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GM seeks national mandate for zero-emissions cars

DETROIT — General Motors says it will ask the federal government for one national gas mileage standard, including a requirement that a percentage of auto companies' sales be zero-emissions vehicles. Mark Reuss, GM's executive vice president of product development, said the company will propose that a certain percentage of nationwide sales be made up of vehicles that run on electricity or hydrogen fuel cells. GM says a nationwide program modeled on such a requirement in California could result in 7 million electric vehicles, or EVs, on U.S. roads by 2030. California wants 15.4 percent of vehicle sales by 2025 to be EVs or other zero emission vehicles. Nine other states, including Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, have adopted those requirements. In January, California Governor Jerry Brown set a target of 5 million zero-emission vehicles in California by 2030. The Trump administration criticizes California's ZEV mandate, saying it requires automakers to spend tens of billions of dollars developing vehicles that most consumers do not want, only to sell them at a loss. Reuss told reporters that governments and industries in Asia and Europe "are working together to enact policies now to hasten the shift to an all-electric future. It's very simple: America has the opportunity to lead in the technologies of the future." A national mandate also would create jobs and reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and "make EVs more affordable," Reuss added. GM, the nation's largest automaker, will spell out the request Friday in written comments on a Trump administration proposal to roll back Obama-era fuel economy and emissions standards, freezing them at 2020 levels instead of gradually making them tougher. Under a regulation finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency at the end of the Obama administration, the fleet of new automobiles would have to get 36 miles per gallon by 2025, 10 mpg higher than the current requirement. But the Trump administration's preferred plan is to freeze the standards starting in 2021. Administration officials say waiving the tougher fuel efficiency requirements would make vehicles more affordable, which would get safer cars into consumer hands more quickly. GM on Thursday said it doesn't support the freeze, but wants flexibility to deal with consumers' shift from cars to less-efficient SUVs and trucks.

GM follows U.S. trademark for AT4X with application in Mexico

Looks like GM is preparing to return the GMC Sierra 1500 All Terrain X to the marketplace, but with a new name. GM Authority found a trademark application filed in May this year in Mexico for the AT4X moniker. This comes three years after GM filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the same alphanumeric in February 2016. When GMC introduced the all-new 2019 Sierra, it changed the previous All Terrain trim name to AT4, as seen on the Sierra AT4 we called "offroad overkill." The patent filings lend credence to the idea that the previous All Terrain X trim will soon be introduced by a Sierra 1500 AT4X model.  The erstwhile All Terrain X, introduced for the 2016 model year, took the former All Terrain further into the frame of serious-looking off-roader. On top of the Z71 suspension with a two-inch lift, Rancho monotube shocks, and a locking rear differential, the X added a sport bar for offroad lights, side steps, more dirt-friendly 18-inch wheels in 265/65 mud-terrains instead of 20-inchers on 275/65 all-terrains, a performance exhaust, and a lot more black and body-colored trim. At launch, we said it was "no Raptor threat," and even though GMC launched a 2500HD version in 2017 (pictured), it likely never worried the Ram Power Wagon. We wouldn't expect the equation to change with a possible AT4X, which is a shame, since hardcore OEM offroaders are becoming bro dozers for the mature, moneyed set.

2024 GMC Sierra EV revealed with 754 horsepower, 400 miles of range

This is the 2024 GMC Sierra EV in all its Denali Edition 1 glory. You probably knew this was coming. After all, when Chevrolet debuts a new pickup, the GMC version of said truck is typically quick to follow. That’s exactly the case here yet again as the Sierra EV follows the somewhat recent debut of the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV. Per usual, the Chevy and GMC versions of the electric truck share a lot of similarities. TheyÂ’re also different in many of the same ways weÂ’re accustomed to within the GM pickup family. The biggest differentiator is design. If the Silverado EV wasnÂ’t your cup of tea, perhaps the Sierra EV is! Just like the Silverado EV, the Sierra rides on GMÂ’s Ultium platform. ItÂ’s being offered exclusively in Crew Cab form at launch. GMC designers emphasized its upright stance and proportions as typical truck styling. However, close examination will show a lot of curved edges and a focus on aerodynamics to achieve a lower coefficient of drag. The front grille is devoid of any flashy patterns, as GMC has opted to go for the shield aesthetic. Light is heavily used to bring a flash of design to the face — the whole grille features a light-up surround. A three-bar charging status indicator can be seen on the front end, and engineers intentionally mounted the headlights lower in the front fascia than usual. For the Denali Edition 1 (the only version of the Sierra EV available at market launch), all of the exterior trim is done in glossy black, except for the areas you might step on, which are finished in a flat black. The rear features GMCÂ’s MultiPro tailgate, and just like the Silverado EV, the Sierra EV comes with the fancy MidGate. GMC calls it the “MultiPro MidGate,” but itÂ’s the same tech used here as youÂ’ll see in the Silverado EV. With the MidGate down, you get nine feet of storage between the cab and the tailgate. Storage can extend out to 11 feet if you use the MultiPro tailgateÂ’s stopper feature with the tailgate down. Also, the MidGate can be folded with a 60/40 split, so you can get that extra length and still retain some backseat passenger room. All of the powertrain and battery tech is similar to the Silverado EV. That means you get a pair of electric motors for all-wheel drive capability with a combined output of 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque. YouÂ’ll need to be in “Max Power Mode” (we know, much less exciting than WTF mode in the Hummer EV) to realize all that power.