Hood scoops look cool, but sometimes that’s all they do. Carmakers are often tempted to slap a non-functional hood scoop onto a new model, hoping consumers will envision performance capabilities the engine underneath doesn’t really have. However, the scoop on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD is the real deal.
In addition to making Chevy’s big truck look like a muscle car, the scoop should provide some real-world benefits. It’s part of a new air-intake system meant to keep the Duramax diesel engine running at full power more often. Like humans, internal-combustion vehicles need to breathe, and the new system helps keep the Silverado HD from getting winded.
Most of the air is drawn into the engine through the scoop, meaning it’s closer to ambient temperatures and thus much cooler than air circulating under the hood. Engines run more efficiently off cool air, so this is a plus. The scoop also takes advantage of a ram-air effect, in which the speed of the truck actually forces more air into the engine. There’s also a secondary intake in one of the front fenders, in case the hood is blocked.
Read more: GM takes a step toward hybrid trucks with 2016 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra eAssist
Engines like air that is dry as well as cool. To minimize moisture, the intake system also has an air/water separator that forces air through a 180-degree turn before it gets sucked into the engine. Any moisture consolidates into large droplets, which are flung against the wall of the housing by centrifugal force, and then drained away.
No truck launch or update is complete without a description of a hardcore testing regimen, and Chevy certainly put the 2017 Silverado HD through its paces. Engineers simulated every type of precipitation possible, from what Chevy calls “monsoon-level downpours,” to snow, to ice pellets. It also tested trucks in a range of temperatures to see if they could pull heavy loads in extreme cold and heat.
It’s all about helping the Silverado HD’s Duramax diesel engine breathe easier. That engine is a 6.6-liter turbocharged V8 that produces 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque, and is coupled to a six-speed Allison automatic transmission. Expect the Silverado’s GMC Sierra HD twin to get the hood-scoop upgrade for the 2017 model year as well.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.