Chevrolet released these two videos this week showing how the company puts the new Chevy Volt through rigorous testing to make sure that it can stand up to different temperature points in the United States. The Chevy Volt is placed under solar heat lamps and blasted with 200-degree Fahrenheit temperatures for about 3 hours at a time and checked all over to make sure that the car isn’t falling apart while it’s being baked.
In the video below, a similar test is done but on the opposite side of the temperature spectrum with temperatures dipping into the negative-30’s (Fahrenheit). At the same time, it’s kind of neat to see the mechanical instrument that Chevrolet uses to test the longevity of their car doors. According to the video below, a Chevy Volt door should be able to close and open more than 62,000 times. It’d be interesting to know how much an average person’s car door opens and closes in its lifetime. Do you think it’s anywhere near 62,000?
Because I am an owner of a Canon 7D, I was most delighted to hear that the 7D is built so well and weather sealed so tightly that even extreme cold and exposure to lots of moisture won’t stop the camera from taking photos. Now to only buy a lens that’s weather sealed as well…$$$$$$$.
Amazon.com has a new Orders page that’s currently in beta testing if you log in to your account. The new orders page shows your current and previous orders in a clearer way and gives you access to tracking information without having to load another page. Overall, it’s a welcome improvement over their current orders page.
Discovery News sent two correspondents to the Gore laboratories to see how Gore-Tex fabrics are tested with some very advanced weather-simulation machines. The weather chambers at Gore can practically simulate any real-world weather condition from extreme heat to extreme cold.
The purpose of the visit was to better understand how Gore keeps people comfortable in extreme weather, that way the two Discovery News correspondents will be prepared to handle Alaska’s climate when they head there next week to film.
Their labs remind me a lot of the Good Housekeeping testing center at the Hearst Tower in New York City.