Chevrolet Trucks Blog

This just made me remember a scene from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. In this sequence, the Terminator, John Connor and Katherine Brewster just narrowly escaped the T-X (Kristanna Loken). However, they were not able to escape unscathed. The Terminator suffered damage to his abdomen which contained his hydrogen fuel cells. These cells were damaged and set to explode in a matter of seconds. To avoid harming his companions, the Terminator removed it from his body and threw it out of the car where it exploded, mushroom cloud and all. Now the reason why I brought up this topic is because General Motors is trying to work on the same technology for their Chevrolet brand.

At the Philadelphia Auto Show, General Motors will be introducing a new type of alternative fuel for its Chevrolet Equinox SUV. The plan is to make the vehicle run on a hydrogen fuel cell. According to GM, the SUV will be combining hydrogen and oxygen in order to generate electricity and power the car. This alternative fuel cell will enable the Equinox to reach 160 miles just by relying on a single tank of hydrogen.

Based on the reports collected by delawareonline.com, GM shelled out around $1 billion in order to fund this project and be the first car manufacturer to mass-produce a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

As part of their campaign, GM will launch a promotion called “Project Driveway.” They will have one hundred drivers from New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles test-drive the hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox for three months. During this test-drive, these drivers will report to GM whatever findings they may have while using this vehicle.

GM has also joined forces with Shell in order to provide the participating drivers with a service station carrying hydrogen fuel. . Per their agreement, Shell has set-up five service stations with hydrogen facilities, one in White Plains NY, one in Washington and three in California.

Although GM has exerted a lot of effort in promoting this technological advancement, the public will not be able to get their hands on this type of vehicle anytime soon.

“It won’t be until sometime in the next decade that the public will be able to buy GM’s fuel-cell vehicles,” according to John F. Smith, GM’s group vice-president for global product planning.

Well that gives GM ample time to make sure that these hydrogen fuel-cells don’t explode when damaged just like what happened in Terminator 3. Makes you wonder whether GM will end up becoming like Skynet in the near future.

Sources: Fuel Cell Today, Delaware Online, Terminator, Rise of the Machines

In the latest news, The National Highway Traffic Administration ordered General Motors Corp. to recall 11,974 of its Sierra and pickup trucks. This is due to the faulty crankshaft positioning sensor. The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTA) believes that the crankshaft positioning sensor in Chevy pickup trucks can and are likely to fail. It may operate and function well from time to time but it is eventually bound to fail. Failure and even intermittent operations can lead to a poor and rough run of the Chevy truck. It may even cause the engine to stall and no one wants that to happen.

In case the sensors fail entirely, the one using the Chevy pickup truck will not be able to restart it. In the words of the NHTA, “these failures can increase the risk of a crash.” To ensure the safety of Chevy pickup truck users, Chevrolet, with the aid of its dealers will replace the faulty crankshaft positioning sensor free of charge. This will take place after the recall begins next month.

The General Motors Corporation (GMC) seldom releases full-size Chevrolet Trucks. Coming out with a new truck usually has a gap of about 10 years.

Last year, the Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck happens to be the second-best selling vehicle in the United States alone. With GMC Sierra at its counterpart, the Chevrolet Truck was able to reach a good 310,896 Silverados sold for the first six months of the 2007.

To date, the Chevrolet Silverado is the latest full-size pick-up truck offering of General Motors. If the Chevrolet Silverado will be rated, it will likely get an almost perfect four stars because this truck has been fully equipped. For starters, the Silverado boasts of power adjustable pedals and leather bucket seat, satellite radio, climate control, backing sonar, power sunroof, and power sliding rear window, amongst others. These sophisticated high-technology installed in the Chevrolet Silverado make this pick-up truck more like a luxury sports utility vehicle than a mean off-road Chevrolet truck.

Moving over its internal system, the Silverado takes pride in its 315-horsepower and 5.3-liter V8 engine. This mean but sophisticated pick-up truck has also been loaded with an automatic transmission, dual-range four-wheel drive and locking rear-differential. What made this Chevrolet truck more tough in its flat hood, heavy-duty package, easy-lift tailgate, elaborate cargo tie-down system and boxed frame have this truck ready to haul big loads or tow up to 8,500 pounds.

Aside from the powerful exterior of the Silverado, it is also roomy which can accommodate about six passengers – an added bonus for medium to big size families. Add to that spacious cabin is the ability of the Silverado pick-up truck to take in towing and hauling capabilities under its belt. Moreover, the interior of the Silverado are really top of the line that one would think twice about producing a smudge on the seats. There is a multitude of trim levels, even two variations of dashboards of the Silverado. Unlike many of Chevorlet’s competitors, the Silverado pick-up truck still kept the gearing level on the steering console. The Chevrolet Silverado may not be as “sporty” as a console shifter, but it is able to provide a good number of significant storage space.

