Chevrolet News

• Summer temperatures in Thailand are forecast to be 1-2 degrees Celsius warmer than last year, which means parked cars can get extremely hot
• Chevrolet’s remote start feature allows customers to start the engine and air conditioning to cool the cabin before driver and passengers get in
• Air-con systems used in many Chevrolet vehicles go through high temperature testing to ensure quick and efficient operation

Summer temperatures in Thailand are forecast to be 1-2 degrees Celsius (C) warmer than last year, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. That means temperatures will hit 42-43C even in northern provinces. Now, think about how hot the interior of your car will feel this summer.

Researchers in America found that if a car sits parked in the sun on a hot day, the interior temperature can reach 46C and the dashboard may exceed 73C – hot enough to be fatal for vulnerable occupants such as small children or family pets. Even when outside temperatures are mild, experts say car interiors can heat up to dangerous levels, making it imperative to never leave a person or pet inside a closed car without the air conditioning on.

Chevrolet customers in Thailand don’t have to endure high heat because remote start technology available on Colorado pickup truck and Trailblazer SUV allows them to start the engine using the key fob, enabling automatic air conditioning to cool the cabin to
a preset temperature before they get in. Chevrolet’s A/C systems are designed to cool down to a comfortable temperature in just a few minutes, with ventilation to all seating rows. The key fob can also open all windows for quick ventilation and quicker cool down.

With remote start, if someone needs to make a quick stop while other occupants stay in the vehicle, the user can briefly turn off the vehicle, take the key with them and restart the engine and air conditioning while keeping the doors locked for the safety, security and comfort of the other occupants.

Chevrolet customers stay cool and comfortable even on the hottest days because General Motors Global Product Development engineers test vehicle air-con systems in external temperatures up to 46C to assure reliable system performance.

Thermal testing of air-con systems typically requires driving test vehicles for thousands of miles in both real world and simulated environments. Engineers conduct these tests at GM’s Desert Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona, USA, where summer temperatures reach 42C, and in GM’s climatic test laboratories at even higher temperatures.

In both real world and laboratory environments, vehicles are subjected to high “solar load” – the heat generated from maximum exposure to sunlight. Then, GM test engineers drive the vehicles at a steady speed to ensure the air-con is capable of cooling the interior to a comfortable temperature within minutes.

“By testing against high heat, we help ensure that Colorado and Trailblazer customers living in hot places like Thailand will have reliable air-con every time they turn it on,” said Mr. Chatchawan Chantaket, General Director of Product Engineering, GM Southeast Asia.

According to experts, light-colored vehicles – interior and exterior – typically cool down more quickly than dark-colored vehicles because darker colors absorb more heat from sunlight than lighter colors. As a result, light-colored vehicles can be about 5 degrees C cooler than dark-colored vehicles when subjected to the same amount of solar load.

Additionally, tinted glass can help reduce heat load inside vehicles by nearly 80 percent. Customers should ask the Chevrolet dealers about this option at the time of purchase.