1998 Gmc Savana Cargo Van on 2040-cars

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GMC Sierra Denali CarbonPro bed is finally, almost here

GMC revealed the Sierra 1500 with the optional CarbonPro bed on March 1, 2018. The bed wasn't available at launch, though. You can't buy it now, either, but it will hit dealerships with limited availability after production starts in early June, exclusively for the Denali 1500 and AT4 1500 trims. The carbon floor and sides replace the steel panels in a normal bed, providing "strength, durability, and scratch resistance" and a potential 59-pound weight saving, depending on the truck's configuration. To make sure the bed had a chance, development engineers replicated "extreme use scenarios" like dropping 1,800-pound gravel loads, 450-pound steel drums, and cinder blocks from various heights. They put a 250-pound man on a snowmobile with studded tracks, had him drive into the bed and then go wide-open throttle. We're told the result was "minimal scratching." On top of the extreme weather testing any vehicle goes through, the team also put a generator in the bed and aim the exhaust into a corner to ensure vibration and direct heat wouldn't deform the carbon fiber. Because of the finer shaping area-specific strength possible with carbon fiber, the bed provides one cubic foot of additional payload space by having its sidewalls pushed further out. The CarbonPro bed doesn't need a bedliner, and is grained at the top for better traction but smooth on the bottom for easier hosing down and dirt removal. Tie-downs at the front of the bed work with molded indentations to hold motorcycle tires, and slots in the sidewalls hold two-by-sixes. The truck maker says the carbon-lined payload area confers "best-in-class dent, scratch and corrosion resistance," but we suppose the nation's pickup truck army will prove that or not. The trucks likely won't have the hardest life at the start, since the Sierra Denali costs $56,790 before even a basic option like four-wheel drive. The real test probably won't come until around 2029, when third owners begin treating their aerospace-inspired thoroughbreds like dray horses.

GM diesel pickups first to undergo extra EPA, CARB testing

The effects of Volkswagen's long-running diesel emissions evasion are starting to spill over to other automakers, but General Motors is taking things in stride. The 2.8-liter, four-cylinder Duramax in the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon is the first engine to get extra scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, Automotive News reports. Rather than just the usual in-lab test, it's also being checked on the road. However, the extra evaluation shouldn't have any impact on when the trucks with his mill hit dealers later this fall. "We're in our final stages of the EPA certification, and our launch is on track," Chevy spokesperson Otie McKinley tells Autoblog. The four-cylinder diesel in the trucks makes 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and the automaker is touting low NOx production. In the announcement for the Colorado's specs, the company calls it "the cleanest diesel truck engine ever produced by General Motors." The tech includes exhaust gas recirculation to lower combustion temperatures and improve emissions. There's also a urea tank like on the bigger diesels for full-size trucks, and it gets refilled in time with oil changes. An indication on the instrument panel lets drivers know when that's needed, too. Even with the more demanding testing, the company doesn't seem too worried about the four-cylinder passing. "Part of our development process is on-road and off-road [laboratory] testing," Scott Yackley, Chevy Trucks assistant chief engineer, said to Automotive News. In the wake of the VW scandal, the EPA has pledged more rigorous testing. Before, on-road emissions evaluations were largely limited to heavy-duty vehicles, but the agency has decided to apply the checks more often to other models. There's also now greater cooperation with Canadian authorities.

3 Quick Takes on the new Hummer EV

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV truck debuted Tuesday with 1,000 horsepower and up to 350 miles of range. It marks the return of the Hummer name after a decade-long absence and is the most ambitious electric vehicle General Motors has attempted. Here are three quick takes. This is how major vehicles will be revealed going forward The unveiling during Game 1 of the World Series on Fox and during The Voice on NBC could only have been bigger if done during the Super Bowl. A two-network debut complete with LeBron James providing voiceover for the commercial. On Fox, World Series play-play man Joe Buck neatly set up the spot and told millions of viewers that the order bank was now open. Then the Hummer debuted in what looked like a cut from the next Transformers movie. OK, this is not how every major car will be revealed, but the direct-to-consumer, as-many-eyeballs-as-possible, made-for-TV (or social media) event will be a key strategy going forward. In the last few months, the Detroit, Los Angeles and New York auto shows have all played leapfrog with dates, confusing many observers. The pandemic has obviously exacerbated the decline of auto shows, but if you’re an automaker, why share the spotlight in a convention hall? Most car reveals wonÂ’t be network TV spectacles, like the Hummer, but streaming services and other platforms will make a lot more sense than traditional means as companies compete for new buyers. This is how the Tesla Cybertruck should have looked Most would say the Hummer is pretty cool looking. The headlights, the grille, the blocky fenders and huge wheels — yeah, this looks straight out of central casting. ItÂ’s what you expected the reborn Hummer to look like, nominally now in the service of the GMC brand. Tesla made the Cybertruck a bit too crazy. Sure, itÂ’s attention-getting. But look at the Tesla. No one can objectively say the Cybertruck is aesthetically pleasing, from the shape to the features. ItÂ’s out-of-step with the graceful Model S and Model 3 sedans. The Hummer is futuristic, has interesting elements — like underbody cameras for off-roading and a T-top — and a massive presence. It doesnÂ’t need to do more. The addition of Super Cruise technology, however, is a nice touch. GM is serious about EVs The Hummer leads a blitz of EVs from GM, which is quietly yet ambitiously laying out an electric future.