General Motors prepares for extreme weather, testing for dust and rain storms

MILFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) - The summer season can mean stormy weather. General Motors takes Action News inside its top secret testing labs to show us how they try to protect drivers during wind and rain storms.

One lab simulates driving 40 mph into a dust storm. They want to ensure that passengers and electronic components are protected from Arizona to Dubai.

GM extreme testing engineer, Josh Tavel tells 7 Action News, "We know that just one speck of dust can create problems." 

They also work to keep any dust or dirt from making its way into the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

The next test is the the world's most intense car wash!  A new Chevy Cruze is inundated with 6,600 gallons of water, in just eight minutes.  Engineers are testing to make sure that no leaks would develop during hurricanes, monsoons or moderate flooding.

Chris Lega, who oversees global vehicle performance, says it is important to keep contaminants out of the passenger cabin.

He tells 7 Action News "No one wants soggy carpets or mold developing because of leaks."

Every model of vehicle goes through similar testing during the development stages to keep passengers  from being stranded in extreme weather.