Testing on early models of the Chevrolet Volt -- an extended-range electric car that begins production in November -- shows that it is generally hitting its 40-mile goal of running on electricity before the gasoline generator kicks in, Tim Higgins reports. Although terrain and weather have an impact on range, Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah says he's "very confident that the batteries are delivering the energy that they need to deliver and that the vehicle's efficiencies are where it should be." General Motors said yesterday that it would invest $8 million to …

Gatorade is hoping to reverse its precipitous 15.5% volume decline last year with a new marketing campaign, a revamped lineup including before- and after-workout drinks, and an appeal to an expanding target such as surfers, dancers and acrobats, as well as teens, Natalie Zmuda reports. A campaign launching later this month will focus on educating consumers about new products, particularly two new lines -- G Series and G Series Pro -- that offer athletes solutions for pre-, during- and post-activity. "Different consumers have different nutritional needs on game day vs. training days," says Gatorade CMO Sarah Robb-O'Hagan. "What …

A restaurant consultant who says he's seen an internal McDonald's memo claims that headquarters is encouraging franchisees to remodel their establishments by sweetening the financial pot when their contract is up, Kathy Bergen reports. The goal, he indicates, is to create a Starbucks-like experience where people will feel comfortable lingering and, of course, spending. Franchise consultant Richard Adams says a new pilot program offers a higher level of corporate financial assistance to franchisees than before, and that the company hopes an additional 400 to 600 restaurants will remodel over the normal annual rate of 300 to 400. …

Nintendo feels its forthcoming 3-D model, which will compete against Sony's PlayStation Portable and Apple's iPad, will be its biggest portable product introduction since 2004, report Pavel Alpeyev and Adam Satariano. Last month, Nintendo said that the 3DS player would allow users to see 3-D images without the need for special glasses but it is withholding further product details until the E3 trade show in Los Angeles in June. "We have ideas of what we want to bring to the consumer that we can't do with the current" DS model, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime says. "The Nintendo …

Love the headline, and Tyler Grey's arch coverage of Microsoft's presentation for the new "teen-tastic" device.

"What's got eight wheels and fries?" asks Bruce Horovitz. "A roller-skating carhop." And, after a few decades' hiatus, they may be coming back to a fast-food joint near you, he reports. A few weeks ago, the 3,500-unit Sonic rolled out a national ad campaign featuring four roller-skating employees. Carhops were common at the chain in the 1960s and '70s, but they were jettisoned in the '80 and '90s. And last week, the 48-unit Ruby's opened its first location with skates-wearing carhops in Anaheim and is considering a second in nearby Orange. "The only thing left these days is …

Several big consumer-products manufacturers -- including Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Kimberly-Clark and Clorox -- are ready to spend heavily to convince consumers to try their "new and improved," premium-priced products ranging from diapers to toothpastes to razors, Ellen Byron and Suzanne Vranica report. P&G plans a 20% increase in "consumer impressions" during the fiscal year ending June 30. Colgate CEO Ian Cook told analysts at a conference in February that advertising would grow both on an absolute basis and as a ratio to sales. Kimberly-Clark CMO said in March that there would be "a significant uptick in our …