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Meet Alex Archer, the engineer behind GM's power-sliding center console

In 2009, a GM manager complained to a 59-year-old GM technician about the hassle of retrieving items from a pickup truck bed after driving shifted the cargo. In two days, the tech had come up with the ideas that, ten years later, would debut as the MultiPro tailgate. The engineering teams kept the tailgate secret in part by hiding mock-ups in a locked storage closet in GM's Vehicle Engineering Center in Warren Michigan for two years. A piece in the Detroit Free Press reveals that another storage closet in Warren would play the same role in a different cloak-and-dagger operation, this time for the power-sliding center console in GM's new full-sized SUVs. During a meeting in early 2017, bosses gave the job of the console's creation to 24-year-old design release engineer Alex Archer, just two years out of Stanford University with a degree in engineering and product design.  This time, the catalyst for the feature was an internal GM think tank called co:lab, where employees suggest ideas. Execs gave Archer the task because "They needed someone willing to ask a lot of questions," her 36-month mandate to produce a six-way console that could be a standard cubby or a gaping maw able to swallow four gallon jugs or hide a secret compartment. Clearly, she succeeded. It took Archer and the team nine months to devise a prototype, another six months to get the green light for production. As with the tailgate, the team working on the console grew to include designers, production engineers, and suppliers. Archer, now 26, shepherded the process, and her name is on the patent. "It took a ton of people, I'm just somebody who stuck with it the whole time," she said. GM like her work well enough to produce the "Day in the Life" segment above, five months before the world would hear about the console. Archer's path to engineering was as unlikely as getting the job for the console. She had entered Stanford with plans to be a doctor. But an innovation class during her freshman year, and a sophomore summer spent helping her grandfather rebuild a 1937 MG engine recharted her course. Her grandfather told her, "You know, you could be an engineer for a car company." Consumer reaction to Archer's work won't be far off, the SUVs slated to hit dealerships soon. Meanwhile, she's busy on something that could be just as intense as the console: Restoring a 1955 Packard Clipper in her garage. Head to Freep to check out the story of Archer and the console. Related Video:

GM issues CUV stop-sale due to Goodyear tires [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that only 6,281 tires were installed on the CUVs, when in actuality, there were 6,281 CUVs affected by the stop-sale order, totaling 25,124 tires. The story has been edited to reflect this. General Motors has issued a stop-sale order on some 6,300 of its Lambda platform crossovers due to a pending recall on their 18-inch Goodyear Fortera HL tires. The affected vehicles include all three flavors of GM's large CUV platform, consisting of the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. Goodyear is recalling a total of 48,500 Fortera HL tires after discovering "very small" cracks in the tread, found during internal testing. Of the affected tires, 32,100 were made for GM, Goodyear told Automotive News. According to GM, 6,281 CUVs were fitted with the questionable rubber, totaling 25,124 of the company's 32,100 tires. The remainder were stocked as replacements, a GM rep told Autoblog. The remaining 16,400 tires were built specifically for the aftermarket. Goodyear reports that the cracks do "not indicate a safety issue." Meanwhile, a GM spokesman told AN that stop-sale "will eventually lead to a non-compliance recall by GM." Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Traverse View 21 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Recalls Buick GM GMC Safety Crossover gmc acadia chevy traverse goodyear

Hummer EV SUV official range announced: 3X truck tops 350 miles

The first run of GMC Hummer EVs were in one single specification: pickup truck in Edition 1 with all the off-road goodies. The most pertinent of those off-road upgrades to electric range being the 18-inch wheels with mud-terrain tires. And it was rated for 329 miles. But now, there are more Hummer variants. The pickup truck is now available with a 3X trim that comes standard with more efficient all-terrain tires wrapped around 22-inch wheels, and there's the SUV with both trims and both types of tires, not to mention a smaller battery pack. And now we have the official range estimates for them. We'll start with the Hummer EV SUV, since all of the official range ratings are new to us. The tires are the key factor, with the all-terrain equipped Edition 1 and 3X both managing 314 miles of range. Yes, this is less than even the mud-terrain-equipped truck, but that's mainly because the shorter length of the SUV means it has fewer battery cells and capacity. It has about 170 kWh of capacity versus the truck's 200+. Adding the Extreme Off-Road Package and its more aggressive tires drops range to 298 miles. The Four-Wheel-Steer system lets the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup m View 17 Photos As with the SUVs, the Hummer EV truck gets a solid range boost to 355 miles when it's not equipped with the off-road package. There's another benefit to the regular all-terrains on the Hummer EV truck: towing capacity. At 8,500 pounds, it can tow an extra 1,000 pounds over the models with the off-road package. GMC also notes that another potential benefit to the all-terrain-equipped trucks is a suspension tuned for better on-road handling. And our experience has shown that even Hummer with the off-road package isn't too shabby on pavement. Of course, skipping the off-road package will also save you some money, as will opting for the 3X trims. So unless you're really going off-road seriously, and would make regular use of the extra skid plates, under-truck camera and chunky tires, the standard suspension and tire setup really is the way to go. Related video: