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Take a close look at the guts of the Chevy Volt battery, powertrain

Just how intimate would you like to get with the powertrain in a Chevy Volt? If you're anything like YouTube user d55guy, then spending a half hour filming yourself taking apart the battery pack, motor, inverter and more for a look inside sounds like your idea of fun. After all, this way you get to see the cooling system, the heavy safety kill switch and count up the individual cells in the battery modules. Fun! Turns out, we also enjoy languidly paced Volt dissection video goodness, and we think you might want to see it as well. So, we've embedded two videos below and if you don't have a better understanding of how the Volt is put together after watching them, well, at least you can't say we never tried to show you anything. Given that what's really happening here is the organized 'destruction' of an expensive and potentially dangerous object, let's talk safety. There's a serious disclaimer at the beginning of the videos and on the YouTube description page, but we feel the need to repeat the gist of it here: do not try this at home. The creator of the video says he is a trained engineer and has been doing things like this "for the better part of a decade," so he apparently knows what he's doing. With that in mind, watch it all below. When you're done seeing the insides of a Volt powertrain up close, if you need more filmed EV dissection/destruction, check out this video designed for first responders approaching a damaged Tesla Model S. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

AWD turbodiesel Equinox, Terrain dropped for 2020

Citing low demand, General Motors is dropping the AWD diesel options off the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain roster. Chevrolet spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed to CarsDirect that for 2020, the diesel versions of these SUVs will only be offered with front-wheel-drive. CarsDirect notes that with the AWD diesel Equinox and Terrain gone, the only AWD diesel option in this class is the Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv diesel, which is significantly more expensive: As the AWD diesel CX-5 is only available in a fully loaded Signature specification, the $42,045 price tag is almost $10k heftier than the cheapest comparable Equinox, the AWD 1.6-liter diesel LT which starts from $32,495. The 2019 GMC Terrain AWD SLE costs $34,795 in comparison, which works out to being around $7,200 cheaper than the Mazda. The higher trim levels for the Equinox and Terrain are Premier and SLT, respectively. Some reasoning behind the AWD diesel GM SUV's low uptake is their own price difference to base FWD gasoline models: you can get a 1.5-liter Equinox for less than §25,000 listed. While the 2.2-liter Mazda has plenty more power at 168 hp and 290 lb-ft, compared to 137hp and 240 lb-ft in the 1.6-liter GM SUVs, the Equinox and Terrain are notably more frugal – they are rated 32mpg combined, while the Mazda can manage 28 mpg. With better fuel economy and a significantly lower list price, the General Motors twins are at least more wallet-friendly when it comes to numbers, and as the vehicles will cease to be built in that configuration there's likely to be some cash on the hood on ones in stock. News Source: CarsDirectImage Credit: Chevrolet Chevrolet GM GMC confirmed gmc terrain chevrolet equinox

Hagerty kicks back with Ringbrothers for a look at the Recoil

Over the years, Ringbrothers has shown the ability to mix a meticulous eye for style and serious amounts of horsepower with customs like the Pantera-based Adrnln. The company's recent project, a tuned 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle called Recoil, is some of its best work yet and already has Jay Leno's denim-clad stamp of approval. Now, Hagerty is taking a look, while digging into the history of the actual Ring brothers: Mike and Jim. The two guys grew up in a small town where owning a car was practically a necessity, and the brothers were already wrenching before they could even legally drive. Eventually, that passion grew into a business, which led to wonderfully customized performance vehicles like the Recoil. Hagerty gets a fascinating look into Ringbrothers tuning philosophy in its interview. Of course, the real interest lies in this custom Chevelle, and there's a chance to hear the absolutely ferocious sound from the Recoil's supercharged V8 in this clip.