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NHTSA probes 2010 Chevy Tahoe for side airbag issue

After a person was killed in a rollover accident in a 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe in Texas in 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering whether to conduct a deeper investigation into a potential problem with the model's side airbags. According to the petition filed with the government agency, the SUV's rollover side curtain airbag deployed in the accident, but the design allegedly still allowed some of the occupants in the second- and third-row seats to be ejected from the vehicle. One of them died in the crash. Based on NHTSA's preliminary review, this is the only report of this type of incident happening in a 2007-2015 Tahoe or GMC Yukon. "GM investigated the complaint that is the basis of the petition and found no defect trend," company spokesperson Alan Adler said to The Detroit News, and said the automaker will cooperate with the feds. Still, "a defect petition has been opened to evaluate the issue and make a grant or deny decision," according to NHTSA. Depending on the agency's findings, this could lead to a full investigation and possible recall affecting an estimated 58,000 vehicles. INVESTIGATION Subject : Rollover Side Curtain Air Bags Date Investigation Opened: JUN 11, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: DP15004 Component(s): AIR BAGS All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle MakeModelModel Year(s) CHEVROLET TAHOE 2010 CHEVROLET TAHOE HYBRID 2010 Details Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition requesting an investigation of alleged defects that can cause occupant ejections during rollover crashes in certain General Motors vehicles. The petition alleges the defects allow second and third row occupants to be ejected despite the deployment of rollover side curtain air bags. The petition cites a 2011 Texas crash involving a model year 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe, which allegedly resulted in multiple occupants to be ejected. One of the ejected occupants was fatally injured. ODI's preliminary review of its consumer complaint data found no similar reports of occupant ejections on 2007-2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles. ODI also reviewed Early Warning Reporting data submitted by General Motors. A defect petition has been opened to evaluate the issue and make a grant or deny decision.

Which electric cars can charge at a Tesla Supercharger?

The difference between Tesla charging and non-Tesla charging. Electrify America; Tesla Tesla's advantage has long been its charging technology and Supercharger network. Now, more and more automakers are switching to Tesla's charging tech. But there are a few things non-Tesla drivers need to know about charging at a Tesla station. A lot has hit the news cycle in recent months with regard to electric car drivers and where they can and can't plug in. The key factor in all of that? Whether automakers switched to Tesla's charging standard. More car companies are shifting to Tesla's charging tech in the hopes of boosting their customers' confidence in going electric.  Here's what it boils down to: If you currently drive a Tesla, you can keep charging at Tesla charging locations, which use the company's North American Charging Standard (NACS), which has long served it well. The chargers are thinner, more lightweight and easier to wrangle than other brands.  If you currently drive a non-Tesla EV, you have to charge at a non-Tesla charging station like that of Electrify America or EVgo — which use the Combined Charging System (CCS) — unless you stumble upon a Tesla charger already equipped with the Magic Dock adapter. For years, CCS tech dominated EVs from everyone but Tesla.  Starting next year, if you drive a non-Tesla EV (from the automakers that have announced they'll make the switch), you'll be able to charge at all Supercharger locations with an adapter. And by 2025, EVs from some automakers won't even need an adaptor.  Here's how to charge up, depending on which EV you have:  Ford 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. Tim Levin/Insider Ford was the earliest traditional automaker to team up with Tesla for its charging tech. Current Ford EV owners — those driving a Ford electric vehicle already fitted with a CCS port — will be able to use a Tesla-developed adapter to access Tesla Superchargers starting in the spring. That means that, if you own a Mustang Mach-E or Ford F-150 Lightning, you will need the adapter in order to use a Tesla station come 2024. But Ford will equip its future EVs with the NACS port starting in 2025 — eliminating the need for any adapter. Owners of new Ford EVs will be able to pull into a Supercharger station and juice up, no problem. General Motors Cadillac Lyriq. Cadillac GM will also allow its EV drivers to plug into Tesla stations.

GM diesel pickups first to undergo extra EPA, CARB testing

The effects of Volkswagen's long-running diesel emissions evasion are starting to spill over to other automakers, but General Motors is taking things in stride. The 2.8-liter, four-cylinder Duramax in the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon is the first engine to get extra scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, Automotive News reports. Rather than just the usual in-lab test, it's also being checked on the road. However, the extra evaluation shouldn't have any impact on when the trucks with his mill hit dealers later this fall. "We're in our final stages of the EPA certification, and our launch is on track," Chevy spokesperson Otie McKinley tells Autoblog. The four-cylinder diesel in the trucks makes 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and the automaker is touting low NOx production. In the announcement for the Colorado's specs, the company calls it "the cleanest diesel truck engine ever produced by General Motors." The tech includes exhaust gas recirculation to lower combustion temperatures and improve emissions. There's also a urea tank like on the bigger diesels for full-size trucks, and it gets refilled in time with oil changes. An indication on the instrument panel lets drivers know when that's needed, too. Even with the more demanding testing, the company doesn't seem too worried about the four-cylinder passing. "Part of our development process is on-road and off-road [laboratory] testing," Scott Yackley, Chevy Trucks assistant chief engineer, said to Automotive News. In the wake of the VW scandal, the EPA has pledged more rigorous testing. Before, on-road emissions evaluations were largely limited to heavy-duty vehicles, but the agency has decided to apply the checks more often to other models. There's also now greater cooperation with Canadian authorities.