We’ve covered what General Motors is doing both inside and outside their facilities to reduce and reuse waste, as well as invest in alternative energy sources. Today, we get down to the really fun stuff: the vehicles. Notice, I didn’t just say “cars” because at GM, your choices for environmentally friendly driving aren’t just limited to compacts. They have those, but if your life involves hauling a lot of cargo or people on a regular basis, you need choices. And GM’s family of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac has plenty to offer.

Material Innovation

Paint serves an important role in the form and function of a vehicle. It acts as a barrier from the environment, protecting all of the metal and other body materials of the car from the sun, dirt, and water. Previously, automotive paints had to contain harsh solvents to meet such extreme environmental demands. But Chevy has developed a water-based, primer, paint, and clear coat system that not only minimizes the use of solvents, but can be applied in a single baking process, saving energy. You can admire this innovative technique on the new 2012 Chevy Sonic. Same gorgeous shine, less chemicals and energy.

The Chevy Impala also features a new rear seat design, utilizing a blend of traditional and newly developed low VOC foam. This not only reduces the environmental impact, but helps make the overall car lighter, increasing fuel efficiency. As plant based foam technology continues to develop, GM can adapt it to other model lines as well. This is all part of the overall effort to leave no stone unturned in providing the highest quality vehicles with the lowest environmental impact possible.

Under the Hood

Today there are many options to power your vehicle. Chevy understands that different people have different requirements from the vehicles, and offer a variety of power options and models to accommodate everyone. From traditional gasoline engines that are so efficient their gas mileage rivals some competitors’ hybrids, to the all-electric Spark, coming soon, GM has you covered.

Today’s gas engines are stingy on fuel consumption, and much less picky about where it comes from. From the sub-compact Sonic to the crossover Equinox, the hardest part of buying a Chevy that gets over 30 mpg is deciding which one to get. GM also makes their vehicles with FlexFuel technology, allowing drivers to utilize E85 ethanol fuel in addition to traditional gasoline.

In addition to improved efficiency in gasoline engines, GM makes hybrid a Chevy Tahoe and Silverado as well as a Cadillac Escalade for those needing a lot of power without a lot of fuel consumption. These models are great for families as well as businesses to reduce fuel costs. An additional option coming in early 2012 is the compressed natural gas (CNG) Silverado. Compressed natural gas will give approximately the same gas mileage as traditional gasoline at about one-third of the cost. Public CNG stations are gaining momentum across the country, and GM is responding.

The final power option available is electricity. Use the same power it takes to turn on your lamp to go get groceries or commute to the office. Chevy introduced its Volt to critical acclaim in 2010, and to date no one has matched its unique combination of electric power with the convenience of taking longer trips by utilizing gas to recharge the battery. The volt can go an estimated 35-40 miles on a charge. Simply plug the car in at home, and if your round trip is less than 35 miles, you never use a drop of gas. If you need to go farther, you are generally out of luck with other electric models, but that is where the Volt is unique. Fill the Volt up with gas, and its efficient on-board generator will take you an additional 375 miles on one tank. If an all-electric option sounds appealing, Chevy will also be introducing their innovative 100% electric Spark in 2012. The Spark is just the latest in GM’s constant break-throughs in alternative energy.

No matter your lifestyle or price range, GM makes an environmentally friendly vehicle you can feel good about driving. You can feel even better know that you are investing in a company that is investing in the earth across all of its operations. When it comes to being green, Chevy really is an American Revolution.

Students make nesting boxes out of Chevy Volt battery covers

Previously we looked at General Motor’s commitment to green practices at its manufacturing facilities. They continue to work globally to reduce and re-purpose waste in order to become landfill-free at 100% of their plants. They are currently over halfway there. That is all well and good, but what about GM’s non-manufacturing facilities, not to mention the products they are producing at their improved facilities? Today, we will venture outside GM’s facilities, and see how the “Beyond Now” vision fits into company’s future. Finally, next time, we get to take a look at the green technology GM has put into the vehicles themselves.

Many of the initiatives implemented at GM’s landfill free manufacturing plants have been adapted to work at its distribution warehouses as well. One of the first, and not always easy, steps to take when starting a serious recycling program is having a way to separate all of that waste. By redesigning the way that large cardboard containers are attached to their wooden pallets, one facility is now able to save over $20,000 a year. Recycling has not only proven to be great for the earth, it help keep a company more resilient to the spikes in costs of raw materials. This means more of the cost of a vehicle goes into the parts, labor, and design, and you aren’t paying for the cost of cardboard boxes those parts were stored in.

GM has also been active in the community, committing to spend $40 million over the next 5 years on 16 different carbon emission cutting projects. The goal is to reduce Chevy’s carbon footprint by 4.6 million metric tons. The variety of projects chosen includes investments in wind farms, biomass energy production, and recovering waste heat from machinery that would normally be lost to the environment. This is a time of great innovation in potential alternative energy sources and General Motors has stepped up to be a leader in finding the best applications for the newest technologies. GM is already being recognized by the scientific community for their efforts.

“Chevrolet has shown tremendous courage to take on a carbon reduction commitment in a difficult political and economic environment. The company’s integrated approach – looking at process, product and consumer emissions – is absolutely the right way to ensure that efforts to combat climate change are not only aligned with but also support long-term growth.” — Mark Kenber, CEO of The Climate Group

Along with their large-scale efforts, GM has also taken a community approach to the green lifestyle. In April of this year, fifth grade students visited GM’s Baltimore operations office to put some of their recycling knowledge to work. They were taken dumpster diving by GM’s environmental engineers and brainstormed ways to repurpose what they found. In Detroit, students teamed up with facilities engineers to make nesting boxes for ducks and screech owls out of Chevrolet Volt battery covers. The students learned about recycling and their environment, while the ducks received a cozy home to lay their eggs, and battery covers were kept out of the landfill. Not a bad deal all around.

To conclude the series, next time, we get to the innovative green technology that GM is incorporating into their line-up of vehicles. From compacts to full-size workhorses, being environmentally friendly has never been so much fun.