Mom Engineers Design 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

Jul 12, 2012 11:28 AM EDT | Brice Smith

Minivans have been family cars of Americans for decades with mom as the driver behind the wheels.

From pre-kid car to the minivan that holds the kids, their friends, a dog, a stroller and things whatever you can think of has been the domain of mothers. Now, those same moms have turned out to be engineers and have literally built from start to finish a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu model. 

Suzanne Cody, Julie Kleinert, Kara Gordon and Tracy Mack-Askew are mom engineers who worked on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and brought not just a professional perspective, but one infused by their lives as moms. Gordon, lead acoustic noise engineer for 2013 Chevrolet Malibu model project and is the mother of two young boys.

The idea of inventing latest technology with noise reduction in the car happened when her child was trying to tell her something while driving on a highway and straining to hear over the road noise. Gordon felt it was frustrating and unsafe trying to drive, while keeping on eye on what's going on in the back. 

Ensuring a safe and quiet ride is always an important factor for any automaker and this team of moms have worked days and nights to improve the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. Cody, aerodynamics engineer, spent considerable time in the section of the wind tunnel to reduce wind drag and thereby increase the fuel efficiency of the Chevrolet Malibu. Cody is a single mom and knows that every dollar indeed counts for any consumer. Her contribution on eAssist technology gives the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco a General Motors-estimated 25mpg in the city and 37 mpg on highway roads.

With choosing mom engineers in the company, General Motors realized the importance of involving women in the development of the futuristic cars.

The world class automaker supports programs and initiatives to encourage women to pursue careers in a project titled STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and also include high school robotics programs as well as scholarships. Indeed such programs and objectives aimed towards women will encourage them to pursue careers in auto technology and it ensures their input in future designs.

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is priced at $25,235 and also comes in a hybrid version. 

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