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AWD turbodiesel Equinox, Terrain dropped for 2020

Citing low demand, General Motors is dropping the AWD diesel options off the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain roster. Chevrolet spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed to CarsDirect that for 2020, the diesel versions of these SUVs will only be offered with front-wheel-drive. CarsDirect notes that with the AWD diesel Equinox and Terrain gone, the only AWD diesel option in this class is the Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv diesel, which is significantly more expensive: As the AWD diesel CX-5 is only available in a fully loaded Signature specification, the $42,045 price tag is almost $10k heftier than the cheapest comparable Equinox, the AWD 1.6-liter diesel LT which starts from $32,495. The 2019 GMC Terrain AWD SLE costs $34,795 in comparison, which works out to being around $7,200 cheaper than the Mazda. The higher trim levels for the Equinox and Terrain are Premier and SLT, respectively. Some reasoning behind the AWD diesel GM SUV's low uptake is their own price difference to base FWD gasoline models: you can get a 1.5-liter Equinox for less than §25,000 listed. While the 2.2-liter Mazda has plenty more power at 168 hp and 290 lb-ft, compared to 137hp and 240 lb-ft in the 1.6-liter GM SUVs, the Equinox and Terrain are notably more frugal – they are rated 32mpg combined, while the Mazda can manage 28 mpg. With better fuel economy and a significantly lower list price, the General Motors twins are at least more wallet-friendly when it comes to numbers, and as the vehicles will cease to be built in that configuration there's likely to be some cash on the hood on ones in stock. News Source: CarsDirectImage Credit: Chevrolet Chevrolet GM GMC confirmed gmc terrain chevrolet equinox

Hummer EV range listed at 334 miles in MyChevrolet app

Forums of late have been cracking for interesting news, the Hummer Chat forum next in line to keep us intrigued. When member BahamaTodd updated his MyChevrolet app to version 5.7.0, he clicked through to the Energy Assist page and found three GM electric vehicles listed, plus their estimated range figures on a 100% charge. One was the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, rated for 259 miles, the second was the 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, rated for 247 miles. The third was an unexpected entry, being the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup, listed as able to go 334 miles on a full charge. When BahamaTodd clicked on the Hummer, a map appeared with a dotted line outlining the entire geographical area available to him based on his current location. The figures for both Bolts are the official EPA estimates. The mileage figure for the Hummer is a mystery, as is why it's popped up here in the MyChevrolet app instead of the MyGMC app. The EPA hasn't certified the 2022 Hummer yet, so that's not the source. On the other hand, a little more than a week ago, GM said the Hummer EV could go 350 miles or more based on the automaker's estimates. We assumed GM was referring to the Hummer Edition 1, the sold-out launch model which will be the only trim produced for the 2022 model year, fitted with three electric motors making a combined 1,000 horsepower. The first and safest assumption is that the app data is placeholder information, not intended to be spread on the Internet and dissected. If it does apply to a Hummer EV, it could denote a specific trim or options. The Edition 1 will be available with street tires. It's perfectly reasonable to believe the chunky, 35-inch knobblies that shown in all the press materials could eat up 16 miles or so of range, about a 4.8% loss. Or GM's range estimate could have been meant for one of the future Hummer EV variants, like the slightly less-powerful tri-motor EV3X with 800 hp, the 625-hp dual-motor EV2X, and the base, 625-hp dual-motor EV2. With pre-production of the Edition 1 slated to begin at GM's Factory Zero any day now, answers shouldn't be long in coming.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

GM CEO Mary Barra predicts mass electrification will take decades

General Motors is allocating a substantial amount of money to the development of electric technology, but Mary Barra, the firm's CEO, conceded that battery-powered cars won't fully replace their gasoline-burning counterparts for several decades. She stressed the shift is ongoing, but she hinted it will be slower than many assume. "We believe the transition will happen over time," affirmed Barra on "Leadership Live with David Rubenstein," a talk show aired by Bloomberg Television. She added that not every car will be electric in 2040. "It will happen in a little bit longer period, but it will happen," she told the host. She was presumably talking about the United States market; the situation is markedly different in Europe and in China, where strict government regulations (and even stricter ones on the horizon) are accelerating the shift towards electric cars. On the surface, it doesn't look like General Motors has much invested in electrification; the only battery-powered model it sells in America in 2020 is the Chevrolet Bolt (pictured), which undeniably remains a niche vehicle. Sales totaled 16,418 units in 2019, meaning the Corvette beat it by about 1,500 sales. In comparison, Cadillac sold 35,424 examples of the aging last-generation Escalade during the same time period. And yet, the company isn't giving up. It has numerous electric models in the pipeline including a slightly larger version of the aforementioned Bolt, the much-hyped GMC Hummer pickup, and an electric crossover assigned to the Cadillac brand. These models (and others) will use the Ultium battery technology that General Motors is currently developing. Its engineers are also working on a modular platform capable of underpinning a wide variety of cars. Bringing these innovations to the market is a Herculean task. EVs may not take over for decades, but Barra and her team must believe their 2% market share will increase significantly in the coming years if they're approving these programs. Autonomous technology is even costlier, more complicated, and more time-consuming to develop. Barra nonetheless expects to see the first General Motors-built driverless vehicles on the road by 2025. "I definitely think it will happen within the next five years. Our Cruise team is continuing to develop technology so it's safer than a human driver. I think you'll see it clearly within five years," she said on the same talk show. Her statement is vague but realistic.