(January 3, 2013) DETROIT — General Motors is the first U.S. automaker to sell more than 1 million vehicles in its home market in a single year that get an EPA-estimated 30 mpg or better on the highway test cycle.

“Our investments in advanced powertrains are clearly paying off, and our smaller vehicles are resonating with customers,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. “In 2013, we'll introduce new diesel, eAssist and plug-in vehicles in the United States and expand the availability of turbocharged four-cylinder engines.

“This will give us the most technologically diverse range of fuel-efficient cars and crossovers in the industry.”



Thirteen GM vehicles have at least one high-volume model that achieves 30 mpg highway or more.
     
        Vehicle        EPA Est. Highway Fuel Economy
1.     Chevrolet Spark              up to 38 mpg
2.     Chevrolet Sonic               up to 40 mpg
3.     Chevrolet Cruze              up to 42 mpg
4.     Chevrolet Volt                  up to 98 mpg/e
5.     Chevrolet Malibu             up to 37 mpg
6.     Chevrolet Impala             up to 30 mpg
7.     Chevrolet Camaro            up to 30 mpg
8.     Chevrolet Equinox            up to 32 mpg
9.     Buick Verano                    up to 32 mpg
10.   Buick Regal                      up to 36 mpg
11.   Buick LaCrosse                up to 36 mpg
12.   GMC Terrain                     up to 32 mpg
13.   Cadillac ATS                     up to 33 mpg
             
            Source:
            2013MY EPA Fuel Economy Guide

• Four Chevrolet cars — the Spark, Cruze, Sonic and Volt — achieve 30 mpg or better in EPA combined city and highway driving.

• Combined 2012 sales of GM’s mini, small and compact cars are expected to be up about 39 percent, driven by the launches of the Spark and Buick Verano, and the ongoing success of the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze and Volt.

• About 40 percent of GM’s vehicles by sales volume are powered by fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines – 10 percentage points higher than in 2010.

• GM’s two highest fuel-economy four-cylinder models are the 42-mpg Chevrolet Cruze Eco and the 40-mpg Chevrolet Sonic, both of which are powered by a turbocharged 1.4L ECOTEC engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

• Chevrolet and Buick dealers delivered more than 50,000 vehicles that use advanced lithium-ion battery technology. Chevrolet Volt sales totaled more than 23,000 units, making the car the country’s best-selling plug-in vehicle.

• Combined sales of the Chevrolet Malibu, Buick Regal and Buick LaCrosse powered by eAssist, which delivers EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of up to 37 mpg, totaled more than 30,000 units.

In 2013, Buick will launch the 33-mpg Buick Encore crossover, Cadillac will introduce the ELR extended-range electric vehicle and Chevrolet will expand availability of eAssist to include the all-new Impala. Chevrolet will also introduce a 2.0-liter clean diesel powertrain for the Chevrolet Cruze and a full-electric powertrain for the Spark.

The launch of the Spark EV will make GM the first company to build a complete electric motor and drive unit for a modern electric vehicle in the United States. By 2017, GM will have up to 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification, with a focus on plug-in technology.