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GMC Hummer EV heads north for winter

GMC announced early Tuesday that its new Hummer EV pickup is ready to head north for winter testing. What might seem like a trip in the wrong direction to us warm-blooded enthusiasts is a critical next step in the development of GM's new electric truck.  We also got a couple of teaser pics of the Hummer EV at GM's Milford Proving Grounds, along with two shots of development prototypes being assembled, of which GM says it has "a series." There's not much new to see here, but GM says there's more to come. "The GMC HUMMER EV has arrived at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds to continue validation tests and will head to northern Michigan to run through the teamÂ’s grueling winter testing process," GM said in its announcement. "We will document the journey and share updates in the coming weeks and months." The GMC HUMMER EV arrived at GM?s Milford Proving Grounds to c View 3 Photos The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 will feature three electric motors, enabling torque vectoring. GMC says these motors produce 1,000 horsepower, though we don't yet have a final torque figure. Power comes from a 24-module Ultium battery pack which can provide an estimated 350 miles (or more) of range. GMC says this new architecture supports 800-volt fast charging up to 350 kW, which is comparable to the system Porsche introduced with its Taycan electric sedan, and GMC says it can replenish 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Planned variants include a two-motor setup, and an alternative three-motor version without torque vectoring. The Hummer EV rides on fully independent suspension with adaptive air shocks. They can provide continuous damping adjustments for comfort, and have a height adjustment range of 6 inches. When set in its max-height off-road mode, it has two additional inches of ground clearance, and the "Extract Mode" will lift it six inches higher than default. The Edition 1 model also comes with standard 35-inch mud terrain tires, and combined with the suspension, the Hummer EV has a fording depth of two feet and the capability to climb over an 18-inch vertical obstacle. Edition 1 Production begins late next year, with a starting price of $112,595. In fall 2022, we'll see the regular top trim starting at $99,995; In spring 2023, weÂ’ll get a mid-level trim that has three motors, air suspension and four-wheel steering -- but no torque vectoring -- starting at $89,995. 

Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops

During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.

Buick, GMC making OnStar Connected Services standard

The thing about the future is that so long as you're alive, you're going to get there whether you like it or not. Thanks to over-the-air connections essentially being a compulsory part of EV ownership and an increasingly important — and profitable — component of ICE ownership, it's easiest for automakers to install full-featured Internet connections in every vehicle. GM has taken the first step, a report in GM Authority saying that as of June 2, all Buick and GMC models are sold with the Onstar Connected Services plan good for three years. The OnStar site shows the Connected Vehicle tier that comes with a Wi-Fi hotspot costs $24.99 per month, which would be $900 minus a few pennies for three years. At the top end is OnStar Premium that runs about $1,800 for three years. Both include Connected Services features, yet GMA reports that depending on the vehicles, OnStar Connected Services will cost between $905 and $1,675. Only the GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 is excluded for now. GM confirmed the change to GM Authority, saying, "This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience." Three trims of the GMC Sierra 1500 and two trims of the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL come in at the low end, OnStar adding $905 to their MSRPs. Almost every other vehicle gets hit with a $1,500 charge. The GMC Sierra HD Pro is the only model to charge $1,675 for it, which GMA breaks out as a "$1,500 3-year subscription and $175 OnStar & GMC Connected Services Capability." This brings up the question of the price differences; we can't tell if there's a difference in feature content between the price tiers, or why the Sierra HD gets the extra $175 fee. The automaker told GMA the upcharge will be folded into the MSRP. On the configurator for the Sierra 1500 SLE, for instance, the dialog box for three years of OnStar at $1,500 is automatically checked and can't be unchecked. The Buick configurators we tried don't mention OnStar.