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GM taps Honeywell's Quality Control System for Ultium battery plant

The Chevrolet Bolt recall has been so frustrating for General Motors that the automaker made an unexpected show of public hopelessness in saying it was "not confident" that LG — which produces the Bolt's batteries — could produce batteries without defects. Even though the remark came before investigation teams founds the source of the Bolt battery issue, it was even more strange considering GM and LG are still in bed together, the two having invested more than $2.3 billion in a 2.8-million-square-foot plant to make GM's Ultium batteries in Lordstown, Ohio. Now that GM has even more motivation to keep its Ultium batteries free of scandal, GM has tapped Honeywell for that company's Quality Control System at the Lordstown facility. The Honeywell QCS will monitor four of the production lines at the facility using "high-precision scanners and basis weight sensors." One of the parameters measured will be electrode coat weight, a key stat in battery performance. Another measurement and control company wrote, "Improving the electrode coating process is a significant part of the equation to delivering better quality and better performing cells – and coating uniformity is seen more and more as a critical requirement." Honeywell says it has more than 20 years of experience with lithium-ion technology, and the firm is already found throughout the green economy. A GM spokesman made sure to say that "the awarding of the Ultium contract to Honeywell has nothing to do with the Bolt recall." Yet in the Honeywell press release, a company director spoke words that could have come straight from GM, with, "Given the opportunity at hand, battery manufacturers such as Ultium Cells must be able to bring new solutions to market with confidence." The new Lordstown facility is scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year. It will employ more than 1,100 workers building the prime movers for coming EVs like the new Hummer and the Cadillaq Lyriq. Ideally, before then, GM will have found and fixed all of the Bolts with issues, and can begin its Ultium era under sunny skies. The automaker started accepting LG batteries again last week, the new batteries should begin reaching dealers around the same time Bolt production resumes on October 11. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green GMC Safety Technology Electric

2019 GMC Sierra AT4 First Drive Review | Off-road overkill

The road ahead is dirt with a rut here and a rock there. Brush keeps a respectable distance on the right side, the edge on the left gradually falls away into the valley below. The grade is nothing your treadmill couldn't duplicate and traction is pretty good. Honestly, a couple in their Subaru Crosstrek could pop up here for a picnic. The 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 we're driving is therefore complete overkill. But at least it looks the part as it trudges up this uncharacteristically verdant mountain with San Diego in the distance to the north and Mexico to the south. Its special, dechromed AT4 grille has a purposeful appearance, but tastefully lacks the show-off machismo of Ford and Ram's off-roading models. The red tow hooks are a nice touch and the dark-accented 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain rubber are just the right size beneath a suspension that is raised an extra 2 inches from every other Sierra. That would be one of the key elements that differentiates the AT4 as the Sierra's off-roading model – GMC's answer to the Chevy Silverado's Trail Boss trims. In fact, their mechanical enhancements are identical. Besides the 2-inch lift, the suspension features off-road-tuned Rancho monotube shocks. There's also a locking rear differential, a two-speed transfer case, skid plates and those tow hooks. The 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management is similarly standard, but unlike the Silverado Trail Boss, the Sierra AT4 offers the 6.2-liter V8 good for 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque as a roughly $2,500 option. That's the engine we have and it delivers the expected punch, complete with a satisfyingly snarling exhaust note. However, as observed in back-to-back drives with these two available engines during the Silverado launch, the 6.2 certainly isn't necessary. The 5.3-liter is seriously capable and the bigger engine is largely for those who want to have the biggest number possible emblazoned on the fender. It's overkill, which in this particular environment, is fitting. Besides the available engine upgrade, the AT4 also goes beyond its Trail Boss counterpart by dipping into the Sierra Denali's tool box. Its MultiPro tailgate is standard equipment, allowing for six different configurations, the most notable of which include a means of more easily reaching into the bed and a drop-down step that eases entry into the bed. GMC's considerable touting of that last element is rife with hypocrisy given GM advertisements that mocked Ford's similar feature.

GM's redesigned full-size 2021 SUVs face delay over coronavirus

As General Motors works to conserve cash for the coronavirus pandemic, the automaker reportedly told suppliers that it is postponing development of several future vehicles. The situation may cause GM to delay the launch of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban SUVs, which had been planned to roll out in April. The original launch plan for the redesigned full-size SUVs, which are some of the most profitable vehicles produced by GM, had called for production of the current models to end at its plant in Arlington, Texas, this week. After a retooling process, the redesigned SUVs were slated to begin production late in the month of April. In an email to suppliers viewed by Reuters and confirmed as authentic by GM, the automaker also said it was suspending development work on six future vehicle programs, including updates of the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac XT4, Bolt EV, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM said preproduction work on those programs would be pushed back to calendar year 2021, with most of the updated vehicles scheduled to be launched as 2022 models. According to the Detroit News, work has also been paused on the Chevy Camaro and a future version of the Corvette that has yet to be unveiled and wasn't planned for production during the 2020 calendar year. Last week, the automaker told employees and suppliers it was delaying work on some future vehicles while pushing ahead with near-term models such as its redesigned full-size SUVs and the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Cruise Origin, as well as its new Ultium battery system. A GM spokesman who spoke with Reuters reiterated on Monday what the automaker had said last week — that the situation with its U.S. plants was "fluid" and that the automaker would "continue to evaluate" whether and when to reopen those plants on a week-by-week basis, with "employee safety" guiding that decision. GM said previously that it was closing most of its U.S. plants indefinitely. In its Monday email, GM asked suppliers to stop work on all pre-production tooling and pre-production parts manufacturing, but also not to dispose of any tooling or materials. GM told Reuters it had solicited volunteers from its workforce to finish the build-out of the current SUVs on a single shift in Arlington.