Записи с меткой ‘Chevrolet’

100 Mpg Volt Certification? Gm Says it is Possible!

The most anticipated all-new vehicle in years is arguably the Chevrolet Volt, a rechargeable electric car that General Motors expects to sell to the driving public beginning some time in 2010. Even before the year ends, GM will have pre-production test Volts on the road, some fifty models which will be put through the paces to see how the car performs in all road and weather conditions.

Now, GM is working hard to make sure that the Volt achieves a previously unreached threshold: the company is working with California officials to ensure that the car gets a fuel economy rating of at least 100 mpg when it is released, a feat that would bring the car a lot of attention and help the automaker meet lofty Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fleet mandates.

According to published reports, GM has reached a preliminary agreement with the California Air Resources Board about how to assign its Chevy Volt in terms of emissions standards. This move will allow GM to make a case for the car’s unusual fuel mileage, especially as the Volt will run on all-electric power for 40 miles before an economical 1.4L gas engine kicks in.

Determining a measuring standard for any hybrid is difficult enough, but for plug-in hybrids — which get a significant portion of their energy from the electrical grid — the standards are a bit more complex. For example, unlike the Toyota Prius which relies on regenerative braking and the gasoline engine to recharge the battery, the lithium-ion pack powering the Chevrolet Volt must get its “juice” from electrical outlets.

In a best case scenario, owners of the Volt would never need to rely on the gasoline engine, driving their fuel consumption down to zero. California, which will be the first state to certify the Volt and have an impact on how the federal EPA certifies the car, is working on a formula which will properly reflect the car’s ability to travel great distances on a single gallon of gasoline. GM wants that number to be high and it looks like the state of California agrees and will issue a policy report within the next few months to help GM determine the car’s fuel economy.

GM says that the Volt will take eight hours to fully recharge when plugged in, but that it could take as few as three hours with a 240-volt outlet. The company is working with state and local governments as well as private industry to develop dedicated electrical stations so that owners can recharge their Volts while on the road. If the technology is a success, GM could be at the vanguard of an effort to change the way that people drive and what fuel sources they rely upon.

(Source: The Detroit News)

Lake County Chevy News: Volt Passes Cold Weather Test

It is a standard deal in the automotive community: put your car to the test in the most extreme of climates before you put it on the market and in the hands of paying customers. And the coming debut of the Chevrolet Volt is an especially important one; with eco-friendly drivers and fuel efficiency pundits crying out for electric fuel technology, the Volt’s launch will have to be perfect before the innovative new car reaches Lake County Chevrolet dealers. You know as well as I do; if Chevy messes this one up, the manufacturer is in for a world of hurt.

Why, the unsuspecting consumer asks? It’s simple, my friend. While the shift of the industry towards fuel efficiency was inevitable, manufacturers across the globe are taking huge risks in order to differentiate themselves from the competition. We have seen risks pay off – like Toyota’s investment in the industry-leading Prius – and we have seen those same risks self implode, as is clear with Toyota’s recent recalls of Prius models. Lake County Chevy dealers are crossing their fingers for the safe, smooth inception of the brand new Volt model, which will hopefully be hitting dealerships this year.

In terms of functionality, testing the new Volt out in all climates and terrains is a crucial step in getting it right. From GM’s perspective, the smooth inception of the Volt into global markets is not only crucial – it is completely necessary for the survival of the manufacturer’s business. Even your Lake County used car dealer will tell you about the falling loyalty and confidence in the Chevrolet brand, a fact made deathly clear in the government’s bailout of the Detroit “Big Three” contender. Still, your Lake County Chevrolet dealership understands that the Volt could be a huge step forward in winning back some of the customers lost over the recession.

In order to make absolutely sure the Volt is ready for production, GM announced during the Olympics that it shipped a fleet of test vehicles to the frigid tundra of Kapuskasing, a region about 500 miles to the northwest of Toronto. While they won’t have a chance to enjoy Volt sales for a few years, your Lake County used car dealer is excited to find out the results of the cold weather testing because they could mean the difference between an on-time production of Chevy’s first electric vehicle and a stall in its launch.

