De-cember was 16.9 million.Light vehicle sales for the year

were an estimated 16.6 million,above the upper end of the 16.0million-16.5 million range thecompany forecasted at thebeginning of the year, Cain said.“The momentum the economy

carried through 2014 acceleratedin the fourth quarter,” saidMustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chiefeconomist.“Car-buying fundamentals re-

main strong and we expect high-er industry sales in 2015.”

GM Retail Sales Increase23 Percent in DecemberCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) – Like alot of high school students,Donavin Anderson wasn’t surewhat he wanted to do after grad-uation – and he knew the time todecide was closing in.A 16-year-old junior at Spring-

port High School, Donavin hasfound direction, guidance – and acareer – in a unique programthat’s uniting Jackson County’seducation and manufacturingcommunities in an effort to helpthe area prosper.The Jackson Area College and

Career Connection Early/MiddleCollege – called JAC3 for short –is being piloted in precision ma-chining and welding this year byDonavin and 19 other juniors andseniors from Michigan Center,Hanover-Horton, Napoleon,Western, Jackson, Grass Lake,Columbia and Northwest highschools.“This has given me direction in

my life,” Donavin told the Jack-son Citizen Patriot.JAC3 is a joint effort of the

Jackson Area Career Center,Jackson County IntermediateSchool District, Jackson College,Jackson Area Manufacturers As-sociation, Enterprise Group andmore than a dozen Jackson-areamanufacturers.“There are a lot of early/mid-

dle colleges across the state, butwhat makes ours unique is hav-ing industry backing it and in-vesting in it,” said Dan Draper,JACC assistant principal of ca-reer and technical education andacademic programs.JAC3 participants stay with,

and graduate from, their localschool district, as well as earncollege credit through dual en-rollment at JC that leads to a rec-ognized certificate program orup to the equivalent of an associ-ate’s degree.

Jackson Offers Early College