General Motors November Corporate Responsibility Newsletter
GM Reports Operational and Product Sustainability Progress
General Motors released an interim update to its inaugural sustainability report, including updates and analysis, along with regional metrics for environmental commitments, product quality, material issues and disclosure.
WASTE REDUCTION
GM’s Lockport Plant Achieves Landfill-Free Status
General Motors’ Components Holdings Lockport plant is the automaker’s 103rdfacility to achieve landfill-free status, reusing, recycling or converting to energy all waste from its daily operations.
A Moment of Waste Reflection: America Recycles Day
We at General Motors take waste reduction seriously. We have a total of 102 landfill-free facilities worldwide that reuse, recycle, or convert to energy all waste from daily operations. No other automaker has as many facilities contributing zero waste to landfill.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
GM, ABB Demonstrate Chevrolet Volt Battery Reuse Unit
General Motors and ABB showed the next stage in battery reuse, the repackaging of five used Chevrolet Volt batteries into a modular unit capable of providing two hours of electricity needed by three to five average American homes. The prototype unit provided 25 kW of power and 50 kWh of energy to power all the support lighting and audiovisual equipment in an “off-grid” structure used for the recent Electrification Experience event.
RESOURCE PRESERVATION
GM Earns Four More Wildlife Habitat Certifications
General Motors now manages nearly 2,500 acres of wildlife habitat across 25 of its global sites, four of which are newly certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council. GM has more such certifications than any other automaker.
GREENER VEHICLES
GM Plans 500,000 Vehicles with Electrification by 2017
General Motors will have up to 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification by 2017 with a focus on plug-in technology. GM is on track to sell more than 50,000 vehicles this year with electrification – between the Volt and eAssist light electrification technology on the Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Malibu. The 2014 Chevrolet Impala also will offer an eAssist model when he debuts next year.
GM Accelerates Electric Vehicle Development in China
General Motors is accelerating the development of electrified vehicles in China, as China has made electrification a key strategy. Electrified vehicles will play a critical role in efforts to conserve and ultimately displace petroleum as the major source of transportation energy. In September 2011, GM China opened the Advanced Materials Lab in Shanghai. The facility, which is part of the GM China Advanced Technical Center, is engaged in cutting-edge research on battery technology and lightweight materials.
Spark EV Delivers Exceptional Power, Fast-Charge Capability
The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV will set a benchmark for urban electric vehicles when it arrives in California dealer showrooms next summer by offering industry-leading EV power, outstanding driving range, and exceptional fast-charge capability. Not only is Spark EV quick for its segment, its industry-first SAE combo charger will allow DC Fast Charging of up to 80 percent of battery capacity in approximately 20 minutes. That capability, available shortly after market launch, also will provide EV range among the best in the segment.
A Battery of Apps: OnStar Debuts Future EV Solutions
At the GM Electrification Experience, OnStar showed two new apps to address the possible range anxiety of electric vehicles and the cost of public charging. Since the Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicle launched in late 2010, drivers have been able to manage vehicle charging, including the option to charge during off-peak hours through the OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App. As GM expands its electric vehicle line-up next year with the 2014 Chevy Spark EV, more drivers will be able to manage and control electric-only functions from their phone.
SAFETY
2013 Verano Continues Buick Five-Star Safety Streak
The Buick Verano compact luxury sedan recently received a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Earlier this year, Verano was named a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
GM and Partners Burn Rubber to Improve Fuel Economy
General Motors’ drive to improve vehicle fuel economy is expected to gain traction in January when GM engineers and scientists begin work with research partners to accelerate the development of tire technology at the new National Tire Research Center in Halifax County, Va. The world-class facility, to which GM contributed $5 million, uses state-of-the-art tire performance machinery that will enable automakers and tire manufacturers to replicate real-world emergency events and improve vehicle highway safety. By some estimates, tire design can help improve fuel efficiency by up to 7 percent.
PHILANTHROPY
GM Foundation Awards $200,000 Grant to the University of Michigan
The General Motors Foundation recently announced it awarded a $200,000 grant to the University of Michigan to support diversity initiatives and advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula and programs.
DIVERSITY
GM and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2013 Corporate Equality Index
General Motors made the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2013 Corporate Equality Index, the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT employees. This year, the CEI saw the largest growth in the survey’s history -- with 54 new businesses opting in -- proving that Corporate America is committed to LGBT equality. In addition, a record number of businesses, spanning nearly every industry and major geographic area of the U.S., ranked as top scorers on this year's CEI.
