Chevy Launches MyLink Infotainment System in Response to Ford's SYNC

The 2012 Chevrolet Volt and Equinox models will be the first to offer Chevy MyLink, an in-car infotainment equipment that integrates internet radio, hands-free, voice and touch-screen controls, all of which can be accessed via Bluetooth connectivity.

Three years ago, Ford introduced a similar system, called SYNC, whose aim was to reunite in a friendly and efficient way the various in-car controls that a driver can access while driving. Now Chevy is ready with its own technology, developed together with GM's subsidiary OnStar.

MyLink provides drivers with stereo audio streaming, wireless control of smartphones, voice-activated commands and a full-color 7-inch touch screen display that centralizes media sources. For example, the driver can initiate phone calls, select radio stations or stored media only by using his voice.

Other features are Pandora internet radio, which allows users to personalize their radio experience, or Gracenote, which identifies the user's music collection and presents information such as artist name, genres and album cover art on the MyLink screen.

Basically, MyLink does everything that SYNC does, plus the future integration of the Powermat wireless cell-phone charging system that eliminates cords. The MyLink infotainment system will expand to other Chevrolet models in the next 18 months.

Opel Ampera EV Police Cruiser: Volt's European Cousin Getting Ready for Patrol

If there's one way to kick-start sales of specialty vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt and its European counterpart, the Opel Ampera, that's by enlisting the government as one of your clients. And with a starting price of €42,900 (about US$58,000 at the current exchange rates) in Europe, GM's Opel division will need all the help it can get to sell the Ampera.

Well before the Ampera hits European showrooms at the end of the year, Opel is already exploring the possibility of a police package for its range-extended electric vehicle. According to the company, the Ampera could be the perfect police car for urban use.

Like the Volt, Opel's version of the car can be driven in pure electric mode for 40-80 km before the petrol engine kicks in to produce electricity and / or motivate the front driving wheels pushing the total driving range to over 500 km [311 miles]. The Ampera completes the standard sprint in 9 seconds while reaching a top speed of 160 km/h [100 mph].

The final production version of the Ampera will receive its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Chevrolet Volt in 2011

The five-door compact hatchback 2011 Chevrolet Volt is GM’s first electric car. It provides 40 miles of battery range, plus a further 300 miles from a gasoline engine-generator that sends power directly to the car’s motor. It represents a major advance over gasoline-electric hybrids like the Toyots Prius, and its major competition is likely to be the Nissan Leaf, the all-electric hatchback with a 100-mile range, along with a plug-in hybrid version of the Toyota Prius, which is expected to go on sale for the 2012 model year. The Volt hasn’t yet been priced, though estimates hover around $40,000, but buyers will be eligible for a $7,500 Federal tax credit.

The Volt was unveiled—to wide public acclaim—as a concept car at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, and the first examples will reach dealers in November or December 2010. Only 10,000 or so will be built for the 2011 model year, and perhaps 60,000 a year thereafter. It uses some of the same mechanical elements as the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan, but only the Volt has a lithium-ion battery pack located in the tunnel between the front seats and extending under the rear seat. It drives entirely like a “normal car,” although without any transmission shifting noises, and like most electric cars, its acceleration from a stop is brisk and continuous.
As a brand-new model, the Volt comes only in a single body style, and the few option choices aren’t yet final. No sunroof is available, and the only exterior option will be a choice of silver paint or polished chrome on the five-spoke 17-inch wheels. Inside, a navigation system can be integrated into the dashboard stack, and two-tone leather upholstery can be specified rather than the standard cloth. Heated seats will also be offered. The car comes with the necessary charging cord to plug it into a standard wall outlet, and recharging the pack will take roughly five hours.
The EPA hasn’t yet decided how to rate the gas mileage of a car that runs significant distances purely on electricity from the grid. Some drivers may never use the gasoline engine, meaning their gas mileage approaches infinity. Others might drive more than 40 miles every day, using the gasoline engine once they have depleted the battery. So it’s worth taking any “mileage” figures for the Volt with a large grain of salt. As they say, “your mileage may vary” depending on how you use a car like the Volt. It’s also important to note that the Volt is often called a plug-in hybrid, because it has two energy sources. But unlike plug-in versions of conventional hybrids, the Volt is powered solely by electricity. Even if the “range extender” gasoline engine switches on, it doesn’t turn the wheels mechanically. Instead, it turns a generator that provides power to the electric motor driving the front wheels

Wallpapers Chevrolet Volt  in 2011

Wallpapers Chevrolet Volt  in 2011 Interior

Wallpapers Chevrolet Volt  in 2011 Interior

Wallpapers Chevrolet Volt  in 2011 Batrrey