Introducing the 2014 Chevy Spark EV

The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, introduced today ahead of the Los Angeles International Auto Show, packs smart performance and connectivity technologies into an affordable five-door urban mini car designed to make the trip as electrifying as the destination. It will be priced under $25,000 with tax incentives.

2014 Chevy Spark EV

With the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet accounts for more than 50 percent of all plug-in electric vehicle sales in the United States and Spark EV builds on Chevrolet’s proven electric motor and battery development programs. When it goes on sale next summer, the Spark EV is expected to have among the best EV battery range in its segment and be the first electric vehicle to offer SAE Combo DC Fast Charging capability, enabling the Spark EV to reach 80-percent battery charge in just 20 minutes.

“When you engineer a technology-filled, all-electric mini car that goes from zero-to-60 mph in less than eight seconds, customers won’t miss the gas,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors North America. “The Volt and now the Spark EV show that Chevrolet not only knows EVs better than anyone else, we also know how to help customers get the most out of their EV experience.”

Inside the Spark EV, critical vehicle functions are clearly and intuitively displayed on one of the vehicle’s two reconfigurable, high-resolution, seven-inch color LCD screens, including a confidence gauge that shows the expected driving range based on driving habits and other conditions.

The soul of Spark EV
Spark EV is powered by an advanced electric motor and battery system. It consists of a GM-designed, coaxial drive unit and electric motor that together deliver 130 hp (more than 100 kW) and 400 lb.-ft. (542 Nm) of torque for instant acceleration; and a more than 20-kWh lithium ion battery is expected to provide among the best EV range performance in its segment.
The drive unit and motor will be assembled of U.S. and globally sourced parts at GM’s White Marsh, Md., manufacturing facility, and the first time a U.S. automaker has built both a complete electric motor and drive unit for a modern electric vehicle in the United States.
Spark EV’s long-life battery is designed to be safe, durable and reliable, and is warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles. It consists of a 560-pound (254 kg) square lithium-ion battery pack with a volume of 133 liters, comprising 336 prismatic cells.

“The Spark EV battery has undergone more than 200,000 hours of testing in our global battery systems labs,” said Pamela Fletcher, Chevrolet executive chief engineer of electrified vehicles. “It is extremely durable and has undergone the same abuse tolerance testing as the Volt battery.”




Leading the charge
Spark EV is the first all-electric vehicle in North America to offer optional SAE Combo DC Fast Charge capability, which can charge the battery to 80 percent of capacity in about 20 minutes. A common on-board charging receptacle accommodates all three charging platforms – DC Fast Charge, AC 240V and AC 120V.
Using a dedicated 240V outlet, Spark EV recharges in less than seven hours. Owners can coordinate charging according to departure time or during off-peak electricity rates. They also can manage and monitor the vehicle remotely via computer at OnStar.com, or with a special Chevrolet Mobile App powered by OnStar Remote Link. The Spark EV comes with three years of standard OnStar service.


Energy-saving exterior; tech-filled interior
In developing the Spark EV, Chevrolet set out to help customers conserve as much total energy as possible to maximize battery range. One important way to achieve that is by improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics. By evaluating every detail of the gasoline-powered Spark, designers and aerodynamic engineers added the equivalent of about 2.5 miles of real-world range.
Spark EV colors include Electric Blue, Black Granite, Summit White, Silver Ice and Titanium. Inside, designers sought to create a comfortable and spacious cockpit with noise-reduction features and a combination of bright accents in Electric Blue and chrome.

For more information on the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV visit rivertonchevy.com or contact our Internet Sales Department by calling 801-938-7611 

Do I Really Need to Replace All Four Tires?

We continually receive inquires related to four-wheel drive (4WD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) tire replacement. A frequent question is “Do I really need to replace all four tires on my vehicle?”

To properly address this concern, it’s important to understand the basics of the drive system. 4WD and AWD vehicles allocate the engine’s horsepower to each of the four tires as needed (via a differential) – enabling the wheels to turn at different speeds. “The best system will send exactly the right amount of torque to each wheel, which is the maximum torque that won’t cause that tire to slip.” This is particularly helpful on loose gravel, sand, slippery roads, and other adverse conditions.

Most of us drive our cars without thinking too much about the mechanics of how our car is getting us down the road. When a car is going straight down the road, all four wheels turn at the same speed. When we turn, some wheels have to turn faster than others. Cars that are in All Wheel Drive all the time, have a special center differential that allows the front and rear axles to turn at different speeds when needed for turning corners. Without this component, the car would flip. This center differential isn’t activated all the time, it only kicks in when the axles are spinning at different rates.

Most differential systems are designed to allow short-term differences in wheel speeds when the vehicle turns a corner or spins a tire. If you use mismatched tires (tires of different size or tread depth), you may be forcing the differentials to operate at all times. This will lead to excessive heat and unnecessary wear on the differential, and may cause early failure.

