1992 Chevy Camaro Convertible Rally Sport on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM's European Opel division may eventually go all-electric

General Motors' Opel division in Europe may transform itself into an all-electric vehicle maker by 2030. Granted, a lot can happen between now and then, including a potential buyout by French automaker PSA Group. Regardless, Opel appears to view its electric future beyond the Ampera-e, which is the sister vehicle to the Chevrolet Bolt, and more like Tesla. Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann indicated that focusing on electric drivetrains would be a superior strategy to expanding its EV technology while pushing forward with conventional drivetrains, says Automotive News Europe, citing comments Neumann made to German publication Manager Magazin. General Motors could make the decision to move towards an all-electric vehicle line for Opel as soon as May. Of course, that depends on whether Opel is bought out by PSA, the parent country to Peugeot and Citroen. PSA is in talks to buy General Motors' Opel and Vauxhall divisions, though government and labor representatives in Germany have expressed concerns over potential job losses from the proposed buyout, Reuters says. Regardless, GM has hinted at expanding its electric-vehicle line far beyond the Bolt, which has a 238-mile single-charge range and debuted late last year. Mary Barra, in an interview with CNET, said the Bolt's all-electric platform could be applied to a "huge range of vehicles," though wasn't specific about additional EV models. Opel first showed off its Ampera-e at the Paris Motor Show last fall. The name of the model raised some eyebrows because the Ampera badge had been previously used by Opel for the sister version of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in. Either way, Opel is looking to take on Renault for electric-vehicle sales supremacy across the Pond. Related Video:

5 classic trucks and their polarizing modern revivals

EVs are helping eliminate Detroit's gas-guzzling problem. Some revivals of gas-powered classics are getting the EV treatment.  But not every revived model looks exactly like its original counterpart. We're in a new era of hulking Detroit metal, and you can thank EVs. Americans can't get enough of their big, beefy trucks and SUVs. But for many years, some of the biggest gas guzzlers fell out of fashion as gas prices rose and emissions regulations tightened. But in the past few years, some of the most iconic American truck nameplates have been brought back to life with electric motors, like the GMC Hummer. In other cases, as with the Ford Bronco, improvements in engine technology and more interest in rugged adventure vehicles made a gas-powered revival possible. Even some revivals that started as gas-powered, like the Chevy Blazer and the Jeep Wagoneer, are now getting electrified spinoffs. (Even if they don't always look quite as sleek as their original inspiration.) Here are side-by-sides of five classic American trucks and their modern counterparts. The Jeep Wagoneer 1975 Jeep Wagoneer and 2024 Electric Jeep Wagoneer SStellantis After a long wait, Jeep released its revival of the classic Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer in 2020. Starting later this year, an electric version of the luxury Jeep SUV will join the Wagoneer lineup. The Chevrolet Blazer A 1973 Chevrolet Blazer and a 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVGetty Images, General Motors The Chevrolet Blazer was first rebooted in 2019 as a sporty family SUV. The modern Blazer shares zero resemblance to its boxy, off-roading older sibling, but it has still managed to become one of Chevy's more popular SUVs in recent years. The Blazer EV came later, and was one of the first models GM built on its new Ultium battery platform. The Hummer A Hummer H2 and the 2023 Hummer EV pickup truckGetty Images, General Motors Once the poster child for Detroit's big, bad gas guzzlers, the Hummer got new life as an electric pickup truck in 2021. The Ford Bronco A 1971 Ford Bronco and a 2022 Ford BroncoFord Motor Co. After a rouge group of engineers and designers inside Ford spent years trying to breathe life back into the Blue Oval's boxy off-roader, the Ford Bronco was finally resurrected in 2020 amid a rise in popularity for rugged adventure vehicles. The Ford Ranger 1985 Ford Ranger and a 2024 Ford RangerFord Motor Co.

Mother's Day Suggestion No. 2,506

With Mother's Day coming up, we're always looking for new gift ideas to celebrate the occasion, but hot laps around a track might not be the best suggestion for Darius Khashabi. In a video posted on YouTube, Khashabi straps his mom into the passenger seat of his C6 Corvette Z06 for some laps around Sonoma Raceway (formerly Infineon Raceway) at "60 percent" with comical results.
Now this isn't the first time Mama Khashabi has gotten seat time in her son's car around a track, as his YouTube page shows him pulling a similar stunt - with similar results - around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last year. Scroll down for the video, but know that the action really gets going at around the 1:40 mark.