Autoblog

Why a Florida field is important to your car's paint

Zach Bowman — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Videos

If you've ever wondered how automakers know their paints will stand up to the test of time, a field in Florida may have your answer. Manufacturers routinely turn to Q-Lab, a facility situated on a 20-acre open field just outside of Homestead, Florida for durability testing. There, the company's engineers apply automotive paint to twelve-inch by 4-inch metal panels and leave them to bake in the unforgiving sun. The facility's location next to Everglades National Park is ideal for testing paint fade and durability due to the high humidity, heat and sunlight.

Owner Mike Crewdson says the samples may spend as long as seven to 10 years baking in the elements before they ever get sprayed on a production vehicle. Technicians receive a staggering amount of data on weather and paint conditions every day-up to 40,000 readings. Various manufacturers participate in these evaluations, but General Motors says it has been testing paint like this since the 1920s. Check out the local news broadcast embedded below for a closer look at the process.

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Why a Florida field is important to your car's paint originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Nov 2012 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charge! GM gives update on Volt development, describes interior

Chris Shunk — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:05:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Chevrolet

If the Chevy Volt were a 150 mpg dairy cow, the General's marketing department would have a hand on every udder. The Volt is still more than two years from production, and the series hybrid is all over the Internet, TV, and magazines. When a vehicle promises as much as the Volt does, though, any update is big news. This time, engineers have come up with a computer algorithm to accelerate battery durability testing. The test decreases battery testing from ten years to two by duplicating real-life vehicle speed and cargo-carrying conditions in a controlled environment while constantly recharging the batteries. The next step for the Volt is test mules that can put GM's e-Flex system through more unpredictable conditions like snow storms and Michigan potholes.

Since the Volt's 375-pound battery pack resides down the center of the car and beneath its rear seats, GM had some unique packaging issues to optimize interior space. Volt design director Tim Greig described the Volt's four seats as far apart from one another, which gives the vehicle's occupants more personal space. Designers had to be keenly aware of aerodynamics when designing the Volt, which means a lower roof-line, yet a 6' 2" adult can fit in any of the four seats. For more on the Generals Chevy Volt update, go to Autoblog Green, or hit the jump to check out GM's press release.

Continue reading Charge! GM gives update on Volt development, describes interior

Charge! GM gives update on Volt development, describes interior originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High tech equals high repair costs - just like it's always been

Eric Bryant — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance

Any time that we start to see a hint of paradigm shift in the auto industry, it's mandatory that the detractors come out of the woodwork with stories of woe. For example, in the article linked below, we learn that someone can get taken for a $8,000 ride to replace one of Toyota's hybrid transmissions.

But, people tend to forget that OEM parts and shop labor for recently-introduced vehicles have always been expensive. Those that don't work on newer vehicles - or those that don't ever touch their own vehicle - get used to ultra-cheap refurbished components. Take the Wayback Machine to 1976 and look up the price for a brand-new carburetor, distributor, or hubcap; one would surely leave "the vapors" after adjusting for inflation. Fast-forward to 1986 and get a quote for a fuel injector, mass airflow sensor, or aluminum wheel, and our prospective consumer had better break out the smelling salts. While we're popping the balloon of nostalgia, don't forget that modern vehicles spend far less time in the shop.

Two things are definitely true when it comes to repair costs. First, modern cars are indeed more expensive to repair after a collision. Blame the switch from big chrome bumpers and body-on-frame structures to energy-absorbing crash technology for that. The upside is that those parts perish so that the vehicle's occupants don't have to. Second, it usually goes that the more expensive the vehicle, the more expensive the repair bills, so be careful when buying a depreciated luxury barge that will soon need be in need of TLC.

[Source: MSN Money]

High tech equals high repair costs - just like it's always been originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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