GM TO OFFER COMPOSITE PICKUP TRUCK BOX

Technology increases durability where customers need it most

Traverse City, Mich. -- General Motors announced that it will offer a pickup truck box made of advanced composite materials that provides the ultimate customer solution for durability, worry-free cargo loading, low-maintenance cost and freedom from dents and corrosion.

The innovative, new 6.5-ft. fleetside box will be available as an option on the full-size Chevy Silverado pickup beginning in the autumn of 2000. GM will be the first manufacturer to offer a composite box on its full-size pickup trucks.

Announcing the new feature at the 1999 University of Michigan Automotive Management Briefing here, Dr. Lawrence D. Burns, vice president of GM R&D and Planning, said, "Pickup truck cargo boxes are frequently subject to a great deal of wear and tear. They are often the body component most susceptible to corrosion over time. GM's box offers customers unparalleled ruggedness and long-term durability - where customers need it most.

We are not talking about just a traditional steel box with an industrial strength bedliner. This is an entire unit made of durable composite materials."

The box's fenders and outer tailgate panel are made of reinforced reaction injection molded (RRIM) materials, chiefly polyurea with mica filler. The one-piece inner panel and the inside of the tailgate are formed by a structural reaction injection molding (SRIM) process and consist of a 50/50 mix of urethane and glass fiber. The interior of the box and tailgate are painted with a dark gray "spatter paint" that provides a tough, pebbly surface as well as protection from ultraviolet rays.

The use of advanced SRIM and RRIM composite materials reduces the total weight of the truck by approximately 50 lbs., which improves fuel economy and payload carrying capability. The tailgate alone is roughly 15 lbs. lighter than a current steel tailgate, making it easier to open and close.

To make sure a composite pickup box could exceed the expectations - and survive the punishment - of hard-working truck customers, GM engineers installed 48 of the units on Chevy C/K pickup trucks and put them to use in some of the worst operating environments in the North America.

In phosphate and sulfur mines, chemical environments and tar sand fields, the composite boxes were pounded, twisted and punished for two years and 1.2 million miles at extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to 170 degrees F. The result: a pickup box that withstood brutal punishment like no other product in the marketplace.

The outer panels not only withstand denting, but also are twice as damage resistant as composite outer panels used on cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro, and Pontiac Firebird. If a fender is damaged, it can be removed in less than 10 minutes, repaired in a matter of hours - rather than days - and re-installed with a minimum of downtime. Most scratches on the inside of the box or tailgate can be polished out with a common commercial silicone cleanser.

The composite pickup box and tailgate are 100 percent recyclable and will be identified by an abbreviated polymer symbol molded into them. Scrap from the manufacturing process will be reused to make other parts. Over the long term, GM is committed to help develop the recycling infrastructure required to allow the composite box's various parts to be recycled.

The Chevy Silverado with the optional composite pickup box will be built at GM's truck assembly plant in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Photography and illustrations related to this release are available through media.gm.com or by contacting the Wieck Photo Database at 972-392-0888.

General Motors Composite Pickup Box Fact Sheet

Availability

• Chevy Silverado 1500 Series fleetside pickup * Autumn 2000

Pickup Box Size

• 6.5 ft.

Technology

• Fenders and tailgate exterior: Reinforced Reaction Injection Molded (RRIM)
• Interior of the box and tailgate interior: Structural Reaction Injection Molded (SRIM)

Material

• Exterior panels: Polyurea, mica
• Interior panels: Urethane, glass fiber

Mass vs. Traditional Steel Pickup Box

• Exterior (fenders, tailgate exterior): 30 lbs. lighter than steel box * Interior (interior of box, tailgate interior): 20 lbs. lighter than steel box Total Weight Savings Per Vehicle: 50 lbs.

Customer Benefits

• Ability
• Freedom from dents and corrosion
• Highly scratch resistant exterior
• Increased cargo carrying capability and fuel economy
• Easier-to-open-and-close tailgate
• Worry-free cargo loading
• Low maintenance costs

Serviceability Highligh