From Chevrolet.com:
Changing a flat tire on the side of a busy freeway can be a dirty and dangerous job. The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze offers a safer option: an on-board tire inflator kit that also helps improve fuel efficiency by shedding 26 pounds of spare tire and jacking hardware.
The inflator kit is among 42 changes to the Cruze Eco that help it to an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway, the best highway mileage of any non-hybrid, gasoline-fueled, compact available in the U.S. market.
“Getting rid of something as important as the spare tire wasn’t a decision we made lightly,” said Terry Connolly, GM director of Tire and Wheel Systems. “The universal implementation of tire pressure monitoring systems over the past five years has significantly reduced the likelihood that a flat tire will leave you stranded by the side of the road.”
A Tire Pressure Monitoring System provides a warning on the instrument cluster allowing a driver to act before tire damage occurs. The trunk-mounted inflator can be plugged into the 12-volt accessory socket inside the car and be used to re-pressurize the tire with no additional equipment. If the tire has been punctured by a screw, nail or other object, the inflator can inject a sealant capable of plugging holes of up one-quarter-inch in diameter in the tread area.
The process takes just minutes with much less risk than a tire change. Reinflated tires should always be inspected at a repair facility as soon as possible after the car gets get back on the road.
If a tire is too severely damaged to be repaired with the inflator kit, drivers can press the blue OnStar button on the rearview mirror to request emergency roadside assistance. Cruze and all new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models are equipped with the embedded OnStar telematics system that can provide roadside assistance, automatic crash response, turn-by-turn directions and other safety and security features.
Read entire article here.
Stop by Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet for more information on the Chevy Cruze.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
2012 Chevy Camaro to Offer More Power, Better Fuel Economy
From chevrolet.com:
In auto production, more power, better fuel economy and fewer emissions rarely appear together. But the 2012 Camaro 3.6L direct injection V6 engine achieves all three by combining the exhaust manifold with the cylinder head into a single aluminum casting.
Each integrated exhaust manifold cylinder head – a V6 has two -- replaces a cast iron exhaust manifold, six bolts, a gasket and a heat shield and three bolts. By eliminating this joint, the potential for a gasket failure is eliminated. And the change reduces engine weight by 13 lbs. or 6 kg per engine. Reducing mass helps improve fuel economy and the 2012 Camaro 2LS model is EPA estimated at 30 mpg highway.
“Reducing engine mass of this magnitude doesn’t happen often,” said Ameer Haider, GM assistant chief engineer for V6 engines. “Engineering usually looks for reduction in terms of grams not pounds. It’s just like removing a set of golf clubs from your car when you don’t need them – ultimately it saves fuel. When combined with other mass reductions, the customer will see better fuel economy over time with better performance.”
Extensive simulation and bench testing was performed to perfect cylinder-head airflow. Intake airflow is improved 7 percent with the use of larger intake valves (38.3 mm v. 36.9 mm), which are primarily responsible for an increase of 11 horsepower. Exhaust flow is 10 percent better than the previous V6.
Read entire article here.
Learn more about the Chevy Camaro at Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
In auto production, more power, better fuel economy and fewer emissions rarely appear together. But the 2012 Camaro 3.6L direct injection V6 engine achieves all three by combining the exhaust manifold with the cylinder head into a single aluminum casting.
Each integrated exhaust manifold cylinder head – a V6 has two -- replaces a cast iron exhaust manifold, six bolts, a gasket and a heat shield and three bolts. By eliminating this joint, the potential for a gasket failure is eliminated. And the change reduces engine weight by 13 lbs. or 6 kg per engine. Reducing mass helps improve fuel economy and the 2012 Camaro 2LS model is EPA estimated at 30 mpg highway.
“Reducing engine mass of this magnitude doesn’t happen often,” said Ameer Haider, GM assistant chief engineer for V6 engines. “Engineering usually looks for reduction in terms of grams not pounds. It’s just like removing a set of golf clubs from your car when you don’t need them – ultimately it saves fuel. When combined with other mass reductions, the customer will see better fuel economy over time with better performance.”
