Silverados benefit from 12.5 million miles of durability testing

All-new full-size pickups engineered to outlast the toughest tasks

DETROIT – Each of those shiny new Silverados in Chevrolet dealerships benefits from 12.5 million miles of durability testing before the first customer ever receives the keys.

From the scorching desert of Yuma, Ariz. to the sub-zero cold of Kapuskasing, Ontario, and the outdoor torture tests of General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Mich., the all-new full-size trucks completed more than 4 million miles of combined vehicle durability testing. In addition, a fleet of test vehicles racked up 8.2 million miles of real-world mileage.

Validation and durability testing pushed the trucks to their limits before they went into production in Silao, Mexico, Flint, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind. In many of the tests, the trucks are loaded to gross vehicle weight. While most customers do not drive fully loaded on a regular basis, these tests ensure the Silverado can withstand even the most demanding conditions.

“It takes refinement and testing to build the strength that our customers expect and rely on from their trucks,” said Phillip Hubler, vehicle system engineer. “Our philosophy with the 2014 trucks was to improve what needed to be improved and leave alone what was already considered world class.”

The trucks proved their mettle by traversing the Belgian blocks, splashing though the off-road-simulating grit trough, climbing and descending a 30 percent grade and driving at high speeds.

Grit intrusion is a challenge for any off road vehicle. The grit trough test ensures the trucks have enough sealing to protect bearings and key suspension points, while a trip along the dust road helps determine all seals are functioning properly and that dust does not contaminate the bearings or other moving parts.

Some of the key durability improvements from the previous generation trucks include:

• A frame formed from high-strength steel to ensure it will not crack, even when loaded to full capacity
• New four-wheel-disc brake system with Duralife™ brake rotors offer up to double the service life, along with brake-tuning revisions that improve pedal feel for more confident braking performance on any driving surface
• Anti-chip coating on the lower body side for extra protection from stones or gravel 

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

With Power and Efficiency, Ford F-150 Leads Light-Duty Pickup Trucks in V6 Sales

•     57 percent of Ford F-150 buyers in January and February choose V6 engine option
•     Since 2010, Ford accounts for 91 percent of industry’s growth in V6 truck sales
•     Ford F-150 V6 sales represented 78 percent of all light-duty truck V6 sales in 2013

    The Ford 3.5-liter EcoBoost™ engine represents 46 percent of F-150 pickup truck sales in February and the 3.7-liter V6 represents 11 percent.

More than 57 percent of Ford Motor Company’s F-150  retail sales so far this year are powered by V6 engines – the highest six-cylinder engine mix in the industry since 1967 – and the company expects that trend to continue for the rest of the year.

V8 engines led truck sales for decades until recently.  Over the last three years, retail registrations of light duty pickups powered by V6 engines grew more than 600 percent and F-150 was directly responsible for 91 percent of that growth, based on Ford analysis of Polk retail registration data.  In 2013, Ford accounted for 78 percent of all V6-powered half-ton pickups, according to data from Polk, recently acquired by IHS.

February’s engine mix numbers come on the heels of a very strong demand for Ford’s V6 truck engines in 2013.  Of all the trucks Ford sold in the calendar year, more than 48 percent of them were powered by a V6 engine.

“We expect those numbers to hold for the rest of the year,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck marketing manager.  “It really is amazing when you consider we are doing that with just two V6 engine choices – the 3.5-liter V6 Ecoboost and the 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine.  When we come out with the new 2015 F-150, we will offer three different V6 engines, so the potential is there to go even higher.”

The new 2015 Ford F-150 will offer a new 2.7-liter Ecoboost engine, to be made in Lima, Ohio, in addition to the 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines.

In the last three years, no competitor has ever eclipsed a 20 percent take rate for V6 engines in half-ton trucks.  It’s been a predominantly V8 crowd, until the introduction of Ford’s EcoBoost engine.

“There is a new truck buyer out there who doesn’t hold to the old notion that a truck must be powered by a V8 engine,” Scott said.  “Just five years ago, you would have had a hard time making a case for V6 truck engines. Not today. It’s all about fuel effectiveness.  It’s the combination of city and highway mileage, horsepower, torque, towing capacity, payload and value.  What is the most efficient package for the work I’m trying to do?  That’s the key question.”

And it’s one F-150 truck buyers are answering in record numbers for V6 engines.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

Advanced Truck Body & Equipment Co. - A Rack-it Dealer in Central Point, OR

We've been manufacturing high quality flatbeds and accessories since 1978. Each one is hand built for years of durability through use and abuse. Manufactured from high-quality steel throughout and decked with imported tongue and groove, Apitong hardwood as standard. Each bed is backed by many years of experience from our manufacturing and installation teams.

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SFTR | GMC Sierra | Delta Leasing

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It takes a special breed of person to endure the severe temperatures, lack of daylight, and isolation of Prudhoe Bay. It also takes a special breed of truck. The 600 GMC trucks in Delta Leasing's fleet are up for the challenge and, in Delta's experience, the Sierra more than delivers.

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Chevrolet Designs for Pothole Perseverance

Carefully engineered test roads help customers absorb spring’s bumps

DETROIT – Spring hasn’t arrived, but the potholes have. While no one plans to hit them, they are inevitable and in many cases unavoidable. More than an uncomfortable nuisance, they can damage tires, wheels and suspension components.

Chevrolet helps combat the effects of potholes by taking them head-on, testing vehicles such as Malibu and Silverado on carefully engineered roads within the General Motors Milford Proving Ground that are laced with manufactured potholes ranging from mildly annoying to chassis-rattling. The intentionally poor road conditions help engineers thwart the bumps a vehicle takes and tune suspensions to minimize discomfort to passengers.

“We have a wide variety of road surfaces that simulate real-world road conditions around the globe,” said Frank Barhorst, who supervises the Product Usage Measurements and Applications group at the Proving Ground near Detroit. “The range of test road surfaces goes from good to bad, so that we can find the most balanced condition for each vehicle we develop – and believe me, we’ve created some of the worst potholes you’ve ever seen.”

Potholes are most prevalent in the spring because the moisture in the small holes and cracks in the road during the winter alternates between freezing and thawing as temperatures change, causing expansion and contraction of the road surface. Then, the pavement breaks up under the weight of normal vehicle traffic. 

One of the major reasons vehicles sustain damage when they hit a pothole is because load is not transferred properly. The engineered potholes at Milford help experts re-create load conditions that occur when a vehicle hits one on a non-controlled surface. GM has collected that data for the past 40 years, using it to design and engineer new vehicles better able to absorb pothole abuse.   

The extreme durability tests extend beyond pothole-cratered pavement and includes terrain such as construction sites and off-road-driving environments for Chevy’s trucks and SUVs.  

“Every Chevrolet built globally goes through this type of testing. And we design our vehicles to absorb the load when they hit a pothole,” said Barhorst. “The data we collect on our test course helps us to integrate loads between interconnecting parts, and capture and fix potential problems as we design Chevrolets.”

While no technology will help drivers avoid every pothole, Chevrolet models share traits – such as robust body structures – that reduce vibrations generated by sudden, harsh impacts. The strong body structures also enable engineers to tune the suspensions more precisely, for smoother, more controlled driving experiences that help mitigate the effects of smaller and moderate potholes.

Chassis and suspension updates inspired by the all-new 2014 Impala also contribute to the a dynamic driving experience in the 2014 Malibu, including rebound springs in the struts on 2.5L-equipped models. More refined calibration of the dampers results in a smoother overall ride and improves body roll control and weight transfer during acceleration or turning. That helps keep the wheels planted, contributing to a more precise, controlled feel – especially while cornering.

Tire and wheel design and construction also play a vital role in managing potholes. GM engineers its tire technology specifications with an eye toward fuel economy, quietness, tread wear, braking distances and the ability to withstand potholes.

“On the wheel side, we’ve developed a premium process for flow-formed rims,” said Dave Cowger, GM Tire & Wheel Systems Engineering. “On the tire side, we’ve made improvements to the body side including the cords in the tires, which make the tires stronger and allow the vehicle to withstand impact better.”

The team that engineered the new Silverado went to extremes to ensure it would exceed the demands of truck customers. GM’s new full-size trucks underwent more than 6 million miles of durability testing at Milford, over the deserts and mountains of Nevada and across the frozen flats of Kapuskasing, Ontario. That’s equivalent to 240 trips around the earth. In addition, the trucks accumulated more than 7 million real-world miles during final testing, bringing total test miles to more than 13 million.

 Chevrolet Certified Service offers these tips for avoiding and managing potholes:

• Always inflate tires to the number on the tire inflation placard on the inside of the driver’s door opening
• Tire inflation should be checked cold, before driving  
• Each 10-degree F change in ambient temperature changes the effective inflation pressure by 1 pound. This means during the course of a winter day going from 40 degrees F at noon to 0 degrees F at night, tire pressure can drop 4 pounds, enough to affect its ability to resist pothole damage  
• Use winter-rated tires
• Watch for street hazards
• Remember that dirty headlamps and worn wipers hamper visibility
• If you hit a pothole, visibly check your wheel and tire for obvious damage and have your Chevrolet dealer check to see if the vehicle needs a re-alignment or if there is suspension damage.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Tri-Valley Line-X - a Rack-it Dealer in Tracy, CA

Tri-Valley Line-X is a customer-orientated truck and SUV parts and accessory center serving the California Tri-Valley. Our expertise in the application of advanced protective LINE-X and LINE-X XTRA coatings and spray-on bed liners combines with our unique ability to simultaneously equip your vehicle with custom aftermarket parts and accessories. Because of the growing demand, we have grown to become dealers and authorized installers for a growing array of aftermarket manufacturers.

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Tracy, CA  95304

(209)839-8232

Engineering, Advanced Materials Help Slim Down Colorado

• New midsize pickup is 880 to 1,400 pounds lighter than full-size pickups

•       Lightweight high-strength steels, aluminum, play key roles in mass reduction

 

DETROIT – Proving there is more than one way shed pounds, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado uses engineering techniques and lightweight materials to create true pickup capability in a mass-efficient midsize package.

The 2015 Colorado 4x4 crew cab, expected to be the most popular version of the new trucks, weighs 880 to 1,400 less than a full-size truck.

This weight saving is a result of the slightly smaller overall dimensions of the Colorado, along with extensive use of lightweight materials, including high-strength steels and aluminum. The outcome is a truck designed to be the most fuel-efficient in its segment. Chevrolet expects EPA fuel economy estimates for Colorado this summer.

The Colorado will begin arriving in showrooms this fall at the same time as the new Ford F-150, setting up a sharp contrast between two strategies for reducing the weight of pickups.

“When it comes to building lighter pickups, there is more than one answer,” said Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer. “Building on our experience with the new Silverado, we engineered the Colorado to be highly mass-efficient, while still providing the performance, capability, dependability and features that midsize truck customers are asking for.”

Efficient size that’s right for many customers

In overall size, Colorado fits neatly below the Silverado 1500 in the Chevrolet lineup. The short-bed crew cab is 212.76 inches long, 17 inches shorter than a comparable Silverado 1500, making it an easier fit in many garages.

Colorado’s overall width of 74.3 inches is five inches narrower than Silverado and two inches wider than the Equinox, providing easier maneuverability around town with a surprisingly spacious interior.

This slightly smaller package comes with real muscle, though. Based on GM’s latest testing, Colorado is expected to lead the midsize segment with up to 6,700 pounds of available towing capability.

“For many customers, a midsize pickup is simply a better solution,” said Luke. “You get the versatility and capability of a truck in a package that is fun to drive and easier to maneuver and park.

“Colorado will meet the unique needs of midsize pickup customers, while also providing an attractive, cost-effective alternative for anyone seeking a more fuel-efficient pickup.”

Intelligent use of lightweight materials

In creating Colorado, GM engineers chose materials that would make the most of the strength, safety and refinement of the truck, while balancing dependability   and cost of repairs and total ownership.

Like Silverado, Colorado extensively uses lightweight, high-strength steels. Fully boxed frames formed primarily from high-strength steel reduce weight and increase stiffness for a quieter ride and better handling.

Key areas of the body structure also benefit from high-strength steels, reducing mass and enhancing strength and safety. Overall, about 71 percent of the body structure is comprised of high-strength steels.

The pickup box consists of roll-formed steel, which is lighter and stronger than traditional stamped steel.

Major aluminum components include the hood, front steering knuckles, and cylinder heads and engine blocks for both the 2.5L four cylinder and 3.6L V-6. Reflecting the attention to weight savings found throughout the Colorado, the aluminum heads for the V-6 feature integral exhaust manifolds, which save about 13 pounds over traditional cast-iron manifolds.

The front of Colorado features a composite grille opening reinforcement with active shutters that seals the front of the truck, reducing aerodynamic drag and improving cooling performance. Another weight-saving feature, electric power steering, also helps improve steering assist for easier maneuverability in tight situations.

Because of its mass-efficient design, Colorado engineers skipped the cost and complexity of turbocharging Colorado’s four-cylinder and V-6 engines.

In addition to the lightweight aluminum cylinder heads and blocks, both engines feature direct fuel injection and continuously variable valve timing for better performance and more-efficient operation. Based on current GM testing, the standard 2.5L four is estimated at 193 horsepower, while the available V-6 is estimated at 302 horsepower.

Because customers seeking a lighter truck shouldn’t have to compromise on Chevrolet’s legendary dependability, both the Colorado and its engines have been tested and validated to the same tough standards as the full-size Silverado.

 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.