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GMC caught using Rivian R1T image for Sierra Denali EV Photoshop

The rise of electric start-ups have many legacy automakers checking their rear view mirrors as they scramble to join the EV party. Most wouldn't like to admit it publicly, but we know that at least some folks at General Motors are keeping an eye on Rivian. That's because a recent post on social media account by the General Motors design department appears to have used an image of the Rivian R1T, but heavily photoshopped. The post was intended as a peek of the GMC Sierra Denali EV's rear view. Eagle-eyed observers like AllCarNews soon noticed many familiar elements to the rendering, including the wheels and tires, mirrors and doors. Even the backgrounds are identical, including some leaves that the truck is kicking up. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Seen side by side, the two pickups' similarities don't end there. The Sierra EV is wider, but the cab's rear pillars and glass look the same as the Rivian's, just stretched horizontally. The rear bumper and its license plate cutout and reflectors on either side look a bit too close for comfort as well.  The post as since been deleted. A GM spokesperson explained the situation to The Drive, "The GM Design Instagram channel is meant to give followers an inside look at the process of designing new products and the creative teams behind it. Often, these posts use sketches made for internal studio use during design development. The sketch in question was intended for internal use only, and was posted without the necessary approval. It has been removed from the GM Design Instagram page." Automakers often use products from the competition as benchmarks or design inspiration. Designers sometimes use existing images as a starting point as well, in order to quickly get an idea down "on paper". They just tend to do it in private. A juggernaut like GM using an image from an upstart like Rivian is embarrassing for the General, but surely an ego boost for the EV brand.  When dealing with an up-and-comer, perhaps it's best to take a page from Mad Men's Don Draper. In season four of the advertising drama, a newspaper calls the hot shot exec for a quote, after a young rival publicly says he's gunning for Draper. Draper knows exactly who the reporter is talking about but when asked for comment says, "Never heard of him." Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

GMC explains why the Hummer EV SUV has only 830 horsepower

GMC's 2022 Hummer EV pickup made its debut in late 2020 with a headline-grabbing 1,000-horsepower rating. Its SUV sibling broke cover yesterday with 170 fewer horses, so GMC executives had some explaining to do. Al Oppenheiser, the EV's chief engineer, pointed out that the SUV's wheelbase is about nine inches shorter than the truck's, which is called an "SUT" in GMC-speak. It's also about 20 inches shorter overall. Size matters in the electric car world; GMC can't stuff the SUT's big battery pack in the more compact SUV, and this directly influences power. He added that it would have been possible to build a 1,000-horsepower SUV by making changes to the battery pack's layout. His team would have needed to reduce cargo capacity and get rid of the flat loading floor, which were compromises that engineers were not prepared to make. Ultimately, 830 horses should be plenty for most drivers. "Frankly, we are not sorry that it's only 830 horsepower. There aren't many internal combustion engines that can say that. Will we be able to grow horsepower in the future? We are going to push that capability, and as the technology gets to the point where our batteries are smaller and more efficient, we will improve performance with any chance we get," Oppenheiser said. It helps that the Ultium battery technology GMC uses is extremely modular. Less powerful versions of the Hummer SUV are in the cards, too. At launch in early 2023, the model will exclusively be offered with the aforementioned 830-horsepower drivetrain, which offers around 300 miles of driving range. Pricing will start at $105,595 before options are factored in. Several months later, GMC will release an EV2X variant with up to 625 horsepower, about the same amount of driving range, and an $89,995 price tag before incentives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. GMC Hummer EV reveal

Electric Hummer is official, and Tesla's got momentum | Autoblog Podcast #612

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They start things off with a discussion of the week's news: GMC is launching an electric Hummer truck with a Super Bowl ad, and Tesla was profitable in Q4, sending its stock soaring. Then they talk about what they've been driving, including a super badass Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the Kia Telluride and their long-term Volvo S60 PHEV. There's no "Spend My Money" segment this week, so send in your questions for future podcast episodes. Autoblog Podcast #612 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Hummer returns as electric GMC truck Further reading: Grappling with the dark side of EVs Tesla profitable for second straight quarter Cars we're driving: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500XD Kia Telluride (whose safety tech won Autoblog's 2020 Technology of the Year Award) Long-term Volvo S60 T8 update Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.