1971 C10 Stepside Pickup Sbc V8 4 Speed - 22" Rims - Rat Rod Custom Project C-10 on 2040-cars

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Updated Chevy Silverado spied, possibly with aluminum components

Chevrolet is readying a refresh for its trusty Silverado pickup, and these spy shots give us our first glimpse at what might be in store. The front and rear fascias of this prototype are covered, obscuring some styling tweaks (with LED accents up front). More interestingly, our spies suggest that many of the Silverado's body components could move to aluminum with this mid-cycle update. The hood will go from steel to the lighter alloy, and it's possible the front fenders could benefit from the weight-saving material, too. Ford's latest F-150 is extremely aluminum-intensive, and by switching the construction, 700 pounds was trimmed off the truck's weight. We've already heard that General Motors is working with a similar plan for its next-generation fullsize trucks. Beyond that, expect the smaller 5.3-liter V8 to ditch its six-speed automatic transmission in favor of the eight-speed unit that's already mated to the larger, 6.2-liter V8. Neither transmission will stick around very long, as the trucks will likely adopt a 10-speed automatic around 2017. Look for the updated Silverado to debut later this year, likely as a 2016.5 model.

Here are the best-selling cars and trucks from January 2015

Every month, Autoblog slogs through all the sales figures reported by automakers that do business in the United States, and, after a little bit of sorting, we put it into an easy-to-read chart in an attempt to make it as easy as possible to follow the ins and outs of sales and shipments. But that only covers the brands themselves, not the individual models they sell. And we think you'd all be interested in knowing which vehicles beat their rivals in sales from month to month, so we've put together this handy gallery to keep you in the know. While the leader of the pack may not come as much of a surprise, the order that the top ten finishes in changes frequently – due to automaker deals, the price of gas, etc. – and we've included some statistics to help you see how their current performance stacks up to month's past. Click here to see January 2015's Top Ten Best-Selling Cars And Trucks In America. By the Numbers Chevrolet Ford GM Honda Nissan RAM Toyota Car Buying

The real costs of keeping a Chevy Volt on the road

The release of the new, 2016 Chevy Volt is sure to bring a surge of used electric vehicles to the market as early adopters trade their older models in. Many of these cars are selling for a fraction of their original price, thanks in part to federal and state incentives that lowered the initial cost to the first owner, which opens these cars up to a whole new class of consumers. While the prices are getting attractive, potential buyers are still hesitant to buy a used EV due to uncertainty about service and repair costs, but there may be some good news on the horizon. The Chevy Volt comes with a battery warranty that is good for at least 8 years and 100,000 miles, but many of the Volts popping up on the market have passed that 100,000-mile mark. The threat of needing a new battery can be a deterrent, especially with some dealers quoting prices as high as $34,000 for a full "drive motor battery replacement." That sum is more than the MSRP of a 2016 model. Some of the fear of EV maintenance and repair comes from the mystery of the individual pieces that make up the drivetrain and charging system. If we take a look at the Volt in terms of analogs to a traditional internal-combustion vehicle, the outlook becomes a little more friendly. The Volt battery pack consists of three lithium-ion modules in a T-shaped arrangement, each of which can be serviced individually. Module 1 is made up of 90 cells and corresponds to GM part number 22954462, which retails for $3,258.33; module 2 is made up of 72 cells and corresponds to GM part number 22954463, which retails for $2,930.00; lastly, module 3 is made up of 125 cells and corresponds to GM part number 22954464, and retails for $4,933.33. These part numbers have been added to the dealer order systems but have not shown up in the distribution centers at this time. Although all three of the modules add up to a fairly large $11,121.66 total and are still on hold for dealer ordering, the good news is that in most cases these battery cell modules do not need to be replaced. There are many other individual pieces mounted on the battery pack that are serviceable, such as the Battery Energy Control Modules (BECM) and the Battery Interface Control Modules (BICM). These modules control and monitor the battery packs and charging system and have been known to fail while the lithium-ion battery cells are not at fault. Some have been replaced under warranty, but if you are stuck buying one they run about $255 a piece for the part.