Auto blog

Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.

GMC and EarthCruiser to collaborate on Hummer EV Pickup overlander project

GMC just announced a collaboration with overlanding vehicle builder EarthCruiser, and the end result is going to provide us with a co-developed Hummer EV Pickup. The photo you’re looking at above is the first teaser for whatÂ’s to come of the partnership. The Hummer team will be working with EarthCruiserÂ’s research and design division to develop an overland upfit solution for EVs that it says will initially be integrated into the Hummer EV Pickup. In case you werenÂ’t familiar with EarthCruiser, theyÂ’re the people that have made utterly wild overlanding vehicles like the Terranova, FX and EXP. Needless to say, EarthCruiser makes some pretty rad stuff, and none of it is cheap. GMC says this collaboration will look to use EarthCruiserÂ’s expertise gained from developing its vehicles to create an overlanding solution for the Hummer. We should expect to see EarthCruiserÂ’s engineering technologies integrated into the vehicle, which will allow the Hummer to go even further off-road and provide the ability for owners to live with their trucks in the wilderness.  The one snag with overlanding in EVs is the typically long journeys away from civilization. As an example, the EarthCruiser XP and EXP feature 60-gallon fuel tanks to ensure you can get to where you need to go and power the living situation for a long time once youÂ’re there. WeÂ’ll be interested to hear what GMC and EarthCruiser have to say about the challenges presented by overlanding in an EV. Already visible in the teaser image is what looks like a solar panel-filled roof and rear side pods for supplies. The concept truck will be presented in late summer 2023, and while no date for a production vehicle was provided, itÂ’s likely that the final truck will come soon after. Related video:

2022 GMC Hummer EV Drivers' Notes: We can't stop talking about Crab Walk

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup defies reason and sense in most ways. It’s a pickup that weighs over 9,000 pounds, but will do the 0-60 mph sprint in around 3.0 seconds. That sounds like something to be afraid of, but itÂ’s also something you want to experience. ItÂ’s a feat of engineering to make something so heavy move so quickly, but thatÂ’s what the EV revolution has brought upon us. GMC gets the Hummer up and moving as quickly as it does with three electric motors — one in front and two in the rear — that combine for a nutty 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque. All of that power is unleashed in Watts To Freedom (WTF) mode. Your seat starts rumbling; the air suspension lowers you to the ground, and an electrifying soundtrack is played over the speakers to match your throttle applications. Launching this supertruck is an event every single time, but due to its extra-high ride height and off-road chops, sending it down your favorite trail is, too. That is, assuming said trail is wide enough to fit the gargantuan Hummer. Those knobby all-terrain tires keep the Hummer from being even mildly entertaining when you explore the truckÂ’s handling Â… but who cares. Our specific tester is an Edition 1 model, which means it comes fully loaded with every option you can imagine. As such, its price is $110,295. For the amount of performance and capability on display here, that number sounds surprisingly right. ItÂ’s also befitting the HummerÂ’s status as a supertruck, wherein you get everything youÂ’d ever want in one go-anywhere do-anything package. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — The Hummer EV is the biggest rock star vehicle IÂ’ve tested in quite some time. Literally. ItÂ’s huge and attracts a ton of deserved attention. The Hummer design is spot-on, especially the grille, lights and flared fenders. It looks the part. For $110,000, it should also have some substance, and this Edition 1 delivers Super Cruise, Watts to Freedom and CrabWalk, not to mention GMCÂ’s MultiPro tailgate and the removable Sky Panel roof. It feels quick, as you would expect something with 1,000 hp to feel, and itÂ’s shockingly maneuverable. I CrabWalked down my street to show off, navigating around things on the diagonal and amusing the neighbors. Just the regular four-wheel-steering function, which functions similar to those offered by various other cars, allows the Hummer to turn easily and confidently.