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GM might outsource vans to AM General

General Motors will possibly boost production of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon at the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri by contracting out some commercial van manufacturing to AM General. Demand for the two midsize trucks continues to boom, and GM would like to take advantage of the strong market for them. The possible deal came to light in a letter to workers at the factory, according to Automotive News. "This potential partnership would free up production capacity and allow the organization to capitalize on our ability to build midsize trucks to further satisfy customer demand," a portion of the document allegedly said. AM General would reportedly only take over assembly of the cutaway versions of the Chevy Express and GMC Savana. Customers and critics have quickly embraced the latest Colorado and Canyon since their introduction. The Chevy just won back-to-back Motor Trend Truck of the Year awards. GM also had to add a third shift and extra workers in 2014 just to keep up with demand. The Wentzville plant even increased employment on the weekends earlier in 2015 to assemble an extra 2,000 of the trucks each month. While the two pickups boom, deliveries for the Chevy Express and GMC Savana are down 26.9 percent and 26.6 percent respectively through the first 10 months of the year. GM doesn't break out numbers for the cutaway versions, but they make up about a third of production, according to Automotive News. AM General built the Humvee for the US military and does some contract work with automakers. For example, the company's Indiana factory now produces the Mercedes-Benz R-Class for export to China. Here's hoping this potential deal will help both GM and AM General keep their factories humming. Related Video:

Surprise! GM putting aluminum in next-gen pickups

Last month, General Motors launched a series of ads touting the benefits of steel over aluminum – specifically, with regard to the Chevy Silverado versus the Ford F-150. (Kind of. We're not sure what a grizzly bear has to do with anything.) We took issue with the ads, with editor in chief Mike Austin saying they "reek of insecurity, and distract from the Silverado's strengths that could be used for positive advertising." But what bothers us more, is that yet another report surfaced claiming anti-aluminum GM will indeed use the weight-saving material in its next-generation fullsize trucks. On Tuesday, GM announced a $877-million investment for its truck plant in Flint, MI. But Reuters says that huge overhaul is because the trucks will use "substantially different equipment than the tools GM uses today." The report specifically states, "People familiar with the company's plans say GM's next-generation pickups and SUVs will make use of various materials, including aluminum and lightweight steel, to shed weight and gain fuel efficiency to meet tougher federal standards." The Silverado already uses a few aluminum components in the engine and hood, and if more widespread use will help GM build its best fullsize trucks ever, then that's great. Honestly, we have no reason to doubt that aluminum will be used in the next Silverado and GMC Sierra. We just hope GM remembers that nothing is ever truly deleted from the bowels of the Internet when it launches the subsequent "look how great aluminum is!" campaign. Related Video: News Source: Reuters Green Plants/Manufacturing Chevrolet GM GMC Truck aluminum steel

GMC looks to space with the Hummer EV Omega Edition

The Hummer EV is nothing if not outlandish. Everything about it is over the top, from its size to its weight, but the folks at GMC felt it needed something more to stand out. Enter the 2024 GMC Hummer EV Omega Edition, an enormous matte blue vehicle with unique features and an exclusive price tag. The special edition builds on the 3X truck and SUV models with a unique Neptune Blue Matte paint color and black exterior trim pieces. It also brings an off-road package, exclusive 18-inch wheels, the MultiPro tailgate with a Kicker audio system, unique interior carpeting, and a transparent roof. In addition to the wheels and 35-inch mud-terrain tires, the off-road package brings underbody skid plates and additional off-road camera views. GMC said it took inspiration for the Hummer EV from the “endless expanse of space,” which is likely true since the vehicle is about as efficient as a Saturn V rocket. Interestingly, the automaker is using the Miami Grand Prix as the launchpad for the EV, offering 0-60 sprints to invited attendees at the event. The Hummer EV Omega Edition Pickup gets a 24-module battery and starts at $149,995, while the SUV gets a 20-module battery and a $139,995 starting price. The hard-to-get EV is exceedingly rare in its standard form, and the Omega Edition is only available to existing order holders, so itÂ’s unlikely any of us will see the unique blue 'ute anytime soon. Despite its ridiculousness, the Hummer EVÂ’s wait list extends into multiple years for some buyers. GMC took thousands of orders and only built 1,000 units in March, so you can see how wait times quickly pile up. That said, production nearly doubled between February and March, giving hope to impatient order-holders. ItÂ’s not possible to place an order at this time, so if you donÂ’t have a reservation already, it might be time to look at a different EV. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.