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GM reportedly developing 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder

General Motors is allocating a massive amount of resources to developing electric technology, but it's not forgetting about the gasoline-powered cars that make up the bulk of its sales. It's reportedly designing a new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine based on its 2.7. Citing "sources familiar with the matter," enthusiast website GM Authority wrote that the 2.5-liter four is "in [the] final stages of development," meaning it should be announced sooner rather than later (assuming the report is accurate). Technical details are few and far between as of writing. The publication learned that the 2.5 will be part of the Cylinder Set Strategy (CSS) family of engines and that it will be mechanically related to the 2.7-liter currently found in the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, among several other models. It will feature dual overhead camshafts. It's too early to tell which models the 2.5-liter four-cylinder will end up in, or how much power it will generate. The output will likely depend on the application. For context, the 2.7 delivers 310 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 348 pound-feet of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm in the Silverado. In the smaller Colorado, it provides anywhere between 237 and 310 horsepower depending on the trim level selected. While this is pure speculation, our crystal ball tells us the engine will end up powering crossovers. It's an easy deduction to make. We can't imagine it will be offered in the Silverado, and seeing it in the Colorado is unlikely because its entry-level engine develops 237 horsepower; there's likely not much of a market for a midsize truck with 200 or so horsepower. Putting it in the Corvette wouldn't make sense and the Camaro has nearly reached the end of its life cycle without a successor planned. This leaves us with Chevrolet's range of crossovers, like the Equinox, as well as their GMC-, Buick-, and Cadillac-branded counterparts. We're not discounting the possibility that the cars set to receive the 2.5 haven't been unveiled, but those are likely crossovers, too; the odds of seeing another big Chevy sedan are very, very low. General Motors hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't publicly announced plans to expand its CSS family of engines. If the report is accurate, we should learn more about the new turbocharged, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the not-too-distant future. Featured Gallery 2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS View 56 Photos Buick Chevrolet GM GMC

New Corvette Feature Keeps An Eye On Valets

Face it. If you own a luxury or sports car, whenever you hand the keys to a valet, you imagine the car going on a high-speed joyride like the Ferrari in the 1980s cult movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Now, General Motors has an option on the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette that takes those worries away. The latest version of the sports car, due out in September, has a feature that records where the car goes with a camera mounted in the windshield trim. It also captures audio in the cabin as well as speed, engine revolutions per minute, gear position and G-force. That all helps the car tattle on any valet who doesn't take a slow, direct route to a parking space. GM says it's the most extensive attempt by an automaker to thwart valet joyriders, although it's not the first. The automotive website Edmunds.com says Hyundai and Mercedes offer "geofencing," a feature that sets a perimeter and then notifies the owner's smart phone if a car goes beyond it. Chrysler has a valet mode that caps engine speed and horsepower, while Audi lets owners limit engine speed for valets. With the Corvette, once the owner activates the feature with a four-digit code, the touch screen tells the driver it's in Valet Mode. But it doesn't warn the valet that he's being recorded. The feature also locks the glove box and a storage compartment in the dashboard and shuts down the infotainment system. Valet Mode started off as a performance data recorder for those who take their Corvettes on the racetrack. GM engineers quickly figured out that it had more uses. "Think of it as a baby monitor for your car," Corvette Product Manager Harlan Charles said in a statement. "Anyone who has felt apprehension about handing over their keys will appreciate the peace of mind of knowing exactly what happened while their baby was out of sight." Data and video from the valet mode can be viewed instantly by the owner on the car's 8-inch color screen when the car is parked, or it can be downloaded to a computer. The system could go into more mainstream models if feedback is good on the Corvette, GM spokesman Monte Doran said. The feature is paired with a navigation system and costs $1,795. A 2015 Corvette starts at just under $54,000. Chevrolet Technology Gadgets

Recharge Wrap-up: U of M wins Solar Challenge, family attempts record-breaking e-bike ride

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team has won the 2014 American Solar Challenge. It is the team's eighth national championship, its fifth in a row, and its first using Siemens' product lifecycle management (PLM) software. The race took place over 1,722 miles and seven days traveling across eight states. The team's car, called "Quantum," outpaced the nearest competitor by four hours. Looking forward, Michigan Solar Car Project Manager Pavan Naik says, "The switch to Siemens tools will give us the ability to model and simulate everything and truly allow us to optimize the performance of our new vehicle. As we start on our quest to win the World Solar Challenge in 2015, we'll be leveraging a full complement of PLM solutions." Read more in the press release below. The EcoCar3 competition, in which teams will convert Chevrolet Camaros into hybrid electric cars, begins in September. The various college teams will have four years to lessen the car's environmental impact as much as possible while maintaining performance and, of course, that cool Camaro design. EcoCar3, which is put on by the US Department of Energy and General Motors, kicks off with a workshop in Novi, Michigan from September 16 - 18. Read more at the DOE website at the dedicated EcoCar3 site or watch the announcement video at our previous post. Zap and Jonway Auto are shifting to a high rate of EV production. Zap already has two lines creating the Urbee EV to met demand, and is switching over a third to make electric minivans and SUVs. The company aims to produce 30,000 EVs by 2015 for the Chinese market. Zap says it has a backlog of 25,000 Urbee orders. Read more in the press release below. A family of four hopes to make a world record-breaking, 6,000-mile electric bike journey this fall. The family, which recently drove from Argentina to Montana in a pickup with a camper, will ride from Montana to Maine, then down the East Coast to Florida in an attempt to break the record for longest electric bicycle ride. They'll use two bikes. The Father, Thomas, will ride one of the bikes carrying one of the children, while the rest of the family rides in a support vehicle, with the mother, Dylan, riding the second bike when they can find others to drive. They have started a crowdfunding campaign for some of the equipment needed to document the trip. See the video below or read more at Treehugger.