In fact, studies have shown that differences of just 2/32 of an inch in tire tread between tires on the same vehicle can impact vehicle performance. For example, if you were to replace just two tires on your AWD or 4WD vehicle, you would have a slightly larger diameter on the new tires, due to deeper tread. A small difference in the front and back tire diameter means the two axles are always turning at different speeds, even if the car is going straight down a highway. This is contrary to how the vehicle was designed to operate and will likely lead to early malfunction. If you only replace one set of tires, the other set will be a slightly different size due to the wearing away of the rubber as you drive and brake. You might think it expensive to replace all four tires, when only the front ones have worn out. However, when you consider the cost of replacing or repairing the center differential instead, the new tires are the less expensive option.

In simplest terms, when tires have a different circumference, they have a different number of revolutions per mile. The smaller the tire (less tread), the more revolutions per mile required. The larger the tire (more tread), the less revolutions per mile. When front and rear axles rotate at different speeds, it creates added strain on the vehicle’s driveline. The greater the difference in the tires’ circumferences the greater the resulting strain. For this reason, it’s essential that 4WD and AWD vehicles use tires that are matched in size. Tire diameter variations can be caused by accidentally using different sized tires, tires worn to different tread depths, tires with different tread designs, tires made by different manufacturers, or even different inflation pressures.

If you own a 4WD or AWD vehicle, you should be aware of the importance of maintaining four matching tires. As always, routine maintenance is your best solution to minimizing potential issues with your vehicle. This includes tire rotations, alignments, maintaining proper air pressure, and monitoring tread depth. “Nearly every U.S. state has a minimum tread requirement for all passenger car tires of 2/32 inch. Driving on tires with tread lower than this minimum depth is not safe or legal.”

We hope this article helps answer some of your questions or concerns on this topic. We realize this can be confusing and frustrating for AWD and 4WD vehicle owners, but we are here to help answer your questions. Safety, and proper vehicle performance and maintenance are top priorities to us. As always your comments are welcome.

2013 Hot Wheels Editions Camaro

Chevrolet Lanuches Camaro Inspired by Hot Wheels

Blister Packaging and Orange Plastic track not included!

When considering Chevy the tie-in with Hot Wheels especially appropriate because the Camaro was one of the original Hot Wheels cars. The toy line launched in 1968, one year after the 1:1-scale Camaro’s birth.

Now that we are all big boys’ and girls’, playing with Hot Wheels cars really isn’t in the cards – at least it’s not necessarily accepted. That is until Chevy and Hot Wheels got together and created a special edition Camaro, dubbed the 2013 Camaro Hot Wheels Edition. For the most part, the Hot Wheels Edition is purely an aesthetic thing, but with the Camaro’s impressive performance across the board, a few extra goodies on the inside and outside is good enough for most of us.

The Camaro Hot Wheels will cost $6,995 more than the top Camaro 2LT (V6) or 2SS (V8) trim levels. Chevy did not say how many full-size Hot Wheels cars it would build, but the brand is calling this Camaro a limited edition. “When they’re gone, they’re gone,” company representatives said.  Hot Wheels collectors love to find rare models and seal them away in the hopes of making a killing on a rare factory paint scheme or error. So the question is: Will anyone drive the Camaro Hot Wheels, or will it stay in its blister pack?

The Camaro Hot Wheels^® Edition is available in coupe and convertible models – in 2LT (V-6) and 2SS (V-8) trims, blending exterior cues of the high-performance Camaro ZL1 with a Kinetic Blue exterior color and unique graphics. Exterior highlights include:

• ZL1 rear spoiler (coupe models)
• ZL1 front upper grille
• Ground effects package, including front splitter and rocker treatment
• Black 21-inch wheels with red outline stripe
• Two-tone matte hood graphic and rear taillight panel “blackout” graphic
• Fender “flame” graphics
• Hot Wheels grille and deck lid logos

On the inside, a black leather-trimmed interior is accented with red and black seat stitching with the Hot Wheels logo embroidered on the front seats. The instrument panel and door inserts are black, with the Hot Wheels-style flame decal on each door. Hot Wheels^® Edition sill plates also distinguish the car, along with Camaro-logo premium floor mats with red edging.  SS models feature a 6.2L V-8, which is offered in two iterations: the “L99” on automatic-equipped vehicles and the “LS3” on manual-equipped models. Horsepower for the L99 is 400 (298 kW) and torque is 410 lb.-ft. (556 Nm) – and it features fuel-saving Active Fuel Management. The LS3 develops 426 horsepower (318 kW) and 420 lb.-ft. (569 Nm) of torque.  LT-based models feature the “LFX” 3.6L V-6 engine, with dual-overhead camshafts, variable valve timing and direct injection. It’s rated at 323 horsepower at 6,800 rpm.

A dual-mode exhaust system is available on SS models with the six-speed manual transmission, as well as LT models with either the manual or automatic transmission. Similar to the systems found on the Camaro ZL1, the vacuum-actuated system provides a quieter driving experience at low engine speeds and a more aggressive sound during hard acceleration.  Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment  system is standard on the Camaro Hot Wheels^® Edition. Its color touch radio, with a seven-inch touch screen, also can be paired with an available in-dash GPS navigation system. The color touch radio with MyLink enables a higher level of in-vehicle wireless connectivity and customized infotainment options, while building on the safety and security of OnStar. It seamlessly integrates online services such as Pandora^® internet radio and Stitcher SmartRadio^® using hands-free voice and touch-screen controls via Bluetooth-enabled phones.

Bring out your inner child!  Tell us your best Hot Wheels memory!