2012 Gmc Terrain Sle-2 on 2040-cars

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GM is training more first responders for EV emergencies in the U.S. and Canada

GM is training more first responders to be able to handle emergencies involving electric vehicles. The automaker is "significantly expanding" its EV First Responder Training program in the United States and Canada as electric vehicle sales continue to grow. Its initiative will primarily focus on training firefighters and equipping them with the necessary knowledge about full electric vehicle technologies. GM says it's hoping to dispel misconceptions when it comes to handling EVs in emergency situations. One of those misconceptions is that water is dangerous around EV batteries — turns out the recommended way to put out lithium-ion battery fires is by using copious amounts of water.  Andrew Klock, a senior manager of education and development at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), said: "The best way for the public and private vehicle fleet owners to rapidly adopt EVs is to train firefighters and emergency responders on how to handle incidents involving battery powered vehicles. The fire service has had more than 100 years to gain the knowledge needed to respond to internal combustion engine fires, and it is critical that they are now educated on EV safety." The NFPA held trainings of its own that had benefited 300,000 first responders, but it believes more than 800,000 members of the community still need further training.   GM previously piloted the program in southeast Michigan, but now it's conducting training events across Michigan and in Fort Worth, Texas, as well. Later this summer, it's bringing the program to metro New York City and Southern California. Participants will have to attend four-hour sessions, with up to two per day, held in various venues, such as fire houses and dealerships. Interested first and second responders can register through the program's dedicated website and earn a certificate from the Illinois Fire Service Institute if they score higher than 70 percent on the learning assessment by the end of their training.  The automaker already has a few EV models on the market, including the Chevy Bolts, the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq. It has huge electrification plans for the future, though, and training responders could help make potential customers more receptive to the idea of switching to electric vehicles. GM aims to launch 30 EV models by 2025 and to exclusively sell EVs ten years after that. Related video: Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Safety Electric

GM drops diesel engines for 2020 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers

GM is officially discontinuing the diesel engine in the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain for the 2020 model year. The 1.6-liter turbodiesel was always an oddball of an engine in the compact crossover segment, and now the experiment has come to an end. The Car Connection initially reported the news, and a GMC spokesperson, Stuart Fowle, confirmed it to us this morning.  “A huge majority of our Terrain customers have opted for one of our two gas engines," says Fowle. We canÂ’t say this eventuality comes as a massive surprise, as we saw news from couple of months ago that GM was dropping all-wheel drive from the diesel-powered cars for 2020. Low demand was cited as the reason for that cull, and itÂ’s the same for the little GM crossovers this time around, too. These vehicles were the only ones powered with a diesel engine in their class, but thatÂ’s going to be changing. Just as GM is going away from the diesel, Mazda is finally bringing its diesel to market in the CX-5. YouÂ’ll only be able to get that engine in the most expensive ($42,045) trim level, combined with all-wheel drive, though. The cheapest Equinox diesel starts at a comparably low $30,795. ThatÂ’s a $2,400 upcharge over the base 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder, and the value is questionable. Mileage is better, but diesel fuel is more expensive. Towing capability didnÂ’t increase over the base engineÂ’s 1,500-pound capacity, but the extra torque around town was nice. As diesels go in the U.S., this one was rather rough and noisy, possibly contributing to some turning their noses up after a test drive. Perhaps another reason for its demise was that the much quicker 2.0-liter turbo Equinox was only $100 more than the diesel. This engine offered significantly better towing at 3,500 pounds, too. You can read all about what we thought of the diesel in our first drive review here, but the 2019 model year is the last one if you had it on your shortlist. This article has been updated to indicate the source.

Elvis Presley owned this GMC pickup. Now you can, too

Befitting his status as America's first rock star, Elvis Presley lived large. Among his many excesses, Elvis was well known for his prolific new-car purchases. Mostly, it seems the King favored Cadillacs and Lincolns — although, during his Army stint in Europe, he picked up a BMW 507 roadster. Here we have something different from the Elvis Presley canon: a 1967 GMC pickup. And this GMC will be crossing the block at the GAA Classic Cars auction on February 27. This GMC is one of three that Elvis purchased from Guy Caldwell Motors in Senatobia, Mississippi, almost exactly 54 years ago: on February 7, 1967. He bought a red one, a blue one, and this green one for use on his Circle G Ranch in Horn Lake, Mississippi. According to a badge on the glovebox door, this pickup is a GMC Cheyenne Super, which sounds like a fancy-pants trim level, although the truck still looks pretty bare-bones to our eyes. The steel wheels have dog-dish hubcaps, and the grille and bumpers are painted white rather than chrome. It's a standard-bed half-ton pickup and is powered by a six-cylinder engine with a three-on-the-tree column-shift manual transmission. The truck spent just over a year on the ranch before being sold off. It then went through a series of owners and several museum stints. Among the paperwork included with a sale is a letter from Elvis Presley Enterprises confirming that a GMC pickup with this VIN number was bought new by Elvis. It has now been restored, so there shouldn't be a whole lotta shakin' going on. The truck has been repainted green, although the side mirrors are different than what's shown in a vintage photo, and the chrome trim along the sides is missing. More notably, we'd like to see the "Circle G Ranch" logo it once wore on its doors be added. No pre-sale estimate is given. The final hammer price for this GMC will depend on the degree to which bidders are all shook up at the prospect of owning one of the more unusual Elvis Presley vehicles.