Source: Chevrolet’s YouTube Channel

However, Californians who drive conventional hybrids should be aware that another bill, SB 535 is being reviewed by the state legislature right now, and if that one is signed into law, while the carpool lane privileges currently set to expire on January 1st of next year will be extended through July 31st, 2011, they will not be extended beyond that point. Also in the bill is an incentive offered to 40,000 owners of plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma, which are currently excluded from solo diamond lane access.

While the law only applies to California, other states with similar provisions for their carpool / HOV lanes, states like Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Virginia, might follow suit. Essentially this means 85,000 California hybrids will be banned from carpool lanes when driven solo, in order to make room for more electric cars.

While some commuters love the ability to use the carpool lane without penalty, there is no certainty about whether or not such incentives actually promote the use of greener cars.

When the paper ran the story, GM apparently responded, claiming to understand that there was an “emotional debate” to the name useage, and embracing use of the nickname by customers…as well as admitting that the memo was not well-written. While the note was not signed by GM’s new marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, formerly of Nissan, but it was signed by Alan Batey, vice president of Chevrolet sales and service, and Jim Campbell, the division’s vice president of marketing.

The text of the memo is, in part:

“We’d ask that, whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward …

“When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple, for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding … Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.”

After the Times noted that “Coke” is short for “Coca-Cola” and cited an expert’s opinion that the GM initiative was counter to the trend of casual branding (i.e. KFC for Kentucky Fried Chicken), Autoblog also got into the fray, stating, “We feel that the Coke comparison GM uses in the memo is ultimately rather apt, given that the idea of memory-holing ‘Chevy’ as part of some absurd branding exercise seems destined to be a failure on the level of New Coke.”

GM, in turn, responded, “We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products. In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process.”

The perfect cap to this story? There’s a postscript to the memo which mentions a plastic can in the hallway and says, “Every time someone uses ‘Chevy’ rather than Chevrolet,” an employee is expected to pay a quarter.

But brand consistency should begin at home, and, as Automotive News points out:

GM’s own Twitter page says “Talking Chevy One Tweet at a Time.” It has also sponsored links on Google driving folks to the Web site by calling it “The Official Chevy Site.”

In addition, the URL “chevy.com” redirects Web users to the full brand name.

That’s going to add up to a LOT of quarters…

In order to connect, passengers must posses a SIM card with a data plan, or a Bluetooth-enabled phone that is capable of being tethered to the car’s “infotainment” system. Audi is not charging any fees, so the only cost, other than the price to add the accessory, is whatever your wireless carrier charges for the use of data.

Audi has yet to determine availability and pricing for the system here in the United States, but representatives of the company say that the mobile internet option will likely be offered on American models.

For those who feel the Audi A8’s pricetag is a bit steep, but still want to keep the ‘net at their fingertips while traveling, mobile internet solutions have been built into the latest version of Ford Sync, and are available via dealer-installed accessories in the Cadillac CTS and various Chrysler vehicles.

According to the folks at Audi, details about the system’s U.S. availability and pricing have yet to be determined. However, they say the mobile internet option will very likely be offered on American A8s.

The survey, which was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, rated Honda, as well as Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet, Toyota, Hyundai and Chrysler. 1,700 consumers, representing a nationally representative sample of adults with at least one vehicle in their household, were interviewed via phone calls, and asked to share their perceptions of customer service and quality commitment.

Honda scored at the top – overwhelmingly so – in both categories, scoring 71% and 73% respectively, with Ford and Nissan in the second and third positions. In fifth place (surprisingly high, considering the woes the Japanese automaker has been going through) was Toyota, with Hyundai and Chrysler trailing the others by a large margin.

Here’s an image of the actual survey results:

TGC already produces hydrogen and synthetic natural gas, and will use its 1,000-mile utility pipeline system to help establish the fueling stations.

Charles Freese, executive director of GM Global Fuel Cell Activities said in a statement to the press, “This is the type of enabler that a hydrogen transportation infrastructure needs because it addresses both the source of the hydrogen and a feasible way to deliver it for fuel cell vehicle use. The Hawaii infrastructure could eventually support tens of thousands of fuel cell vehicles.”

