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Chevy Express, GMC Savanna reportedly ending production for 2025

The oldest commercial vans on the market may only have a few years left, according to a report from Autoweek. The news outlet cited a "competitive analysis source" in saying that the Chevy Express and GMC Savanna commercial vans would be discontinued after the 2025 model year. They would then be replaced by a new electric van, likely Ultium-platform based, for the 2026 model year. We reached out to GM for comment, and this is the official statement sent to us: "We have said in the past that as part of GM’s larger EV acceleration plans that we will add two new vehicles to our commercial portfolio. The first is a full-sized battery electric cargo van and the second is a medium-duty truck that will put both Ultium and our Hydrotec hydrogen fuel cell technology to work. We have not disclosed timing, names or shared any other details, so any articles reporting more are purely speculative." The GM vans are mighty old, having been introduced for the 1996 model year. They've barely changed since then, having received just some facelifts and updated powertrains over the years. And with GM's electrification plans, we're not surprised that these vans will be on the way out. We do have some disagreement about the reported timeline for replacement, though. We suspect that the upcoming electric vans will overlap with the old vans for at least a year. The reason being that there are a lot of these vans on the road, and there are a lot of pieces of equipment that fit them. Box vans, buses and more have components that have been designed for the Express and Savanna. If you're a fleet that has invested in these components, you might not be ready to shift over to a whole new platform. So GM will probably want to give fleet buyers one last opportunity to replace any old vans before committing entirely to a new electric van platform. It will also be interesting to see what kind of market the GM electric vans enter. Ford already has its electric Transit on the way, and Stellantis will be launching the Ram ProMaster electric van next year. Those are both based on existing gas-powered vans. And GM itself has already delivered the first of its larger BrightDrop EV600 electric vans to FedEx. The coming GM vans will likely be new platforms, which could give them performance and range advantages, though the Ford and Stellantis vans will have the advantage of being compatible with equipment for the gas variants.

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.

2021 GMC Yukon starts at $51,955, just $100 more than outgoing model

The 2021 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL have prices, and they're bargains considering the upgrades the new model delivers. The base Yukon SLE starts at $51,995 after the $1,295 destination charge, a $100 premium over the current model. The extended wheelbase Yukon XL in base SLE trim starts at $54,695, the same price as the outgoing model. The price for all-wheel drive stands pat for trims that make it an option, at $3,000. Prices for the two-wheel drive Yukon and Yukon XL trim steps are below, with price differences compared to the 2020 models. Keep mind that the new AT4 trim comes standard with AWD, so the AT4 is in a sense closer in price to the SLT and further from the Denali than it appears here: Yukon SLE: $51,995 (+ $100) Yukon SLT: $59,095 (- $810) Yukon AT4: $66,095  Yukon Denali: $69,695 (+ $800) Yukon XL SLE: $54,695 (No change) Yukon XL SLT: $61,795 (No change) Yukon XL AT4: $68,795 Yukon XL Denali: $72,395 (+ $600) The drop in price on the Yukon SLT is in comparison to the 2020 Yukon SLT Standard Edition trim, not the lower-spec SLT trim. The new Yukon comes in at $1,700 more than the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, the same price difference in effect between the Yukon XL and Suburban. The standard Yukon is powered by a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, the same specs as found in both the Tahoe and Suburban. The Yukon Denali trims, as with the High Country trims on the Chevy twins, outdo the 5.3-liter with a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. Both engines shift through a 10-speed automatic. Stuffing a Yukon XL Denali with options can take the MSRP beyond $80,000, thanks to available features like the panoramic sunroof, rear seat entertainment, air suspension, and Magnetic Ride Control Suspension.   We're still awaiting pricing for the coming 3.0-liter Duramax inline-six with 460 pound-feet of torque, which we expect closer to the on-sale date for the new full-sized SUVs.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Bronco, Yukon, Hummer and a CES recap | Autoblog Podcast #610