2008 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado Extended Cab Pickup Truck 4.8l 295 Hp Cold A/c on 2040-cars

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Next-gen Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra may use carbon fiber

It's been generally accepted that the next generation of full-size GM trucks will use some sort of strong, lightweight material for the beds while retaining steel for the cab. While aluminum seems like the most obvious choice, according to Automotive News, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra will incorporate both aluminum and carbon fiber in their beds. The publication cites sources from within GM, though it seems the introduction of this comparatively exotic material mix is still a few years off. While carbon fiber is both stronger and lighter than steel and aluminum, it takes significantly more time and money to produce, essentially relegating the material to small-volume cars. The main benefit for trucks is the resulting reduction in weight to improve fuel economy without sacrificing the tough, rugged capabilities truck buyers expect. The Ford F-150 made the switch to aluminum for the 2015 model year and it's proved highly successful. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the competition followed suit. Automotive News says that the next-gen trucks will launch with aluminum beds and that it will take a couple of years before we'll see any carbon fiber incorporated into the design. Even then, only look for the composite material on higher-trim models, with a trickle down to lower-spec trucks possible further in the future. In 2011, GM announced it was working with Japan-based Teijin Limited on a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. There's a good chance that material's introduction will be on trucks. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Plants/Manufacturing Rumormill Chevrolet GM GMC Truck

Chevy EN-V 2.0 coming to Tianjin Eco-City in China

Chevrolet is bringing its EN-V 2.0 to the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in China to show off the "Electric Networked-Vehicle" and demonstrate sustainable urban mobility. The small, two-seat EV concept is an updated version of the original EN-V, a vision of getting around in a future world where space is at a premium and clean air is a priority. So what better place to showcase the evolved EN-V than at the Tianjin Eco-City? The Eco-City is being developed as a planned urban space with eco-consciousness built in. The joint venture between China and Singapore offers an alternative to country living and smog-filled cities. Tianjin Eco-City, slated to be completed by 2020, will be able to offer 350,000 inhabitants clean air and water, renewable energy, green transportation and living spaces and, if all goes as planned, jobs for 50 percent of the residents. Currently, only about three square kilometers of the planned 30 square kilometers have been built, with only about 6,000 permanent residents, but there's still time. The EN-V 2.0, as the "Networked" part of its name suggests, not only features mobile internet, but can communicate with other cars around it. Along with GPS and built-in sensors, this connection between vehicles allows the car to drive autonomously (at least in theory - again, there's still time). This is ideal in an urban environment where congestion can be a major issue. The EN-V 2.0 improves upon the original concept with climate control, storage space and all-weather capability, which also make life more bearable and daily commuting possible. We first saw renderings of the updated vehicle in 2012. The Chevrolet EN-V 2.0 will be used in the Eco-City's National Animation Industry Park and Eco-Business Park of the course of the two-week demonstration. Read on below for more in the press release from GM. GM to Demonstrate Chevrolet EN-V 2.0 in Tianjin Eco-City SHANGHAI – General Motors today announced that it will begin demonstrating the Chevrolet EN-V 2.0 (Electric Networked-Vehicle) in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City this week, signaling the company's learning and progress in sustainable urban mobility. The demonstration will help GM further understand consumers' usage of low-speed transportation tools for their daily commute. During the two-week demonstration period, the EN-V 2.0s will be used in the National Animation Industry Park and Eco-Business Park inside the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City.

Sunday Drive: Trucks and SUVs of all shapes and sizes

The American automotive marketplace is dominated by trucks and SUVs, and so was the last week of coverage on Autoblog. By far, the most popular story of the week was our First Drive of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator. It may look like an old-school lumberer, but in reality Lincoln's flagship is a thoroughly modern, turbocharged-V6-powered, three-row, luxury people mover. The Jeep Wrangler is the world's most recognizable vehicle. So it's no surprise that the next version looks a whole heck of a lot like the last one, and the one before. It's all in the details, which is why we were so excited when Jeep decided to unleash a trio of images showing both two- and four-door Wranglers for us to dissect ahead of the SUV's official debut at the L.A. Auto Show later this year. Past that, spy photos of the next Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500 were predictably popular. See both of those below, and the cap it all off, check out the entire week's worth of SEMA coverage – including the bonkers Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6 – in our mega image gallery at the bottom of this post. Enjoy! As always, tune in to Autoblog next week for a front-row seat to all the happenings worth following in the automotive industry. 2018 Lincoln Navigator First Drive | From black sheep to flagship 2018 Jeep Wrangler revealed: First photos released before L.A. Auto Show debut 2019 Chevy Silverado looks slim and clean beneath the camo 2019 Ram 1500 gets vertical touchscreen infotainment system 2017 SEMA Show Mega Photo Gallery Chevrolet Jeep Lincoln RAM Truck SUV recap sunday drive