The state of Hawaii has already committed to reducing its petroleum consumption by seventy percent over the next several years, and a new hydrogen fueling infrastructure is likely to play a significant part in meeting that goal, but right now, only a single hydrogen-powered vehicle – a modified Chevrolet Equinox leftover from GM’s Project Driveway initiative – exists on the island of Oahu.

Jim Campbell, U.S. vice preside for Chevrolet marketing shared in a statement, “We thank Campbell-Ewald for their many years of dedicated and loyal service on the Chevrolet brand and for the many campaigns such as See the USA in your Chevrolet, The Heartbeat of America, Like a Rock and American Revolution.” He continued, “Over the coming months we will transition the business to Publicis Worldwide, which has recently been handling our car and crossover brands.”

Campbell-Ewald has been working with Chevy since 1919, and after doing initial work on the brand became the agency of record in 1922. This makes Chevrolet the ad company’s oldest and largest account, but last year, GM allowed other agencies to tackle some of the work for the Chevrolet brand, and the accounts for the Malibu, Equinox, and Traverse were moved to the American offices of the Paris-based Publicis Groupe SA, which owns Worldwide.

Campbell-Ewald, which began doing business this year under the new label “C-E” is owned by Interpublic Group, and is based in Detroit.

Source: Automotive News.

According to GM spokesman Alan Adler, its vehicles either have brakes strong enough to allow a stop within 554 feet when traveling at 60 mph, or have override systems. Models sporting brake overrides already include the Cadillac CTS-V and STS-V, the Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro V8, Malibu L4, Colorado V8, Cobalt and HHR, and the GMC Canyon V8. He also said that adding the overrides to more of his company’s models will require the activation of a GM-developed algorithm that each vehicle’s brake system already includes.

In a statement to the press, GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens said that installing this technology would give extra reassurance to consumers. Adding brake-overrides will also help GM be better prepared for any regulatory changes that may be caused by the aftermath of Toyota’s issues. Last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that his agency may propose mandatory brake-override systems on all new vehicles. At that time only GM and Honda, among all major auto manufacturers, were without such systems – or firm plans to implement them – in their vehicles.

Automotive News reports that Toyota has issued a statement as well, stating that it will be installing brake-overrides on seven current models, and will introduce the system on all models for the American market by next year. Currently, about one-fifth of the U.S. Toyota vehicles sport this technology.

Speaking at an event on February 5 to promote the all-electric Nissan Leaf, Houston mayor Annise Parker said, “We are the Petro Metro, but we are also a car city. To have an electric vehicle that appeals to a car culture will make the real difference for market penetration.”

The Leaf, a five-passenger vehicle that can travel 100-miles on a single charge, hopes it will be that car, not just for Houston, but for other cities like San Francisco, that are actively forging alliances with car makers and power companies. These metropolitan areas don’t just want to bring EVs to their streets, they want to see electric charging stations to their street corners.

In Houston, Nissan has brokered a deal with both the city and Reliant Energy to construct public charging stations. These efforts are key in overcoming the doubts of would-be buyers fearful of being stranded with no juice under the hood.

General Motors will be debuting its much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt later this year, and partnerships like the one Nissan has struck with the city of Houston could be key to the car’s success. The Houston metropolitan area has about 4.5 million cars and trucks ticking off approximately 86 driving miles a day.

Promoting the EVs in tandem with charging stations is a win/win for all concerned. Thanks to the recession, power utilities in the United States have seen demand drop off about 5% over the past two years. Widespread adoption of electric vehicles serves multiple masters:

• It gives the auto industry exciting new products.
• Electric vehicles cater to environmental concerns.
• EVs will help lessen our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
• Charging stations will generate jobs in cities where they are located.
• Cities like Houston with air-quality problems will gain access to more federal funds if they can cut emissions.
• A new area of electrical use will reclaim some lost profits for the power utilities.

Critics of electrical vehicles have long pointed to the lack of infrastructure as a significant stumbling block to the cars’ practicality. Partnerships with cities and power companies who have their own problems to solve could make that criticism go away, and give products like the Leaf and the Volt the leg up they need to be real contenders in the world of alternative-powered vehicles.