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GM promises to add 20 EVs and fuel-cell cars to lineup, paid for by SUVs

DETROIT — General Motors outlined plans on Monday to add 20 new battery electric and fuel-cell vehicles to its global product lineup by 2023, financed by robust profits from sales of gasoline-fueled trucks and sport utility vehicles in the United States and China. "General Motors believes in an all-electric future," GM global product development chief Mark Reuss said on Monday during a briefing at the company's suburban Detroit technical center. Future generations of GM electric vehicles "will be profitable," Reuss said, but added it was not clear when GM could make all its new vehicle offerings zero-emission electric cars. Regulators in China and some European countries have floated proposals to ban internal combustion engines by 2030 or 2040. "We will continue to make sure our internal combustion engines will get more and more efficient," Reuss said. GM shares were up more than 4 percent in midday New York trading on positive comments from Rod Lache, auto analyst at Deutsche Bank. Automakers, including electric vehicle market leader Tesla, lose money on electric cars because battery costs are still higher than comparable internal combustion engines. The company offered sneak peeks of three EV prototypes: a Buick SUV, a sporty Cadillac wagon and a futuristic pod car wearing a Bolt badge. GM funds its forays into new technology using a river of cash generated by old-technology vehicles popular with its core customer base in the United States heartland. In comparison, Tesla has burned through an estimated $10 billion in cash and has yet to show a full year profit. GM earned more than 90 percent of its $12.5 billion in pretax profits last year in North America, amid robust demand for its lineup of large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The company's profitable operations in China rely on consumer demand for an expanding lineup of gasoline powered SUVs. GM has previously announced plans to make some of its future electric vehicles capable of driving themselves in robot taxi fleets. The company offered sneak peeks of three electric vehicle prototypes: a Buick brand sport utility vehicle, a sporty Cadillac wagon and a futuristic pod car wearing a Bolt badge. GM collaborated with Korean battery maker LG Chem to build the Bolt battery system. Company officials did not say what companies would supply batteries for the larger fleet of vehicles promised by 2023. Fuel-cell vehicles will also play a role in GM's future, the company said.

The 2021 F-150 elevates Ford's bed game

The new 2021 Ford F-150 is ushering in a new era of pickup capability, but there's more to it than the introduction of the PowerBoost hybrid. While that new powertrain is certainly the truck's headlining element, the supporting electrical architecture enables a level of utility that hasn't been offered in past consumer half-tons. The true party trick is Ford's new "Pro Power Onboard" feature, which is essentially a built-in generator that provides juice for the 2021 F-150's rather robust in-bed power station. This system is available even on gasoline-engine models, but its utility is maximized with the electrified powertrain. ICE models equipped with the option max out at 2.0 kilowatts, while the PowerBoost hybrid can be had with either a 2.4- or a whopping 7.2-kilowatt inverter.  The idea here is that the F-150 can essentially stand in for a high-output portable generator. In a worksite example provided by Ford, a PowerBoost model with the 7.2-kW upgrade and a single tank of fuel could provide 32 hours of power for an 1,800-watt compound miter saw, a 1,000W circular saw, a 1,200W battery charger, a 1,200W hammer drill, and a 1,000W air compressor with hundreds of watts to spare for lighting and other accessories. But even without the Pro Power Onboard option, Ford's new bed setup enables more versatility than in previous models. The new Tailgate Work Surface option adds a flat work area with integrated rulers, recesses for pencils or small tools, and even a stand for a personal device.  Ford is neither the first to offer an auxiliary power outlet in a half-ton pickup bed, nor was Ford the first to introduce a more feature-rich tailgate. GMC's MultiPro tailgate was a major innovation on that front, and while it is geared mostly toward improving the cargo utility of the bed, it can also be customized with 12-volt power and even an accessory speaker system. The Ram 1500 is also offered with both a multi-function tailgate and AC power in the bed, though the latter option is limited to models with the RamBox cargo package.  As half-ton pickups approach levels of towing and hauling capability that begin to blur lines with heavy-duty offerings, it's clear that automakers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves without stepping on their own bigger trucks' toes. These new bed and tailgate innovations may yet be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to full-size pickup versatility. Related Video:    

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: