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Detroit Three's lucrative pickup war intensifies as Ram makes big gains

DETROIT — The battle for profits from sales of large pickup trucks is intensifying among the Detroit Three automakers as sales of small cars in the United States shrivel. For decades Ford has had the single best-selling truck brand in its F-Series trucks. General Motors' Chevrolet brand was a solid No. 2, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram was a distant third. Now, that hierarchy may be in flux. Sales figures for December and the fourth quarter released on Thursday show Ram tied with GM's Chevy for the No. 2 spot, as sales of the redesigned Ram pickup surged, fueled in part by demand for an optional 12-inch (30.48 cm) dashboard screen. Chevy not long ago held second place to Ford by a wide margin. GM executives said on Thursday they are bullish on their new GMC and Chevy trucks for 2019.Related: How the Detroit Three's pickups compare on paper 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie review 2019 Chevy Silverado 2.7L four-cylinder review 2019 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost review "There's no doubt this segment (pickup trucks) is one of the epicenters of the auto wars," said Sandor Piszar, director of marketing for Chevrolet at GM. "It's been that way forever, and we wouldn't have it any other way." On Wall Street, investors give electric car leader Tesla a higher valuation than any of the Detroit automakers. But in the nation's heartland, big pickups remain far more popular and profitable than any electric car — and most other consumer vehicles of any kind. Large pickups generate at least $17,000 a vehicle in pretax profit for GM, the company has indicated in disclosures to investors. By contrast, many Detroit Three sedans are so unprofitable, their manufacturers have decided not to build them anymore. 'Hotly contested' Sustaining sales and pricing in the large-pickup segment will be critical in a year when most forecasters expect overall U.S. car and light truck sales to fall. Ford's U.S. sales chief, Mark LaNeve, on Thursday called the F Series "the backbone of our franchise" during a conference call, and added the "segment will continue to be strong, but hotly contested" in 2019. Automakers are banking on pickup truck sales to stay strong even if U.S. interest rates continue to rise. Rising interest rates translate into higher monthly car payments and are expected to deter some buyers in 2019. GM has said 27 percent of Chevrolet and GMC trucks — which can haul trailers by day and substitute for a luxury sedan by night — sell for more than $55,000.

Black Friday could power record November sales

Black Friday allows some shoppers to line up in the wee hours for doorbuster deals on laptops and TVs, but the day after Thanksgiving could mean huge profits for automakers this year, too. Multiple industry analysts predict record growth for the industry for November, and the upcoming incentives could help those numbers. TrueCar predicts that Black Friday incentives could provide a major boost, and it estimates a November sales jump of 3.9 percent from last year to a record for the month at over 1.35 million vehicles. As examples of potential deals, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC plan to offer up to 20 percent off some models, and FCA US has no-interest financing for up to 75 months from its brands. "Consumers are excited about Black Friday promotions and these month-long events appear to be resonating with car buyers." Eric Lyman, TrueCar's vice president of industry insights, said in the report. Black Friday only recently became a big day for auto sales, according to an analysis from Edmunds. Last year, Thanksgiving weekend posted double the sales as any other weekend in the month. The company predicts a sales volume of over 1.33 million vehicles for November. If that happens, it would be the beat the previous record of 1.32 million sales for the same month in 2001. Some forecasts temper the gains for November but only slightly. Kelley Blue Book predicts flat year-over-year sales at 1.3 million vehicles, but that's largely because there are two fewer sales days in 2015 versus in 2014. "Black Friday deals on vehicles have grown in popularity in recent years, and should be a big contributor to this month's sales results," said analyst Tim Fleming in the study. The combined research from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive have the lowest November prediction among this group at just over 1.279 million sales for the month versus 1.299 million in 2014. However, once the researchers adjust the figures for the two fewer selling days, 2015 could actually be seven percent higher than last year. TrueCar Finds New Auto Sales in November to Reach Monthly Record Black Friday promotions bolster sales gains; industrywide incentives up 6% from last year November 24, 2015 12:11 PM Eastern Standard Time SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) projects total new vehicle sales, including fleet deliveries, will reach 1,352,500 units in November, a 3.9 percent increase from a year ago and the highest ever for the month.

GMC Hummer EV range is 329 miles; deliveries in December

It'll be a very Hummer Christmas for some households, as General Motors says it will begin deliveries of the electric GMC Hummer pickup in December, according to GMC boss Duncan Aldred. And we now know the truck's EPA range number: 329 miles on a charge. GM had previously predicted the Hummer would achieve a range of 350 miles.  That 329-mile figure applies to the Hummer Edition 1, the top-of-the-line, $100,000-plus iteration that will be the first trucks off the line. The Edition 1 will also tow up to 7,500 pounds and carry up to 1,300 pounds. Aldred told reporters on a conference call that subsequent, less-pricey models will achieve longer ranges and will be along in 2023. GMC HUMMER EV View 7 Photos More than 80% of Hummer reservations are for the Edition 1, though. Aldred said almost half of the 125,000 people who have expressed interest in the Hummer have put down $100 to reserve one. GM has said the first year of Hummer production is sold out. The Hummer EV joins the Rivian R1T as the first electric pickups to market. Ford's F-150 Lightning rolls out in 2022, and other electrics from Detroit and startups are expected to roll out after that. Tesla is building a $1 billion facility in Austin, Texas, that will, among other things, build the Cybertruck, though timelines on that have come and gone. The Hummer, by contrast, was developed in just 18 months. It made a big splash last week when President Biden took the wheel during a tour of GM's Factory Zero assembly plant in Hamtramck, Mich. Biden gleefully demonstrated the acceleration of the four-ton, 1,000-horsepower truck, which is said to do 0-to-60 in 3.1 seconds. He then declared, "This sucker's something else." Next up for GM's EV push will be the Cadillac Lyriq SUV in 2022. The electric Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups will be revealed Jan. 5. And the SUV version of the Hummer will be introduced in 2023. Aldred expects the SUV to ultimately make up the majority of Hummer sales. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.