1988 Chevy 3500 With Boss V Snow Plow on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW cars to share i tech, Jordan to build solar EV charging network

Jordan is looking to promote EVs and build a solar charging network. The country is waiving import tariffs on electric cars, and is spending $120 million on solar chargers. It plans to build 3,000 charging stations, along with 30 MW of solar power. Some chargers will be powered by solar canopies, while others will get electricity from nearby solar farms. Jordan's solar plan should also help to lessen the amount of energy it needs to import from nearby countries. Read more from Navigant Research, or at Green Car Reports. BMW's mainstream cars will benefit from technology borrowed from the i3 and i8, according to BMW sales head Ian Robertson. In an interview with Automotive News, Robertson said that next-generation cars will use carbon fiber more extensively, and that more cars will get plug-in technology. He said that about half of i3 buyers opt for the range extender and added that it is incorrect to refer to a range-extended electric vehicle as a plug-in hybrid. Read more at Automotive News. The ethanol market should remain healthy despite falling oil prices. While cheap oil could drive down ethanol prices, demand still remains due to the federal biofuels standard. Additionally, ethanol producers may find it cheaper to ship their products as domestic oil production drops and railroad shipping opens up. Ethanol byproducts like distillers grains continue to sell, and foreign demand continues as other countries impose their own renewable fuel standards. Read more at Yahoo News. Via Motors will launch the production of an electric Chevrolet Silverado. The company will convert the pickups into range-extended EVs at its assembly line in Mexico, near GM's Silverado plant. Via has the capacity to produce 10,000 vehicles per year at its Mexico facility. Via Motors Chairman (and former GM Vice Chairman during the early days of the Chevrolet Volt project) Bob Lutz wants to help make EVs mainstream in America, and believes that requires electrifying pickups and SUVs. Read more in the press release below. Bob Lutz to Announce Production Launch of the Electrified Chevy Silverado BY VIA Motors Media access to Bob Lutz, former Vice-Chairman of General Motors and father of the Chevy Volt Bob Lutz is now Chairman of VIA Motors who builds the "Volt Style" extended range electric drive system for the Silverado, the Express Van and is working on the SUV's (Tahoe, Suburban) 5 years in development. Now production Launch and Consumer Sales in 2015.

Chevy Malibu rolls over 10 million on the odo

On the cusp on the introduction of the latest model, the Chevrolet Malibu is celebrating a major milestone with 10 million of them now on the road since the car's introduction 51 years ago. While not quite enough to rank among the best-selling vehicles of all time, the feat is impressive considering the name took over a decade off from the Chevy lineup in the '80s and '90s. The Malibu started life in 1964 as the top trim on Chevy's new, midsize model, which also included the 300 and Chevelle. Offered in a plethora of body styles, including a wagon and convertible, the Bowtie brand moved over 370,000 of them in the first year. By 1969, sales reached more than 503,000. However, the market for rear-wheel drive sedans eventually softened in the US, and the Malibu name was dropped in 1983. The moniker returned in front-wheel-drive form in 1997 and has been a part of the lineup again ever since. These days, the Malibu is obviously only available as a four-door, but the model is more efficient than ever. The larger, lighter 2016 example can get up to 37 miles per gallon highway with its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or 47 mpg combined when the hybrid goes on sale next year. You can get a great look at the Malibu's changes from the original until now in the gallery above. Related Video: MALIBU MILESTONE: 10 MILLION CUSTOMERS SERVED 31/08/15 Venerable sedan's 51-year legacy strongest in U.S., China and Korea DETROIT – Fifty-one years after it was introduced as Chevrolet's first midsize car, production of the venerable Malibu sedan has crossed the 10-million mark. Chevrolet celebrated the sales achievement today for the global sedan in the United States, China and Korea, which collectively account for more than 90 percent of sales. The Malibu is sold in more than 25 markets around the world. "The Chevy Malibu joins an exclusive club of vehicles that have achieved this extraordinary milestone and we acknowledge it today by honoring the common thread linking every one produced: The customer," said Alan Batey, president, global Chevrolet. "Some people are buying their very first Malibu today and others may have driven a Malibu from a different generation as their first car. It is a car that has resonated with customers for more than half a century." Chevrolet's interaction with customers has evolved since the Malibu was introduced in 1964. Back then, an owner's manual and a personal relationship with the dealer defined conventional customer service.

Leak reveals GM's 2017 heavy duty diesel trucks to get 910 lb-ft of torque [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Chevrolet officially announced specs for the 2017 Silverado HD and the rumors were true. The truck's new Duramax 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V8 puts out 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque. Chevrolet says the new motor produces 19 percent more torque and 12 percent more horsepower, while producing 35 percent fewer emissions. Overall, the new engine is a big improvement over the current motor, which generates 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque. According to Truck Trend, GM's newest heavy duty pickup trucks will pick up quite a bit more power and torque. The publication spotted a recent GM Powertrain ordering catalog that had the engine specs for the 2017 model year and managed to get some screenshots before the catalog was taken down, and they can be viewed here. The screenshots revealed that the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 powering the Silverado and Sierra heavy duty models will boast 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque. This is a substantial gain over the current models' 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft of torque, and as Truck Trend points out, it exceeds the Ford Super Duty line's horsepower output of 440, but comes short of the 925 lb-ft rating. Truck Trend credits part of this output gain to the new intake system GM will introduce on the 2017 heavy duties. The intake gets 60 percent of its air from a scoop on the hood, with the other 40 percent coming from behind one of the front fenders. GM doesn't reveal horsepower figures in the press release about the scoop, but it does say the cooler air helps with maintaining the engine's output, and that the scoop does produce a ram-air affect, providing more air at speed. As we know, more air plus more fuel equals more power, but there's likely more to the power increase in this engine than only the intake. Related Video: News Source: Truck Trend via MSN Chevrolet GM GMC Truck Diesel Vehicles