Auto blog

GM cutting vehicle trim options to save money for electrification

Information continues to filter out about GM's plans based on comments the automaker made during its Capital Markets Day event in February. GM President Mark Reuss said the company's push to save money by rationalizing the number of build combinations will continue in 2020, carrying on the work done in 2019. As GM Authority covers, last year, the carmaker cut 3,500 components across model lines, a 12% drop in the number of parts it needed to stock in its plants. Reuss used the next-generation Chevolet Equinox and GMC Terrain as examples for more cost efficiencies, saying build possibilities — which include international markets and their options — will be cut by more than 50%, and use more shared parts. "We will reduce total trim levels on Equinox and Terrain from eight to six," Reuss said, "reduce engine variants from 11 to 5, reduce build combinations from more than 200 to less than 100 per program, and see significant cost savings of an already paid-for architecture that took the mass out, helping us self-fund electrification programs." GM will plow a large amount of the money it saves into its ambitious EV program. In 2017, the automaker said it intends to have 20 electric vehicles on the market by the end of 2023, some of which could be shared between brands. An automotive analyst at Seeking Alpha and a piece in Automobile attempted to put specifics to what we should expect. As Automobile points out, the first two EVs in the 20-car program are already on sale, being the Ariv Meld and Ariv Merge eBikes available in Belgium and The Netherlands. We've seen the Cruise Origin autonomous rideshare taxi, although we don't know when it will hit the road. The next three, which we should see in the metal shortly, are two Cadillac EVs and the GMC Hummer EV pickup. The Cadillac pair are expected to be sized like the XT4 and XT5, and along with the Hummer, should hit the market starting in late 2021.

2022 GMC Hummer EV voluntarily recalled for battery connector issue

When vehicles from certain automakers need to return to dealers for fixes but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration isn't involved, these situations might be called "Customer Satisfaction Programs." It is, effectively, a voluntary recall. GM Authority notes that GM has issued one such program for the GMC Hummer EV and the Brightdrop Zevo 600 van (formerly the EV 600) to deal with a battery issue. In roughly 424 total units across both populations, the high-voltage connector might prematurely corrode. If this happens, water can leak through the connector into the pack. A warning light in the gauge cluster will alert owners to the condition. GM doesn't outline the possible results of water getting into the pack, but the outcome wouldn't be ideal.    The fix is a trip to the service bay to have a technician apply sealant to the high-voltage connector.   GM says it will get in touch with Hummer EV and Brightdrop owners about making appoints with dealers. Meanwhile, owners can contact GM Customer Service at 800-462-8782 and refer to Satisfaction Program No. N222362090. Owners can also visit the GM Recall Center page and insert their VINs to find out if their vehicles are affected. Since this isn't a recall overseen by the NHTSA, the issue isn't covered on the NHTSA's site. However, there are Manufacturer Communications between GM and the NHTSA related to other H2 issues such as a calibration issue with the Hummer EV's Extract Mode and the HVAC, so owners might want to visit SaferCar.gov for the whole picture.

2014 Chevy Silverado High Country spied wearing trappings of new luxury trim

Spy photographers have spotted the new Chevrolet Silverado High Country and GMC Sierra Denali out on public streets for a little testing. From the looks of things, the Silverado will receive a much-differentiated front fascia along with special badges and those honking 20-inch chrome wheels. Expect to find a more posh interior as well. Likewise, the Sierra Denali will wear a tweaked nose with the familiar Denali bling. The one of the GMC trucks spotted here rolls on 21-inch gunmetal wheels instead of the 20-inch chrome pieces of the High Country.
Word has it both trucks will go on sale after the Texas State Fair this summer. While General Motors hasn't said for certain what we can expect to find under the hood, we'd be surprised to see anything outside of the range of engines found in the standard Silverado and Sierra models. That means buyers should be able to get their hands on the efficient, 23-miles per gallon 5.3-liter V8.