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GM CEO Mary Barra predicts mass electrification will take decades

General Motors is allocating a substantial amount of money to the development of electric technology, but Mary Barra, the firm's CEO, conceded that battery-powered cars won't fully replace their gasoline-burning counterparts for several decades. She stressed the shift is ongoing, but she hinted it will be slower than many assume. "We believe the transition will happen over time," affirmed Barra on "Leadership Live with David Rubenstein," a talk show aired by Bloomberg Television. She added that not every car will be electric in 2040. "It will happen in a little bit longer period, but it will happen," she told the host. She was presumably talking about the United States market; the situation is markedly different in Europe and in China, where strict government regulations (and even stricter ones on the horizon) are accelerating the shift towards electric cars. On the surface, it doesn't look like General Motors has much invested in electrification; the only battery-powered model it sells in America in 2020 is the Chevrolet Bolt (pictured), which undeniably remains a niche vehicle. Sales totaled 16,418 units in 2019, meaning the Corvette beat it by about 1,500 sales. In comparison, Cadillac sold 35,424 examples of the aging last-generation Escalade during the same time period. And yet, the company isn't giving up. It has numerous electric models in the pipeline including a slightly larger version of the aforementioned Bolt, the much-hyped GMC Hummer pickup, and an electric crossover assigned to the Cadillac brand. These models (and others) will use the Ultium battery technology that General Motors is currently developing. Its engineers are also working on a modular platform capable of underpinning a wide variety of cars. Bringing these innovations to the market is a Herculean task. EVs may not take over for decades, but Barra and her team must believe their 2% market share will increase significantly in the coming years if they're approving these programs. Autonomous technology is even costlier, more complicated, and more time-consuming to develop. Barra nonetheless expects to see the first General Motors-built driverless vehicles on the road by 2025. "I definitely think it will happen within the next five years. Our Cruise team is continuing to develop technology so it's safer than a human driver. I think you'll see it clearly within five years," she said on the same talk show. Her statement is vague but realistic.

Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon get trim levels reworked again

GM Authority reports that GM has fiddled with trim packages on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon for the 2021 model year, eliminating the base trims on both pickups and implementing small price changes. When the new model year goes on sale, the Chevy will lose the rear-wheel drive Base Extended Cab with the automatic transmission that starts at $22,395 after a $1,095 destination charge. The new entry-level is going to be the Work Truck model with the extended cab in rear-wheel drive, starting at $26,595 assuming the destination charge holds steady. That represents a $4,200 jump over the base 2020 model. MSRPs for the entire Work Truck lineup, from base to the Crew Cab Long Box, rise by $400. Elsewhere in the Colorado line, the four Z71 trims go down by $100, while the two ZR2 trims increase by the same amount. Only the six LT trims don't see any change.  The GMC side is a bit more involved due to previously announced changes. The 2020 Canyon comes in SL, Base Canyon, SLE, SLT, All Terrain, and Denali steps. Last month, GM Authority reported the 2021 Canyon would give all that up for the new names Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali. Since the SL base model retires in 2021, the Elevation Standard takes over at the entry level. Unlike on the Colorado, which sheds one trim, the Canyon lineup gets pared from 20 total combinations of trims, cab sizes, and bed lengths, to 14 total combinations. But like the Colorado, due to the loss of the cheapest configuration, the least expensive 2021 Canyon becomes $4,200 more expensive than in 2020, assuming the destination price remains the same. What's more, the 2021 Elevation Standard pricing adds $700 or $800 to the prices of the 2020 Canyon base and SLE models. There are more increases up the range. The 2021 Elevation trim replaces a combination of SLE and SLT models, bumping prices up by up to $900. In 2020, the least expensive All Terrain model is the Extended Cab Cloth for $37,695. For next year, the least expensive AT4 trim is the Crew Cab Short Box for $39,295. Like-for-like, though, the AT4 represents a $300 premium over the 2020 All Terrain Crew Cab Short Box. Three Denali trims will still stand at the top of the heap, each one going up by $400 in 2021. Until GM details the equipment changes, we won't know how the new pricing equates to value.

Base GMC Hummer EV2 reportedly dead for the planned 2025 launch year

Remember October 2021? That's when GMC divulged trims and pricing for the Hummer EV pickup range. It started with the Edition 1, asking around $110,000 before it sold out. Then would come the EV3X in fall 2022 for $99,995, followed by the  EV2X in the spring of 2023, asking $89,995. And for this year, shoppers were meant to get the option of a 'bargain' entry, the EV2-without-the-X that kept the dual motors but swapped for a less zippy 400-volt electric architecture and a smaller battery pack able to power a 250-mile estimated range. At the time, we were told the EV2 would open the MSRP bidding at $79,995. Spring is officially here, the EV2 isn't, and GM Authority cites unnamed sources when writing "there will be no 2 model for the 2025 model year" outside the 2X. Normally, automakers kill the low-hanging fruit after putting it on sale; the Hummer EV has, again, upended expectations. Therefore, your 2024 GMC Hummer EV pickup lineup after the $2,295 destination charge costs: EV2X Pickup: $98,845  EV3X Pickup: $106,945 EV3X Omega Edition Pickup: $150,295 On the SUV side, the MSRPs are almost carbon copies:   EV2X SUV: $98,845  EV3X SUV: $106,945 EV3X Omega Edition SUV: $130,300 For both body styles, keep in mind that Interstellar White is the only freebie exterior hue. Void black adds $495 to the price, five other colors cost $625, Afterburner Tintcoat orange runs $1,225.  The limited-edition Omega variant builds on the 3X trim with exclusive Neptune Blue Matte paint, the $9,995 Extreme Off-Road Package, exclusive 18-inch wheels, unique interior carpeting, a transparent roof and the MultiPro tailgate with a Kicker audio system on the pickup. Both trucks also get 35-inch mud-terrain tires, underbody skid plates and additional off-road camera views. The price disparity is partly because the Omega Edition pickup is packs a 24-module battery, the SUV gets a 20-module battery. This trim is only available to existing order holders. Speaking of which, the otherworldly EV is still going to be a few years' wait for some, but more reservation holders are already enjoying deliveries this year as GM continues to open the factory taps. GMC sold two examples of the Hummer EV in the first quarter of last year, around the time it has 65,000 potential buyers on the reservation list, and 3,260 units for all of 2023. In the first three months of this year, GMC sold 1,668 trucks.  Related video: