KARL Chevrolet HUMMER

Believe me, I am the first one to call something bogus if a claim seems too big, preposerous, or someone is trying to sell snake oil.

That said, I had the guys in our shop fill my 2006 Cobalt SS’s tires with Nitrogen to see for myself if the claims of better ride quality, better tire wear, less sensitivity to temperature would live up to the hype.

That was a few days ago, and now I’m here to tell you that I won’t run another vehicle ever again without putting Nitrogen in the tires and here is why. The way my car now rides with the gas is a suble but very detectable difference. The tires seem a lot more “consistant”. The ride has smoothed out a bit and with winter comming up fast it’s nice to know I won’t have to top off air in the cold months. Read more »

Exactly what is ethanol? And what’s the buzz about?It seems there are many ‘rumors’ but few current facts floating around about Ethanol and more specifically about e85 Ethanol. So let’s discuss the basics:

E85 Ethanol is a renewable fuel made up of 85% man-made renewable Ethanol fuel and 15% Petroleum. With only 15% petroleum, you would naturally expect Ethanol to cost less than gasoline.  Eventually, you will be correct.  But first, we need to get e85 Ethanol distribution available to the public.  Ethanol can be produced from many different sources; among which are corn and sugar cane. Here in the U.S. there is a widespread myth that Ethanol is only made from corn - and when folks talk about corn they think of the yellowish corn kernels we eat. FALSE.

Ethanol is made from the stalks and husks of corn - not the food stock that we would eat. Thus, ethanol is NOT responsible for the rise in food prices. If you stop and think for a moment, it is pretty easy to understand why our food prices continue to rise. How much has it been costing you to fill up your car’s tank these days? More each week, right? Well consider the truckers who must deliver food, particularly perishable food items, from farm to super market. The cost of diesel fuel that truckers use has risen faster than even the unleaded gasoline your car uses. That increased cost has to be recouped someplace, and that is in higher food prices. Read more »

Chevrolet Announces Pricing For 2009 Aveo And Aveo5

Chevrolet today announced pricing for the 2009 Aveo lineup – including the redesigned Aveo5 five-door hatchback – begins at $12,120 (including a $660 destination charge) for Aveo LS and Aveo5 LS, making it one of the most affordable cars on the market. It costs hundreds less than many competitors and comes standard with features such as side-impact air bags and OnStar.

Aveo is also one of the most efficient cars on the road, with estimated fuel economy ratings of 27 in the city and 34 on the highway (with the standard manual transmission). Aveo sedan and Aveo5 LT models start at $14,255 for 1LT trim and $15,520 for 2LT trim (including destination charges). Air conditioning is standard on LT models and an automatic transmission is available. Read more »

Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell at KARL Chevrolet HUMMER 5/8-5/9
Hydrogen-Fueled Concept Vehicle will be at New Canaan Fair on Saturday 5/10

What:  Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Vehicle Concept Vehicle in New Canaan
Public Viewing: KARL Chevrolet HUMMER, 261 Elm St., New Canaan May 8 (9 am - 8 pm), May 9 (9 am - 4 pm) and, St. Mark’s May Fair, New Canaan, Saturday May 10 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m)

NEW CANAAN,  CT,   (May 8, 2007)  –   KARL Chevrolet HUMMER in New Canaan has received a Chevrolet® Equinox® Concept Vehicle, an electric vehicle powered by GM®’s fourth-generation fuel cell system, GM’s most advanced fuel cell propulsion system to date.  The vehicle will be on display at the dealership on Thursday and Friday May 8-9 and at the St. Mark’s May Fair in New Canaan from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.

Chevrolet is committed to introducing advanced technology solutions in drivable and practical vehicles that decrease our dependence on petroleum and reduce our emissions. No petroleum is used to power Equinox Fuel Cell. With hydrogen as the fuel, Equinox Fuel Cell will emit zero greenhouse gases, only water vapor. Read more »

The Chevy Volt has been called many things by many people. Some say it is the first great American hope for breaking foreign oil dependency and possibly the first really viable, mass-produced, all-electric car. Others say that it is vaporware, a car that will never be produced, and even if it is, it will be late to market and overpriced. Whatever your stance on the vehicle, the good folks at www.gm-volt.com are putting together the scraps of info that escape GM into a relevant and interesting website. Take a look at the info the have collected and make up your own mind. Do you think the Volt will be here at KARL Chevrolet HUMMER by 2010? Would you buy a car that can go 40 miles without burning any gas? How much would you be willing to pay if they bring to market the Volt with all the capabilities they are shooting for? Drop us a comment…

Excerpt from www.gm-volt.com:

WHAT IS THE VOLT?:

The Volt is radically different than any on the road today. Although agreement about definitions vary, GM doesn’t not consider it a hybrid. Current hybrids cars, such as the Prius, are defined as parallel hybrids, meaning they have a small electric motor that moves the car when it is going slowly, but when speed or acceleration increases, a gasoline motor kicks in. The Volt, however, is considered an extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV). It has a very powerful all-electric 161-horsepower 45KW (53 KW peak) motor that is the only engine to power the car at all times. This engine should be capable of moving the car from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds, and have a top speed of at least 100 mph. Read more »

GM may yet beat Toyota in plug-in cars, but its breakneck development pace is fraught with risk.

At a General Motors research laboratory in Warren, Mich. engineers are simulating real-life wear and tear on a pair of prototype batteries that lie at the heart of GM’s riskiest technological gamble ever. By repeatedly drawing energy out and pouring it back in every ten minutes, they want to know how much stress the batteries can handle. Dialing up the torture, they’ll soon move those tests to a “shaker table,” where they will subject the batteries to jarring vibrations, extreme temperatures and corrosive road salt, to name just a few hazards.

GM is working feverishly to prove that one or both of these lithium-ion batteries will be capable of powering a hybrid car for up to 40 miles without burning any gasoline, that they’re safe and that they can last ten years and 150,000 miles. Today’s hybrids use a wimpy battery by comparison, and they can’t be plugged in for recharging. By spring GM aims to road test the batteries in prototype versions of its forthcoming plug-in, the Chevrolet Volt. Read more »

As Rick Wagoner announced this morning at the Geneva Auto Show, we have a strong new addition to our portfolio of hybrid technologies. The next-generation GM Hybrid system is an affordable hybrid option that will be nearly three times more powerful than the one currently found on the Saturn Vue Green Line, the Saturn Aura Green Line and the Chevy Malibu Hybrid.

We’ll introduce the system in North America in 2010, where you may eventually see it in more than 100,000 of our vehicles annually. The new system is based on a lighter but more powerful lithium-ion battery than the nickel metal hydride one we use today. The lithium-ion battery will be supplied by Hitachi and is paired with a new motor generator to provide more electric assist for a longer period of time. That will increase fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. Those two goals, as you know, go hand in hand, because burning less fuel puts less CO2 into the air. Read more »

More Than 100 Petroleum- and Emissions-Free Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicles to Go to California, New York and Washington D.C.

LOS ANGELES – Chevrolet fuel cell electric vehicles are hitting the streets and driveways of Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C., in the largest market test ever of its kind.

Customers in suburban Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C. will drive more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicles as part of a comprehensive deployment plan dubbed “Project Driveway.” It constitutes the first large-scale market test of fuel cell electric vehicles anywhere. A variety of drivers – from regular families to celebrities – will have free use of an Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle and the hydrogen fuel it needs to make electricity onboard. The average family will get one of the vehicles for three months and be required to report their experience to Chevrolet. Read more »

2009 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HYBRID IS THE INDUSTRY’S
MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT FULL-SIZE TRUCK

LOS ANGELES – Affirming its commitment to fuel solutions and truck leadership, Chevrolet announced the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, a full-size pickup that achieves 40-percent greater city fuel economy and a 25-percent improvement in overall fuel economy. It is expected to be the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup on the market, besting the current V-8 leader – the non-hybrid Silverado.

Partnering General Motors’ patented 2-Mode Hybrid system and a powerful 6.0L gas V-8, the Silverado Hybrid delivers highly efficient performance while maintaining full-size pickup capability. The hybrid system provides all-electric driving at low speeds, allowing fuel savings to be realized even when the truck is fully loaded or towing a trailer. Silverado Hybrid can tow up to 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg). Read more »

GENERAL MOTORS ANNOUNCES PRICING FOR CHEVROLET TAHOE AND GMC YUKON HYBRID SUVS

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for Tahoe 2WD is $50,490; Yukon 2WD is $50,945

LOS ANGELES – GM today announced pricing for the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon Hybrids, the only full-size, fully capable SUVs whose two-wheel-drive (2WD) models offer the same EPA city fuel economy as a conventional four-cylinder midsize car.

Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for the generously equipped Tahoe Hybrid are $50,490 (2WD) and $53,295 (4WD); and $50,945 (2WD); and $53,755 (4WD) for the Yukon Hybrid. Prices include a $900 destination charge and, based on current adjusted EPA fuel economy calculations and pending IRS approval, buyers could be eligible for a federal tax credit. Read more »