Gmc Yukon Xl2500 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

5 reasons why GM is cutting jobs, closing plants in a healthy economy

DETROIT — Even though unemployment is low, the economy is growing and U.S. auto sales are near historic highs, General Motors is cutting thousands of jobs in a major restructuring aimed at generating cash to spend on innovation. It's the new reality for automakers that are faced with the present cost of designing gas-powered cars and trucks that appeal to buyers now while at the same time preparing for a future world of electric and autonomous vehicles. GM announced Monday that it will cut as many as 14,000 workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it abandons many of its car models and restructures to focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles. The reductions could amount to as much as 8 percent of GM's global workforce of 180,000 employees. The cuts mark GM's first major downsizing since shedding thousands of jobs in the Great Recession. The company also said it will stop operating two additional factories outside North America by the end of next year. The move to make GM get leaner before the next downturn likely will be followed by Ford Motor Co., which also has struggled to keep one foot in the present and another in an ambiguous future of new mobility. Ford has been slower to react, but says it will lay off an unspecified number of white-collar workers as it exits much of the car market in favor of trucks and SUVs, some of them powered by batteries. Here's a rundown of the reasons behind the cuts: Coding, not combustion CEO Mary Barra said as cars and trucks become more complex, GM will need more computer coders but fewer engineers who work on internal combustion engines. "The vehicle has become much more software-oriented" with millions of lines of code, she said. "We still need many technical resources in the company." Shedding sedans The restructuring also reflects changing North American auto markets as manufacturers continue to shift away from cars toward SUVs and trucks. In October, almost 65 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. were trucks or SUVs. That figure was about 50 percent cars just five years ago. GM is shedding cars largely because it doesn't make money on them, Citi analyst Itay Michaeli wrote in a note to investors. "We estimate sedans operate at a significant loss, hence the need for classic restructuring," he wrote. The reduction includes about 8,000 white-collar employees, or 15 percent of GM's North American white-collar workforce. Some will take buyouts while others will be laid off.

Hummer EV range listed at 334 miles in MyChevrolet app

Forums of late have been cracking for interesting news, the Hummer Chat forum next in line to keep us intrigued. When member BahamaTodd updated his MyChevrolet app to version 5.7.0, he clicked through to the Energy Assist page and found three GM electric vehicles listed, plus their estimated range figures on a 100% charge. One was the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, rated for 259 miles, the second was the 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, rated for 247 miles. The third was an unexpected entry, being the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup, listed as able to go 334 miles on a full charge. When BahamaTodd clicked on the Hummer, a map appeared with a dotted line outlining the entire geographical area available to him based on his current location. The figures for both Bolts are the official EPA estimates. The mileage figure for the Hummer is a mystery, as is why it's popped up here in the MyChevrolet app instead of the MyGMC app. The EPA hasn't certified the 2022 Hummer yet, so that's not the source. On the other hand, a little more than a week ago, GM said the Hummer EV could go 350 miles or more based on the automaker's estimates. We assumed GM was referring to the Hummer Edition 1, the sold-out launch model which will be the only trim produced for the 2022 model year, fitted with three electric motors making a combined 1,000 horsepower. The first and safest assumption is that the app data is placeholder information, not intended to be spread on the Internet and dissected. If it does apply to a Hummer EV, it could denote a specific trim or options. The Edition 1 will be available with street tires. It's perfectly reasonable to believe the chunky, 35-inch knobblies that shown in all the press materials could eat up 16 miles or so of range, about a 4.8% loss. Or GM's range estimate could have been meant for one of the future Hummer EV variants, like the slightly less-powerful tri-motor EV3X with 800 hp, the 625-hp dual-motor EV2X, and the base, 625-hp dual-motor EV2. With pre-production of the Edition 1 slated to begin at GM's Factory Zero any day now, answers shouldn't be long in coming.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2024 GMC Acadia to go big again for third generation

In July, spy shooters caught prototypes of the next-gen GMC Acadia wrapped up tight in camouflage. We couldn't make out any useful aspects but one: The coming third-gen Acadia is larger than the current second-gen. Remember, GMC debuted a smaller Acadia for the 2017 model year, lopping eight inches of length and three inches of width from the first-gen large mid-size SUV to create a smaller mid-size three-row SUV. The new prototypes appeared to show that decision would be reversed, now we have proof thanks to more comments unearthed from GM's recent Investor Day presentations in New York. Caught by GM Authority, automaker president Mark Reuss said, "Alongside the Traverse, we’ll move the GMC Acadia to a little bit different size standpoint. This comes in a little bigger than the old Acadia, so itÂ’s a big transformation for GMC and its part of the market." In a 2016 Automotive News piece about how GMC planned to increase sales volume, AN reported, "One potential avenue: venturing into Jeep's terrain. Industry sources believe GMC is drawing up plans for an SUV based on the same body-on-frame platform that serves as the bones of the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup. It's in the early stages — it doesn't appear to have been sourced to suppliers yet and the SUV's arrival isn't expected until 2020 or later." The first-gen 2016 GMC Acadia was 200.8 inches long, while a 2016 GMC Canyon Crew Cab with the roughly 5-foot bed was 212.8 inches long. It's thought that truncating the second-gen GMC Acadia to 193.4 inches long and 75.4 inches wide was intended to leave plenty of room for the planned SUV on the Canyon platform. However far that SUV project got, it was reportedly canned in 2018.   Hence an upsized Acadia returns. Reuss' comment about the Chevrolet Traverse could imply what's coming for the GMC, the Chevrolet being 205.9 inches long and 78.6 inches wide. A bigger Acadia could make a better sales proposition against the two-row Terrain, too. The Terrain costs almost $9,000 less than the Acadia and is 182.3 inches long and 72.4 inches wide. It's not clear when GMC plans to show the new Acadia, but the consensus is that it will go on sale for the 2024 model year. Expect an all-new cabin, Super Cruise capability and a front fascia reminiscent of the new Canyon. Powertrain options are a mystery.