Chevrolet is taking some major steps to improve and evolve the Corvette – the automaker is bringing back the beloved Stingray and adding a 6.2L V-8 LT1 engine with over 450 horsepower (335kw). Now, Chevy has revealed its intentions to incorporate heat-activated "smart materials" into the 2014 Corvette.
Chevy and GM are starting small, using a shape memory alloy wire that opens the hatch vent whenever the deck lid is opened in the rear of the car. Basically, heat from an electrical current activates the small wire, which moves a lever arm to open the vent, allowing the trunk lid to close. Once closed, the current switches off, and returns to its original shape.
This replaces a conventional motorized system that weighs approximately 1.1 pounds (499 grams) more.
While it sounds like a small change to the overall weight of the car, Chevy points out that "there are about 200 motorized movable parts on the typical vehicle that could be replaced with lightweight smart materials." A pound here and a pound there can add up to some serious weight reduction, which can improve performance and fuel economy going forward.
Shape memory alloys are typically made of copper-aluminum-nickel or nickel-titanium, and are able to change their properties when activated by heat, stress, a magnetic field, or electrical voltage. Once deactivated, they return to their original shape. It's easy to imagine other places where these materials could replace larger, heavier components.
GM has big plans for these smart materials in the future. The company reportedly has "many more smart material applications in the pipeline that will bring even more improvements to our vehicles going forward.”
Source: GM
Ok, I can see the point of a self-opening trunk lid on something much larger, such as a station wagon, where the owner might be approaching with an armful of groceries, but perhaps the need to automate everything (and build it down to a price) is partly why American sportscars are so derided in Europe?
Would also help its cause if it had been styled, rather than using a cut-and-paste mashup- sportscars are supposed to be beautiful and graceful. This one just looks tacky and derivitive.
If you read it again, the vent is there to allow you to close the trunk.... Ie the doors and other areas are sealed so tightly that there needs to be a place to displace the air when closing one of the openings to the outside world.
Good attention to detail
The reason for this is this: When you try to shut a hatch, it causes an increase in pressure inside the passenger compartment. If there is no way to vent air to equalize the pressure, you have to slam the hatch, which is potentially damaging to an all-glass hatch. This also prevents uncomfortable pressure changes in the ears of a passenger, who might be in the car.
My dad had an '86 Z-28 that had an all-glass hatch. It had a motorized pull down mechanism on the glass for this reason. Once the latch reached the mechanism, the motor pulled the hatch down the rest of the way, slowly, to seal the hatch.
A link to your beloved European design and how they address this phenomenon: http://www.mbca.org/forum/2011-11-11/cabin-pressure-prevents-door-properly-closing
Zapp
I was thinking the same thing. In fact my Prius has something very like that. It's a simple rubber flapper valve on the bottom passenger side of the underdeck storage area- below the battery. (The 12V lead-acid battery, not the NiMH Hybrid system battery pack- which is under the rear seat.) I'm guessing that my Nissan Quest has something similar, but I don't know where that one is located. So why does the 'Vette need a device that is in any way powered to perform this function? Just another part to malfunction.