The Chevrolet brand is an enduring success in the American automobile industry. Founded by Louis Chevrolet and Wiliam Durant in 1911, Chevrolet continues to roll out vehicles known for their aggressive styling, power and reliability - all sporting Chevrolet's world famous 'bow-tie' logo. Chevrolet is General Motor's most popular and top-selling marque, currently offering 19 vehicles in its line including the Corvette, Impala, and Silverado. Chevrolet has invented many features that are now standards in car manufacturing such as articulated brakes and independent front suspension.
The Chevrolet story is one of opposing visions. Louis Chevrolet wanted to produce luxury vehicles while William Durant pushed for more affordable models like Ford's runaway bestseller, the Model T. Louis prevailed and in 1912 the company introduced its first car to the public, the Classic Six - a roomy, five passenger sedan with a top speed of 65 miles per hour. But in 1915, while Louis was on vacation, William altered the production and introduced the Chevrolet "490" to challenge the Model T. This caused a falling out with Louis, who then left the company. Chevrolet was merged with General Motors in 1918, the same year it sold its first truck, the Model 490 Light Delivery. It has since then diversified its offerings from SUVs to subcompacts - a legacy from Durant who pioneered the system of a multi-brand car company.
Chevrolet's focus is the adoption of environment-friendly technology, in line with American automakers' commitment to make one-half of the vehicles produced flexible fuel of bio-diesel capable by 2012. Versions of the 2007 Chevy Impala and the 2007 Chevy Avalance will use flexifuel or E85 ethanol, a renewable fuel made from corn which is a blend of 85 ethanol and 15 percent diesel. E85 ethanol reduces the emission of greenhouse gases and lessens the need for petroleum. It has a higher octane rating than gasoline which means better vehicle performance, the 2006 Chevy Silverado Hybrid Pickup Truck has a hybrid engine. Hybrid vehicles use a combination of electriciy stored in a battery and a combustion engine powered by diesel.
There are currently different strategies for hybrid cars. In Chevrolets, as with most GM hybrid cars, the battery part is charged when the car is moving and when the vehicle stops (during a red light for example), it switches to electric power from the battery. The long term plan is to do away with fossil fuels like diesel and gasoline altogether. In September 2006, Chevrolet announced the arrival of Sequel, its first petroleum-free vehicle that runs purely on hydrogen derived from water. This means that the car does not have a combustion engine and instead of mechanical controls, it uses electric signals to perform conventional tasks such as steering, accelerating, and braking.
Expect Chevy parts to evolve as the world looks for cleaner and sustainable fuel sources. Soon, the Chevy engine parts may become the Chevy fuel cell parts and the Chevy fuel tank may morph into the Chevy water tank. Whatever the future brings, purchase only genuine Chevy parts as replacement to get the most out of your Chevrolet.