For Lake County Chevy drivers, the future hangs in the balance. The temperatures in Kapuskasing were a freezing 23-degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the testing. The Volt is also fresh off of testing in Death Valley, where temperatures reach around 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Not exactly your ideal vacation spot, but a far cry from the temperatures cursing the majority of the country.

We are confident that the Volt will make it past the temperature testing and onto U.S. showroom floors before the end of the year, but you can never be too sure after the events of the past few years.

Features of The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

With all the high gas prices out there, hybrid vehicles are continuing to become more popular among drivers. There are a few SUV hybrid choices out there, but the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid seems to be the most popular of those choices. Check out some of the features of the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and what sets itself apart from the other hybrids.
At this point, it is time to start talking shop, getting to the nitty, gritty numbers of the technology in the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. Sporting a 6-liter V8 gasoline engine, this is combined with the electric motors in the vehicle and a 367 pound foot torque to generate 332 horsepower. Another interesting feature is the deactivation technology that allows the vehicle to turn off half of the cylinders when it is not in use. These hybrid engines are 60-kilowatt and they run on a 300-volt battery pack, which allows the vehicle to accelerate using minimal horsepower and boosts power to the gas engine. The reasoning behind having this feature is for when the SUV is stuck in the stop and start grind of city or suburban traffic.
Having mentioned the two-mode hybrid feature that was designed for vehicles like the Tahoe, it is time to look at what exactly makes this technology so unique. The unique aspect to this technology is that it was designed to take a gas engine and electric motor, then find a way to merge the two together and utilize them both. Also, the transmission technology is meant to help combine features of both gas and electric engines in order to make the process easier on the vehicle itself.
Curiosity on how exactly the vehicle handles has resulted in research by observers and experts that this hybrid vehicle is much more similar to the conventional Tahoe in that the handling is smooth and electric power steering makes the vehicle much more appealing and successful than other cars.
Gas Mileage and The Green Factor
While the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid has claimed to be 25% more efficient with fuel than the regular Tahoe, the claim is boosted to having a 40% advantage from other vehicles on city driving. Also, considering that the regular Tahoe only gets between 14 and 19 miles per gallon in city and highway driving, the Hybrid can claim 21 mpg in the ctiy, 22 mpg in the highway. Unfortunately, that is not much better than the normal Tahoe, but it is a start.
Another eco-friendly feature of the Tahoe hybrid would be the breaking system, which claims to be regenerative. This means that when decelerating, instead of wasting the energy expended to break, the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy, which is later stored in the hybrid battery. This way, there is no waste of energy in such an eco-friendly car.
Other Features
The biggest setback for most consumers for the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid is the price, which has recently been quoted as having a base price of about $50,000. That is hardly cheap, and is incredibly expensive in comparison to the upfront prices of most cars on the market today. There are legitimate reasons for having hybrid vehicles, as well as legitimate reasons for keeping the price of said vehicles so high. Mainly, General Motors believes that the additional features of the Tahoe hybrid are worth the price. The car has been said to be one of the most eco-friendly SUVs on the market, and with the current gas crunch, there is definitely reason to consider purchasing a hybrid car.
In looking at safety features, this is certainly one of the safer hybrid vehicles on the market, having fared very well in crash tests, perfect five-star ratings in all sections of the vehicle. There are also several features in the vehicle to help avoid accidents, such as the StabiliTrak system that helps maintain traction and stability on the the road when slick. The anti-lock braking system also helps prevent wheel lockup, which is a worse danger when driving on slick surfaces. In crash tests, the protection for passengers is excellent. While the vehicle does have standard air bags, the new passenger sensing system will automatically switch which air bag should be ready for the passenger due to weight. The installation of head airbags are quite useful and there are also side-impact air bags. The Hybrid is very safe and well-equipped to handle an emergency.
The warranty for the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid covers three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, and is quite expensive. Thankfully, the power train has a warranty of five year or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. On a positive note, the Tahoe Hybrid has scored higher on reliability scores than Toyota, and so the actual reliability of the vehicle is higher than Toyota.
When looking for a hybrid vehicle, if you feel the urge to find a hybrid SUV, poke around Chevrolet for a Tahoe Hybrid that you will fall in love with. The fact of the matter is, regardless of the kinks the vehicle may have, it is truly a beautiful vehicle.