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GM’s move to Woodward is the right one — for the company and for Detroit

Back in 2018, Chevy invited me to attend the Detroit Auto Show on the company dime to get an early preview of the then-newly redesigned Silverado. The trip involved a stay at the Renaissance Center — just a quick People Mover ride from the show. IÂ’d been visiting Detroit in January for nearly a decade, and not once had I set foot inside General MotorsÂ’ glass-sided headquarters. I was intrigued, to say the least. Thinking back on my time in the buildings that GM will leave behind when it departs for the new Hudson's site on Woodward Avenue, two things struck me. For one, its hotel rooms are cold in January. Sure, itÂ’s glass towers designed in the 1960s and '70s; I calibrated my expectations accordingly. But when I could only barely see out of the place for all the ice forming on the inside of the glass, it drove home just how flawed this iconic structure is.  My second and more pertinent observation was that the RenCen doesnÂ’t really feel like itÂ’s in a city at all, much less one as populous as Detroit. The complex is effectively severed from its surroundings by swirling ribbons of both river and asphalt. To the west sits the Windsor tunnel entrance; to the east, parking lots for nearly as far as the eye can see. To its north is the massive Jefferson Avenue and to its south, the Detroit River. You get the sense that if Henry Ford II and his team of investors had gotten their way, the whole thing would have been built offshore with the swirling channel doubling as a moat. This isnÂ’t a building the draws the city in; itÂ’s one designed to keep it out. Frost on the inside of the RenCen hotel glass. Contrasted with the new Hudson's project GM intends to move into, a mixed-use anchor with residential, office, retail and entertainment offerings smack-dab in Detroit's most vibrant district, the RenCen is a symbol of an era when each office in DetroitÂ’s downtown was an island in a rising sea of dilapidation. Back then, those who fortified against the rapid erosion of DetroitÂ’s urban bedrock stood the best chance of surviving. This was the era that brought us ugly skyways and eventually the People Mover — anything to help suburban commuters keep their metaphorical feet dry. The RenCen offered — and still offers — virtually any necessity and plenty of nice-to-haves, all accessible without ever venturing outside, especially in the winter, but those enticements are geared to those who trek in from suburbia to toil in its hallways.

The Hummer EV Edition 1 is sold out and it'll be years before other trims arrive

When the 2022 GMC Hummer EV was revealed, GMC noted that there would be lower trims available. The company has since provided a few more details on those lower trims, which is helpful to know now that the only trim on sale next year, the Edition 1, was sold out in a scant 10 minutes. However, it's going to be a long time before they're all available.  The entry-level GMC Hummer EV is the EV2. This is the model that will start at $79,995, and unlike the Edition 1, it gets just two motors, one for each end of the truck, each with electronically locking differentials. Output is down to 625 horsepower and a torque rating of 7,400 pound-feet. Note that this and all other reported torque numbers are after the torque multiplication by the single-speed transmissions, hence the extremely high numbers. The company hasn't given torque numbers at the motors, which would be more comparable to other electric cars. Range is also reduced to 250 miles, probably due to a smaller battery pack. Fast charging is also restricted to 400-volt charging, so it won't be as fast as the higher trim models. The removable roof panels, retractable rear window, MultiPro tailgate, Super Cruise and 35-inch tires are standard. This model only gets fixed steel suspension and two-wheel steering. The EV2 will be the last of the trim levels to go on sale, with a target of spring 2024. Yes, as in 3.5 years from now.  The next level is the EV2X, which will be available a year earlier in the spring of 2023. It gets the same powertrain as the EV2, but adds 800-volt fast charging and a 300-mile range. It also gets the adaptive air suspension and four-wheel steering, plus the associated party tricks of Crab Mode and Extract Mode. This model costs $89,995. The earliest Hummer EV that isn't an Edition 1 and therefore not yet sold out will be the EV3X, the entry-level three-motor model. It goes on sale in the fall of 2022 at a price of $99,995. It's not quite as potent as the Edition 1, though, with an output of 800 horsepower and 9,500 pound-feet of torque. It also lacks the "Watts to Freedom (WTF)" launch control feature. But it does get torque-vectoring with the dual rear motors, which can also lock their speeds to be equal like with the mechanical locking differential at the front. The EV3X's range is 300 miles like the EV2X.  As for the Edition 1, it started $112,595 before it was sold out. Customers are to expect them in fall 2021.

GM Ultium tech can scavenge heat from everywhere, even you

GM likes to give us tidbits about its Ultium platform from time to time, and today it’s telling us about the platformÂ’s ability to capture waste heat from the propulsion system. In addition to capturing from the propulsion system, it can also capture humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle and even from passengersÂ’ body heat. Yes, you, your family and/or your friends are a usable heat source as far as GM EVs are concerned. It then deploys the heat in an advantageous way. If at this point, youÂ’re screaming, "Heat pump!" youÂ’d be right. WeÂ’re talking about an elaborate heat pump system that GM is using for its Ultium-based vehicles. Every Ultium-based GM vehicle gets this system that is covered by 11 patents and four publications. The waste heat it collects is used in a number of ways, but its primary use is to heat the cabin quickly and efficiently. GM claims it can heat the cabin of its Ultium-based vehicles quicker than vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines. Plus, when put to use, GM claims that using the heat pump provides its EVs with up to 10% more range than theyÂ’d have without. Beyond heating the cabin, the heat pump is capable of putting waste heat to use by preheating the battery prior to charging so that you can charge quicker. The system can even cool the propulsion system in preparation for Watts to Freedom (WTF) launch control starts. GM says this was vital in helping the Hummer EV achieve its bonkers 0-60 mph time of about 3 seconds. “Having a ground-up EV architecture gives us the freedom to build in standard features like UltiumÂ’s energy recovery capabilities,” said Doug Parks, GM executive VP of global product development, purchasing and supply chain. “This helps us squeeze more efficiency, performance and overall customer benefit out of our EVs.” GM says itÂ’s been developing heat pump technology since the EV1 and its heat pump. This is the modern evolution of that technology, and GM says itÂ’s going to be implemented in every Ultium-based vehicle as a standard feature. Related video: Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Electric Future Vehicles