General Motors Corporate Responsibility Newsletter
September 2012
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
GM Named Top Solar User in U.S. Auto Sector
The Solar Energy Industries Association says GM is the No. 1 automotive user of solar power in the United States. It also ranks GM No. 13 in the top 20 solar-powered companies in the United States. SEIA, along with Vote Solar Initiative, determined the industry rankings by cumulative solar energy capacity.
GM’s Milford Proving Ground Builds Up its Solar Power
GM is demonstrating that this need for space is not always the case by breaking ground on a Solar Tracking Tree® at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. Envision Solar produces the trees that operate on a multi-axis tracking system, which allows it to capture 25 percent more solar power than a conventional array. The new structure will provide 30,000 kilowatt hours of solar power a year in addition to charging six electric vehicles per day.
WASTE REDUCTION
GM Scrap Vehicle Material Insulates Coats for Homeless
Leftover sound absorbing material from production of Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Verano sedans is being used by the homeless to create their own self-heated, waterproof coats that transform into sleeping bags. The weather protection gear is the vision of Veronika Scott, a Detroit humanitarian whose Empowerment Plan is working with General Motors for the source material.
General Motors Named Green Corporate Citizen
GM was named a Green Corporate Citizen Wednesday for its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. The recognition by Waste & Recycling News and Republic Services in the large company category came at the annual Corporate Recycling & Waste Conference.
Tonawanda Engine and Local Community Lessen the Landfill Load
GM operates 102 landfill-free facilities, using a dedicated process to reuse, recycle or convert to energy all waste from daily operations, and Tonawanda Engine has been a leader in this effort, operating landfill-free since 2005. In early September, the plant hosted an electronics recycling event to help teach community members a little bit about the landfill-free way.
GM Wentzville Adopts Green Construction
The GM Green Construction program has facilitated the recycling of more than 150,000 tons of waste since it began in 2011. The most recent GM Green Construction site, GM’s Wentzville Assembly Plant, has reduced its weight of construction debris by 80 percent, to date.
Small Changes in Engine Testing Make a Big Difference
One of the keys to General Motors’ waste reduction success is empowering employees to come up with creative solutions for waste streams. An example of this is the engine fittings (pipe-like hardware connectors) at the Powertrain Engineering Development Center in Pontiac, Mich. This new process has resulted in a savings of $130,000 through the end of June 2012.
GREENER VEHICLES
Design, Engineering Contribute to ATS Fuel Economy
Cadillac’s award-winning 2013 ATS sport sedan with the new 272 horsepower 2.0L Turbocharged engine recently received an EPA fuel economy rating of 21 city and 31 highway mpg, evidence that its lightweight and aerodynamic design marries high performance and fuel efficiency. The ATS is available with three engine options. The standard 2.5L four-cylinder engine with 202 horsepower offers an EPA rated 22 city and 33 highway mpg. The top-of-the-line 3.6L V-6 and 321 horsepower offers an EPA tested 19 city and 28 highway mpg.
GM Welding Breakthrough Enables More Use of Aluminum
General Motors Research & Development has invented an industry-first aluminum welding technology expected to enable more use of the lightweight metal on future vehicles, which can help improve fuel economy and driving performance.
SAFETY
Cadillac ‘Virtual Bumpers’ Can Help Avoid Crashes
Three new Cadillac models, including the ATS sport sedan, have a new advanced safety system that can automatically stop the vehicle in low-speed conditions to help avoid crashes. Cadillac’s Front and Rear Automatic Braking acts like a “virtual bumper,” slamming on the brakes as a last resort to help drivers in heavy traffic or even in parking lots and driveways where the driver might fail to see another vehicle or object in his path.
15-Year Partnership Drives Safety Education
The General Motors Foundation, General Motors and Safe Kids Worldwide this week celebrate 15 years of the Buckle Up program that has helped reach millions of parents and caregivers and their young passengers during a rapid evolution in auto safety technology. Safe Kids, the GM Foundation and GM continue efforts to keep children and families safe in and around cars through the Buckle Up program, the nation’s most extensive multifaceted child passenger safety program.
RESOURCE PRESERVATION
Guest Post: Corporations Must Lead the “Green” Way In Their Communities
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality presented General Motors with six Neighborhood Environmental Partner awards to Flint Assembly, Flint Metal Center, Orion Assembly, Lansing Delta Township Assembly, Warren Transmission and Romulus Engine.
Chevrolet GREEN Educator Award
We recently recognized ten outstanding environmental educators with the Chevrolet GREEN Educator Award presented by Earth Force and the General Motors Foundation.
Michigan Recognizes GM’s Local Environmental Leadership
General Motors continues to lead all Michigan organizations in Neighborhood Environmental Partner awards, receiving six more acknowledgements of superior community environmental projects and partnerships from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
PHILANTHROPY
Chevrolet Continues to Support Breast Cancer Fight
Chevrolet and General Motors employees, dealers and customers are again uniting against breast cancer, hoping to exceed the nearly $1.1 million raised by the American Cancer Society in 2011 through Chevrolet’s nationwide grassroots support of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks and other activities.
Buick Achievers Awards 1,100 Scholarships Nationwide
The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program, funded by the General Motors Foundation, recently announced scholarships totaling approximately $4.2 million to 1,100 recipients during the NBC News Education Nation Summit in New York City. The students, who come from all 50 states, were honored for excelling in the classroom and the community. They will receive financial resources to pursue a college degree within the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), or other related fields of study.
Robot Helps GM Foundation Donate $110,000 to Kettering University
Recently, GM Manufacturing Manager Gerald Johnson employed the assistance of a robot to deliver a GM Foundation check for $110,000 to the president of Kettering University. With more than 800 people and dozens of robots in attendance at the annual FIRST Robotics Kettering Kickoff event in Flint, Johnson handed the check to Admiral, a robot built and programmed by the EngiNERDs, a GM-sponsored FIRST Robotics team from Grand Blanc High School.
