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The USPS needs 180,000 new delivery vehicles, automakers gearing up to bid

Winning the New York City Taxi of Tomorrow tender was a huge prize for Nissan, even though the company is still working through the process of claiming its prize. The United States Postal Service has begun the process to take bids for a new delivery vehicle to replace the all-too-familiar Grumman Long Life Vehicle, and that will be a much larger plum for the automaker who wins it, perhaps worth more than six billion dollars. The Grumman LLV is an aluminum body covering a Chevrolet S-10 pickup chassis and General Motors' Iron Duke four-cylinder engine. The USPS bought them from 1987 to 1994, and the 163,000 of them still in service are a monumental drain on postal resources: they get roughly ten miles to the gallon instead of the quoted 16 mpg, drink up more than $530 million in fuel each year, and their constant repair needs like the balky sliding door and leaky windshields have led the service to increase the annual maintenance budget from $100 million to $500 million. A seat belt is about as modern as it gets for safety technology, and the USPS says that assuming things stay the same, it can't afford to run them beyond 2017. Last year it put out two triage requests for proposals seeking 10,000 new chassis and drivetrains for the Grumman and 10,000 new vehicles. The LLV is also too small for the modern mail system in which package delivery is growing and letter delivery is declining. The service says it doesn't have a fixed idea of the ideal "next-generation delivery vehicles," but it listed a number of requirements in its initial request and is open to any proposal. Carriers have some suggestions, though, saying they want better cupholders, sun visors that they can stuff letters behind, a driver's compartment free of slits that can swallow mail, and a backup camera. The request for information sent to automakers pegs the tender at 180,000 vehicles that would cost between $25,000 and $35,000 apiece, and it will hold a conference on February 18 to answer questions about the contract. GM is the only domestic maker to avow an interest, while Ford and Fiat-Chrysler have remained cagey. Yet with a possible $6.3 billion up for grabs and some new vans for sale that would be advertised on every block in the country, we have a feeling everyone will be listening closely come February 18. We also have a feeling the LeMons series is going to be flooded with Grummans come 2017. News Source: Wall Street Journal, Automotive News - sub.

Chevy, GMC and Ram dealers are worried they'll run out of new pickups

One of the unexpected side effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is a shortage of pickups at Chevrolet, GMC and Ram dealers. Supplies are running out, and the factories that build these trucks remain closed. Stores across the nation began increasing incentives in March, when the first stay-at-home orders were issued, in a bid to continue luring buyers into showrooms. They also launched online sales channels, or expanded their existing digital business. Sales nonetheless plummeted in April 2020, but in-demand vehicles, like the Ram 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado, are still selling relatively well thanks in part to the aforementioned incentives. Pickups outsold sedans for the first time in April 2020, according to The Detroit News, by 17,000 units. The problem is that General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and Ford temporarily closed their factories in March. "The pipeline is very dry," said Mike Maroone, the CEO of a large dealership group named Maroone USA, in an interview with Automotive News. He told the publication his Chevrolet stores are sitting on a 30-day supply of the Silverado, which is one of America's best-selling vehicles. "That is a problem for us," he concluded. Coronavirus-related lockdowns and factory closures compound problems already faced by dealerships who represent General Motors-owned brands. They entered 2020 with a thinner inventory than a year earlier due to the 40-day United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that paralyzed the company late in 2019, and the 0%, 84-month offers announced in March have sapped supply. Ram wasn't affected by a strike, but it has relied heavily on generous incentives to move trucks off lots. Ford, on the other hand, limited incentives to 2019 models. Inventory levels differ greatly from region to region. The national average for the Silverado stood at an 82-day supply in March 2020, down from 120 in March 2019. Ram stores had a 114-day supply of the 1500 (compared to 134 a year earlier), while Ford bucked that trend with a 111-day supply versus 84 in 2019. Don't panic if you're in the market for a truck; we're not facing a complete drought. Automotive News added that America's light-duty pickup inventory could fall to 400,000 units by the end of May, and drop further to 260,000 units in June. For context, there were about 700,000 light-duty trucks in stock in May and June of 2019. That's unquestionably a sharp drop, but there will still be over a quarter of a million trucks to choose from.

Chevy gives Camaro Red, Black Accents for SEMA

Just the other day, Chevy announced a series of modified show cars it's planning to bring to SEMA this year. Now it has revealed full details on what could prove the most enticing among them in the form of a pair of Camaros. These new Red Accent and Black Accent editions are based on the new, sixth-generation 2016 Camaro SS. The former starts out as a Camaro SS convertible, done up in silver with red trim inside and out. It's got a leather interior, custom grille, hash-mark fender graphics, blacked-out bowtie badge, and 20-inch alloys. Even the engine is visually enhanced with a red cover. While it was at it, Chevy also dropped the suspension and fitted a new air intake and Brembo front brakes. Joining it is the Black Accent concept, based on a red Camaro SS coupe. As its name suggests, it's got a blacked-out aero kit, bowtie badge, and fuel cover, along with darkened tailllamps and satin black stripes. It also gets a black leather interior and its own set of 20-inch wheels, along with the aforementioned lowering kit, Brembo front brakes, air intake, and red engine cover. The Accent concepts are designed to showcase the extent of the accessories Chevy is offering for the new Camaro, and will be showcased at SEMA alongside modified versions of the Spark, Trax, Malibu, Colorado, and Sierra. Feel free to scope out the gallery above and the details in the press release below. Related Video: 2016 Camaro SS Concepts Designed to Inspire Red, Black Accent cars showcase new accessories, preview production packages DETROIT – Chevrolet introduced two customized 2016 Camaro SS concepts that illustrate the possibilities enabled by the new portfolio of Gen Six Camaro accessories and performance parts. Dubbed Red Accent and Black Accent for their respective design themes, each uses components Chevrolet will offer during the first model year of the new Camaro. "These are great-looking examples of what customers can do to personalize their new Gen Six Camaro," said Roger McCormack, director, Accessories & Performance Parts Marketing. "This will be the largest-ever portfolio of Camaro accessories and performance parts.