The Chevrolet Silverado does not only boasts of a high-performing engine, but an equally beefed up suspension system as well. With this kind of off-road vehicle, Silverado was geared with powerful suspension to veer away those excessive motion and noise usually produced on uneven or inconsistent terrains. Moreover, maneuvering this big truck will not going to be a problem, thanks to its suspension. The full-size truck Silverado will surely have all the liberty to adjust no matter what road condition it will face – be it in a mall’s parking lot or in the outskirts of the city. This attractive Chevrolet pick-up truck can definitely run smoothly with its swift transmission and brake system.

Apparently, Chevrolet Colorado is not the only vehicle that will be getting some action. Chevrolet will be doing something new with the Corvette as well. According to reports, Chevrolet will give the the Corvette a new V-8 engine.

 The previous 400-hp LS2 V-8 engine will be replaced with a LS3 engine that is said to produce 430 hp in standard trim and 436 hp with optional muffler-bypass valves.

Other redesigned parts include block, crankshaft, pistons, heads, camshaft, valves and intake rocker arms. There are also some parts that will be improved to accommodate the enhanced engine. The valves, intake and exhaust ports, intake lift and fuel injector capacity will all be larger to raise peak torque from 400 lb-ft to 424 lb-ft at 4600 rpm. The optional exhaust will be kicking in another 4 lb-ft of torque.

For these upgrades to work efficiently, there will be tougher connecting rod bolts and a different machining operation at the bottom of the cylinder bores. There will also be less camshaft overlap, which will allow the LS3 to meet tighter emissions standards. More effective top-cover insulation will also be included to help curb valvetrain noise. The effort invested in the LS3 will also benefit the next new V-8 in the pipeline: the supercharged and intercooled 650-hp blunderbuss due next year for the Corvette SS. The much higher combustion pressures that are created by supercharging necessitate the use of the LS3, with its more substantial cylinder walls, rather than the Z06’s 7.0-liter LS7 as the basis of that engine. The blower on top will more than make up for the smaller displacement.

U.S. General Motors plans to use a new 4.5L V8 Duramax turbo-diesel powerplant for the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra half-ton pickups and the HUMMER H2. According to a press release, it will improve engine fuel efficiency by 25 percent, reduces CO2 emissions by 13 percent and cuts particulates and NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for North American light duty trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009.

The new engine is expected to produce at least 310 horsepower and 520 ft-lbs. of torque. It also features dual-overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, a variable-vane turbocharger and aluminum cylinder heads with integrated manifolding that helps keep the overall package small enough to fit in the same space as the automaker’s small-block gas V8s.

“This new GM light duty diesel is expected to become a favorite among customers who require excellent towing ability and fuel efficiency,” said Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Quality. “It will meet the stringent 2010 emissions standards, and it will be compliant in all 50 states, making it one of the cleanest diesel vehicles ever produced.”

The environment will also benefit from this new V8 engine. It will have a 13 percent reduction in CO2 versus gasoline engines, and at least a 90 percent reduction in particulates and NOx compared to diesel vehicles today. This will be GM’s first engine to use a selective catalytic reduction NOx aftertreatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve the Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards.

“This new V-8 is not only a clean diesel meeting the toughest emissions requirements in North America, it also delivers an effortless performance feel because of its high torque across the speed range,” said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM Powertrain Diesel Engineering. “It is also significantly quieter than other diesels on the road today, with noise and vibration performance approaching gasoline V-8 levels.”

Freese said the new V-8’s compact size enables it to fit in the envelope of a gasoline small-block engine, which provides GM the flexibility to introduce this engine in a wide variety of vehicle applications should there be future market demand.

Technical highlights of the engine include aluminum cylinder heads with integrated manifolding; a variable-vane turbocharger with intercooling; a Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) block for a stronger and lighter engine base (compared to lower-strength aluminum or heavier grey cast iron); and fracture-split main bearing caps and connecting rods for a precise fit. There will also use an electronically controlled, ultra-high-pressure, common-rail fuel system, which has the ability to inject fuel five times per combustion event to control noise and emissions.

GM first introduced the Duramax diesel 6.6L V-8 in the U.S. in the 2001 model year and since then, customer enthusiasm for this heavy duty diesel has been outstanding. In fact, GM’s heavy duty pickup truck market share has jumped nearly tenfold in the six years that Duramax engines have been offered.