GM Aims to Cut Weight of Its U.S. Lineup by 15%

General Motors Co. seeks to reduce the weight of its North American vehicles by as much as 15% by the 2016 model year, says CEO Dan Akerson.

Akerson tells an energy conference in Houston, Tex., that GM estimates that a 10% cut in curb weight boosts fuel economy about 6.5%. He notes that the company is investing in such materials and technologies as carbon fiber, nano-structured steel and resistance spot welding for aluminum components.

Akerson also says GM is developing an electric vehicle with a range of as much as 200 miles. He says the company's combined fuel-saving efforts, which also include hybrid models and more efficient piston engines, will save 12 billion gallons of fuel in the U.S. during the life of GM vehicles built between 2011 and 2017.

Akerson urges the Obama administration to appoint a blue-ribbon panel of energy users and producers to develop a 30-year national energy policy. He says country needs a "sustainable consumer-driven" policy on developing energy sources, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and shrinking America's trade deficit.