2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Lt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chevy to reveal new Spark in Seoul and New York

Chevy is preparing to roll out an all-new Spark next month, giving us a taste of things to come with the teaser image above. The new Spark is set to debut simultaneously at car shows in Seoul and in New York on April 2, joining the new Malibu that will also mark its debut at the Manhattan expo. Why introduce the new Spark at the same time in South Korea and in the US, you ask? Probably because those are the two biggest markets for Chevy's smallest car, accounting for the lion's share of the 1.1 million units sold in 71 markets around the world since its introduction in 2009. Chevy hasn't revealed much about the new Spark, except to say that its styling will be more sophisticated than the "youthful whimsy" of the current model. A Spark of Sophistication Chevrolet's redesigned global minicar to debut in Seoul and New York on April 2 2015-03-09 DETROIT – The all-new 2016 Spark will debut on April 2 at the Seoul and New York auto shows, Chevrolet announced today. A sleeker, more aerodynamic profile and a progressive take on Chevrolet's signature design cues will give the redesigned Spark a more sophisticated aesthetic that reflects the changing tastes of the global minicar market. "The new Spark's design has evolved and grown up with the segment," said Michael Simcoe, GM International vice president of Design. "The youthful whimsy of the original Spark is still in its genes, but it is conveyed in more traditional proportions that reinforce the customer's refined expectations." Chevrolet has sold more than 1.1 million Sparks around the world since it went on sale as the Beat in India in late 2009. Today, the Spark is available in 71 markets worldwide, selling the most in South Korea, followed by the United States and Mexico. Spark is attracting younger and first-time car buyers to Chevrolet with 26 percent being under the age of 35. Sales of the Spark in the U.S. are up 32 percent in the first two months of 2015 versus the same period in 2014. Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

GM is training more first responders for EV emergencies in the U.S. and Canada

GM is training more first responders to be able to handle emergencies involving electric vehicles. The automaker is "significantly expanding" its EV First Responder Training program in the United States and Canada as electric vehicle sales continue to grow. Its initiative will primarily focus on training firefighters and equipping them with the necessary knowledge about full electric vehicle technologies. GM says it's hoping to dispel misconceptions when it comes to handling EVs in emergency situations. One of those misconceptions is that water is dangerous around EV batteries — turns out the recommended way to put out lithium-ion battery fires is by using copious amounts of water.  Andrew Klock, a senior manager of education and development at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), said: "The best way for the public and private vehicle fleet owners to rapidly adopt EVs is to train firefighters and emergency responders on how to handle incidents involving battery powered vehicles. The fire service has had more than 100 years to gain the knowledge needed to respond to internal combustion engine fires, and it is critical that they are now educated on EV safety." The NFPA held trainings of its own that had benefited 300,000 first responders, but it believes more than 800,000 members of the community still need further training.   GM previously piloted the program in southeast Michigan, but now it's conducting training events across Michigan and in Fort Worth, Texas, as well. Later this summer, it's bringing the program to metro New York City and Southern California. Participants will have to attend four-hour sessions, with up to two per day, held in various venues, such as fire houses and dealerships. Interested first and second responders can register through the program's dedicated website and earn a certificate from the Illinois Fire Service Institute if they score higher than 70 percent on the learning assessment by the end of their training.  The automaker already has a few EV models on the market, including the Chevy Bolts, the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq. It has huge electrification plans for the future, though, and training responders could help make potential customers more receptive to the idea of switching to electric vehicles. GM aims to launch 30 EV models by 2025 and to exclusively sell EVs ten years after that. Related video: Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Safety Electric

Leno drives Ringbrothers' latest, 1966 Chevy Chevelle Recoil

Jay Leno has been checking out quite a few older rides in his garage as of late, but has mixed things up a little this week. Ringbrothers took home an award at the 2014 SEMA Show for the 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle it named Recoil, and now the car has proven it can do more than just look good on Jay Leno's Garage. While the latest guest might look vintage, underneath those classic lines is a thoroughly modern muscle car sporting a claimed 980 horsepower. The heart of this beast is a supercharged LS7 V8 from Wegner Motorsports and a six-speed Tremec manual gearbox. Even with so much power, it can still run on 91-octane pump gas, and when Jay gets on the throttle the result is a wall of sound from the wailing supercharger. Despite the muscle, the Recoil doesn't really scream about its performance aesthetically. The color is a surprisingly plain beige, but the carbon fiber touches and side exhaust certainly indicate that there's something special here. The owner's sole request for the car was to include metal seats, and Ringbrothers provided them with a few bits of leather offering a touch of comfort. After checking the Recoil out from stem to stern, Leno finally gets behind the wheel and treats our ears to pull after pull from that big, supercharged V8.