Extensive simulation and bench testing was performed to perfect cylinder-head airflow. Intake airflow is improved 7 percent with the use of larger intake valves (38.3 mm v. 36.9 mm), which are primarily responsible for an increase of 11 horsepower. Exhaust flow is 10 percent better than the previous V6.
Read entire article here.
Learn more about the Chevy Camaro at Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Advanced Tires Increase Fuel Efficiency for Chevrolet Cruze Eco
Chevrolet's engineers helped boost the Cruze Eco's fuel efficiency with the development of advanced tires:
GM tire development engineer Chuck Lantz and his team worked with tire manufacturers to produce an industry benchmark tire that boosts fuel efficiency by three miles per gallon on the Chevy Cruze Eco. That’s about 38 extra miles on a tank of fuel and a savings of about $112 per year for the average driver.
“This tire is way beyond anything in its category,” said Lantz. The Cruze Eco tires make use of special polymers built into the tread compound to reduce rolling resistance, which means less energy is required to keep the tire moving.
So what makes the tire unique? Typically, improving one facet of tire performance like rolling resistance requires sacrifices in other areas like traction in snow and stopping distance. Not so with the leading-edge Cruze Eco tires.
“Thanks to the high-tech polymers we used, we were able to create a high-MPG set of tires without making tradeoffs in other important areas like tire-braking traction and all-weather handling,” said Lantz. “As far as the ride goes, these tires are as smooth as any tire on the road today.”
The tires represent one of many fuel-saving technologies that help the Cruze Eco average 42 miles per gallon on the highway. With a starting suggested price of $19,175, Cruze Eco offers hybrid-like fuel economy without the premium price tag. Other innovations that make the Cruze an MPG standout include an air shutter system that morphs the aerodynamic profile of the vehicle to optimize fuel efficiency and energy-efficient rack-mounted electric power steering.
Read entire article here.
Learn more about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco at Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Chevrolet Trucks to Assist With Tornado Recovery
From chevrolet.com:
Chevrolet is donating a dozen Silverado full-size crew cab pickups to United Ways in Alabama to help with recovery and reconstruction work following a series of deadly tornadoes that struck the region April 27.
The 12 donated pickup trucks, along with a GMC Savana full-size van, were due to arrive today at Tuscaloosa Chevrolet. From there they will be distributed to United Ways in western and central Alabama for use in local relief efforts.
The donations of the trucks came as people from throughout GM reached out to those hit hard by last week’s storms. GM volunteers from the southeast region are gathering in communities where the need is critical to acquire and distribute relief supplies such as tarps, flashlights and batteries.
Also today, the General Motors Foundation announced that it is providing a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross to help disaster relief efforts in the southeastern states. GM is also encouraging employees to personally support these efforts through a donation link on GM’s internal website.
GM’s OnStar is providing Crisis Assist Services for subscribers in affected states, which provides free hands-free calling minutes and directions. OnStar’s Directions and Connections service is being provided for six months along with 1,000 hands-free calling minutes for each of the donated trucks.
The total Chevrolet, GM Foundation, and OnStar contribution is estimated to exceed $500,000.
For more information on Chevrolet vehicles, visit Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
Chevrolet is donating a dozen Silverado full-size crew cab pickups to United Ways in Alabama to help with recovery and reconstruction work following a series of deadly tornadoes that struck the region April 27.
The 12 donated pickup trucks, along with a GMC Savana full-size van, were due to arrive today at Tuscaloosa Chevrolet. From there they will be distributed to United Ways in western and central Alabama for use in local relief efforts.
The donations of the trucks came as people from throughout GM reached out to those hit hard by last week’s storms. GM volunteers from the southeast region are gathering in communities where the need is critical to acquire and distribute relief supplies such as tarps, flashlights and batteries.
Also today, the General Motors Foundation announced that it is providing a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross to help disaster relief efforts in the southeastern states. GM is also encouraging employees to personally support these efforts through a donation link on GM’s internal website.
GM’s OnStar is providing Crisis Assist Services for subscribers in affected states, which provides free hands-free calling minutes and directions. OnStar’s Directions and Connections service is being provided for six months along with 1,000 hands-free calling minutes for each of the donated trucks.
The total Chevrolet, GM Foundation, and OnStar contribution is estimated to exceed $500,000.
For more information on Chevrolet vehicles, visit Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
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