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EarthCruiser adds a bigger camper option to its heavy duty pickup line

EarthCruiser is a camper and expedition vehicle company based out of Oregon that we've previously covered for its huge commercial truck-based machines. But they offer more than that, from drop-in campers for smaller pickups to heavy duty pickup conversions. The company's latest product is one of the latter, offering a larger camping area than the current EXD model. This new camper conversion is called the Terranova. The big differentiator between it and the EXD is the camper section, which extends over the truck cab on the Terranova. This means that bed space can be moved to above the truck cab, instead of having to use a convertible dinette. So less reconfiguring, and generally more usable space. One other major difference is that the EXD is only available for the Ram 3500 and Ford F-350. The Terranova is being designed for both of those trucks as well as the Chevy Silverado 3500. The EarthCruiser Terranova is otherwise very similar to other EarthCruiser models. The camper section is made of fiberglass and plastic, and the pop-up roof is insulated with foam. The curtains are triple-layered. The company says it can house four people. It comes with a freshwater tank and pump to help supply the kitchen sink, drinking water tap, bathroom sink and indoor and outdoor showers. There's also a cassette toilet. The kitchen features an induction stove top and small refrigerator and freezer. A fan system is standard, and air conditioning is optional. Power comes from a 400-aH lithium-ion battery. The Terranova isn't yet available. EarthCruiser is finishing up design and engineering, and it plans to have finished examples early next year. The company is taking reservations now, though. Pricing hasn't been announced, but an EXD runs between $220,000 and $265,000, and we would expect the Terranova to cost even more. Related Video: Featured Gallery EarthCruiser Terranova Expedition Camper renderings Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions RVs/Campers

McLaren and Alonso will use Chevy engines at Indy 500

Fernando Alonso will have a Chevrolet engine in his McLaren when the double Formula One champion attempts to win next year's Indianapolis 500 in his second attempt, the British team announced on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Spaniard led 27 laps last year on his debut at The Brickyard in a Honda-powered Andretti Autosport car before retiring with an engine problem with 21 laps to go. The 2018 Indy 500 winner, Australian Will Power, won with Chevrolet-powered Team Penske last May. "Having Chevrolet power behind me means we're putting ourselves in the best possible position to compete at the front," said Alonso in a McLaren statement. The double Monaco Grand Prix winner, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota this year, left Formula One at the end of the season last month and is targeting Indianapolis as the final part of the "Triple Crown of Motorsport": winning the Formula One championship (or Monaco), Le Mans and the Indy 500. The late Briton Graham Hill, also a two-times Formula One champion who died in 1975, is the only one to have done it, completing the triple in 1972.Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video: Motorsports Chevrolet McLaren Racing Vehicles IndyCar

Buick Encore, Chevy Trax reportedly dead after 2022

The Buick Encore will not get an encore, and the Chevrolet Trax is dead in its tracks. Separate unverified reports say the two crossovers, which are essentially identical underneath the sheetmetal, will retire at the end of the 2022 model year without being directly replaced. Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website GM Authority wrote that production of the Encore and the Trax is scheduled to end in the third quarter of 2022. Both models are manufactured in Bupyeong-gu, South Korea, and General Motors will reportedly use the extra production capacity to build more examples of the Trailblazer, which outsold the Encore and the Trax combined by a significant margin in 2021. General Motors hasn't commented on the report, but we wouldn't be surprised if the end is indeed near for the Encore and the Trax. Buick released the Encore for the 2013 model year, and Chevrolet launched the Trax for 2015, but the model made its debut as the Opel Mokka in 2012. It's at the end of its life cycle, and sales figures reflect this: 20,072 units of the Encore were sold in America in 2021, a drop of 52% compared to 2020, while 42,590 examples of the Trax found a home, a 60% decline. It's further proof that Americans don't like small cars. Viewed in that light, the decision not to replace either crossover makes perfect sense. If the report is accurate, the Encore GX (which is not related to the Encore in any way) will enter the 2023 model year as Buick's entry-level model. The situation is a little more complicated at Chevrolet: The pocket-sized Spark is on its way out in 2022 as well, meaning that the Trailblazer will become the entry point into the range. It's a different story in Europe: Opel, which is now part of the Stellantis group, released the second-generation Mokka in June 2020.