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GM's Ultium EV platform finally shows up in Q3 sales numbers

General Motors has heralded its Ultium battery-electric platform as the future of its passenger car and truck lineup, but for the first two years of its existence, its impact on the marketplace has been virtually nonexistent. Well, that finally changed in the third quarter of 2023, and while the cars based on this architecture don't represent anywhere near the volume of GM's broader combustion portfolio, we're reaching a point where Ultium products are finally in view (and in the hands) of real-world shoppers. At this point, five U.S.-market Ultium models are in production: the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer & Silverado EV, and BrightDrop Zevo 600. If you're not familiar with that last one, that's OK; it's a commercial product that you likely won't see on the road for some time. Together, these four combined for 4,257 sales in the third quarter alone — up from 2,663 for the entire first half of the year. While that may not seem like a significant uptick when viewed from altitude, the quarter-to-quarter numbers paint a clearer picture.  Let's toss out the stragglers first. The Chevy Blazer EV, and Silverado EV for example, are barely in production. GM delivered 19 Blazers and 18 Silverados in the third quarter and that's the entirety of their production runs so far. Likewise, GM's BrightDrop Zevo 600 delivery van effectively exists apart from the consumer marketplace, so its contribution of just 35 units can be set aside too. That leaves us the two you've heard of: the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq — models with high sticker prices and long reservation queues.  Through the second quarter (remember, we're talking six months here), GMC sold 49 Hummer EVs. No typo. In the three months that made up the third quarter, GM moved 1,167 of them. Not only is that a dramatic improvement over the first half, but it's more Hummers than GMC sold in the entirety of 2022 (854). Lyriq's improvement was less eye-popping on paper, but after moving just 122 total units in 2022 and 2,013 of them in the first half of 2023, Cadillac managed to up that figure to 3,018 units in the third quarter alone.  GM is betting its short-term EV future on the Ultium platform, so these trends need to continue if that's going to be a profitable wager.

2021 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing spied up close, showing off bronze wheels

Here is yet another closer look at the upcoming Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing sedan. Some pertinent details have been flying around this one for a while now. A photo of the interior showing a manual transmission is the latest leak, and it’s also one of the most exciting. Reports have also shone light on the engine: ItÂ’s supposed to be getting an updated version of GMÂ’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8. There will be no shortage of horsepower and torque. These latest spy shots reveal a couple of other new developments. For one, we get a really great look at the wheel and tire package on the car. Those dark bronze wheels are new, and they sure do look like production-style wheels to us. If anything, they remind us of the Brass Monkey wheel color found on Challengers and Chargers. Wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires wrap those wheels. It gets 305-section-width tires in back and 275-section-width rubber in front. The wide, staggered setup is no surprise considering that this car will very likely put out more than 640 horsepower. ThereÂ’s a great deal of camouflage missing from the car as a whole, too. The hood is out in the open, and the same goes for the upper portions of the doors. ThatÂ’s because those parts of the car are virtually identical to the regular CT5-V. Sorry, no massive hood scoop on this sedan. The front grilleÂ’s lower opening does look significantly taller on this car, though. And where the standard CT5 has covered up fake vents, this car appears to have real, open venting. All the lighting is the same, but the maw of the CT5-V Blackwing is definitely much more aggressive than the standard CT5-V. Cadillac hasnÂ’t provided us with a date on when the new CT5-V Blackwing will be revealed, but has assured us that itÂ’s coming soon. We expect its little sibling, the CT4-V Blackwing, will debut right alongside this one. Related video:

North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year finalists revealed

The finalists for the 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards were announced Thursday at the L.A. Auto Show. — The Acura Integra, Genesis Electrified G80 and Nissan Z made the cut in the car category. — The Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado ZR2 and Lordstown Endurance advanced in trucks. — And the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6 advanced among utilities.  The winners will be announced Jan. 11 in Detroit.  The finalists underscored the industryÂ’s shift to electric vehicles, as all three utilities and two of the three trucks are EVs. The finalists were culled from a list of 26 semifinalists made up of three trucks, 10 cars and 16 utility vehicles that are new this year.  Notables that missed the cut include the Mercedes EQE, Subaru WRX and Toyota GR Corolla in cars; while the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage and Rivian R1S were among the utes that did not advance. The three trucks are the only ones eligible this year and have advanced through the voting.  50 jurors who work for media outlets across North America vote three times over the course of the year to whittle down the field, which was originally 47 vehicles. Jurors also test the semifinalists at an October group event in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Honda Civic (car), Ford Maverick (truck) and Ford Bronco (utility vehicle) were the 2022 winners. Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is a NACTOY juror.   Featured Gallery Ford F-150 Lightning View 48 Photos Green LA Auto Show Acura Cadillac Chevrolet Ford Genesis Kia Nissan Truck SUV NACTOY Lordstown Endurance