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GM exploring ways to raise half-ton Duramax diesel tow rating

Lots of truck owners cheered when GM announced fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado with the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six. Even after Ram let loose its EPA mileage ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the Chevy oil-burner still took the trophy. The victory was years in the making, GM engineers spending an entire four-year development cycle refining the LM2 Duramax to increase mileage. The tradeoff, as well all know by now, is towing; the Duramax in half-ton duty pulls a maximum 9,300 pounds in the Silverado. Rivals across town can do more, the Ford F-150 PowerStroke rated at 11,500, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel game to pull 12,560. GM engineer John Barta told Muscle Cars & Trucks that more hauling chops could be on the way, explaining, "We’re actually looking at upgrading some of the materials around (the engine bay) to see if we can maybe raise our tow rating." Engine bay materials are at issue due to thermal complexities underhood. John Barta, GM's assistant chief engineer of diesel engine controls, said the Duramax's inline-six configuration allowed engineers to get emissions hardware like the combined selective catalytic reduction, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filter unit closer to the engine, where it heats up quicker, getting emissions down quicker. But that filter puts another heat source in those confines, enforcing a cap on the tow rating to keep the engine and other systems from overheating. "If you look under the hood," he said, "youÂ’ll see a significant amount of silver ‘moon tapeÂ’ around to make sure things arenÂ’t getting overheatedÂ… if we were to go up in higher towing, which we can, we start impacting the possibility of deteriorating some of the components.” There isn't much space for more grille, so swapping for a better grade of "moon tape" or a different kind of material could reduce engine bay heat, extracting a higher tow rating in the process.  It's important to note a point Barta's been making for months about the Duramax figures, though. "Even though itÂ’s nice to brag about big numbers, in reality, light duty customers are not towing that large with their trucks," and, "We do know that (95 percent) of our light duty customers donÂ’t tow over 9,000 pounds." On our First Drive of the 2020 Silverado diesel we called out the tow rating, but emphasized that the Chevy and GMC have more important challenges to overcome.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. puts his Callaway Corvette and '55 Chevy on eBay

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has put a couple of his personal cars up for sale on eBay. The first is a 1955 Chevy Bel Air that Junior had reworked by Funkmaster Flex, a bit of a diversion from Flex's more common Ford efforts. Junior's ride has a replacement chassis from Jim Meyer Racing, a 434 small-block tuned by Sharioff Racing to 500 horsepower, and truly thin rubber on what appear to be aluminum billet rims with Junior's former number 8 on the center caps. The interior is all custom and painted to match the outside, and those seats have been completely reupholstered. The second car is a 1999 Callaway C12, the 18th of 19 C12s built that year and featured in a 2002 issue of AutoWeek. It joined Earnhardt's private collection in 2004. Built on the base of a C5 Chevrolet Corvette and using a lot of technical know-how from Callaway's European racing program, the BMW #287 Blue Pearl C12 had its V8 bored out to 6.2 liters and graced with Callaway's Supernatural upgrade; it also has a Callaway coil-over suspension with adjustable dampers. There's new bodywork all around, and when new it cost about $200,000. At the time of writing bidding on the Bel Air was up to $80,100, the C12 was at $63,100. The auction ends Monday morning, and the winning bidders have the option of having their prizes autographed and retrieving the keys from Dale Jr himself if they're willing to go to Moorseville, NC. Featured Gallery Dale Earnhardt Jr. '55 Chevy Bel-Air View 28 Photos Related Gallery Dale Earnhardt Jr. Callaway C12 View 24 Photos News Source: Dale Earnhardt Jr via eBay [1], [2] Aftermarket Celebrities Chevrolet Auctions Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics eBay callaway callaway corvette Chevy Bel Air

Chevy up to old EVs-equal-range-anxiety tricks in new Volt Olympics ad

General Motors is at it again with a new Chevrolet Volt TV commercial. Viewers of the Winter Olymics (at least in some markets) recently saw a TV ad in between the skating and the skiing that made no mention of the environmental benefits or freedom from the power of Big Oil that electric vehicles provide. No, this one was based on pure survival instinct. In the video, a father is driving down a highway, perhaps through the Mojave Desert. His young son is sitting in the Volt's backseat and asks what happens when the EV's battery runs out. "We'll have to cross that burning desert with snakes and cactus until we make it back to civilization," the dad tells his son as they pass the skeleton of a fallen bull. The fine print makes it clear that the actual maximum range is 342 miles. But there is hope. The father tells his son, with a beaming smile on his face, that the gas generator has kicked in and they're going to make it through the desert. As they wend their way to the horizon, a voice over says that Volt drivers who charge up regularly are making it 900 miles between fill ups. The fine print makes it clear that the actual official maximum range before you need to either plug in or fill up is 342 miles. This theme that emphasized range anxiety has been utilized by GM since the extended range Volt was launched in late 2010, despite the fact that Chevrolet now offers an all-electric vehicle in the Spark EV. Volt fans are praising the commercial, called The New Freedom, on the GM-Volt forum and you can see for yourself below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Cheverolet via CleanTechnica, YouTube Green Chevrolet GM Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Electric range anxiety extended range