Items tagged with GM
We got our first taste of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade in mid-January, when General Motors posted a single drawing of the vehicle's dashboard. Now, however, the veil has fully been lifted from the Escalade and we're getting a comprehensive look at it from bow to stern. The new Escalade is still a huge, hulking vehicle -- as it has been its whole life. It's based on GM's full-size truck architecture, and has a lot in common with the new 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL. But the Escalade gets unique exterior styling that fits in with Cadillac's current design language (it looks a like an enlarged Cadillac XT6). There's a massive grille up front, and thin horizontal headlights...
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Here's a name we haven't though much about in the past decade or so: Hummer. Hummer was once a name synonymous with excess thanks to its big, burly lifted SUVs that were loathed for their immense girth and equally voracious thirst for unleaded gasoline. The brand was eventually shutdown in 2010, making it a victim of General Motors' bankruptcy and the economic downturn. However, Hummer is coming back from the dead in the most unlikely form. It is being resurrected as a fully-electric truck, rather than as a hulking beast powered by a V8 internal combustion engine. The vehicle will make its television debut this weekend in a 30-second Super Bowl commercial starring NBA superstar Lebron James....
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Every new technology experiences growing pains; there is typically a period of innovation and then a period of standardization. The autonomous vehicle market is no exception. Industry leaders recently agreed to establish a common hardware and software platform for autonomous vehicles. The new Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (AVCC) was announced at Arm TechCon 2019. This consortium includes leaders from companies such as Arm, Bosch, Continental, DENSO, GM, NVIDIA, NXP Semiconductors, and Toyota. They hope that other automotive and technology companies will join the consortium in the future. Dipti Vachani of Arm remarked, “The future of mobility and the safe, scalable deployment of...
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General Motors set hearts ablaze when it official unveiled the C8 Corvette Stingray back in August. With sexy good looks, a thumping 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 495 horsepower situated behind the driver (a first for a production Corvette) and a starting price of just under $60,000, the 2020 Corvette is sure to be massive hit for General Motors. The droptop variants of Corvettes are nearly as revered as their fixed-roof counterparts, and the convertible version of the C8 Corvette Stingray has just been officially revealed. This time around, there's no fabric roof -- instead, the vehicle features a power retractable hardtop that can be stowed (or opened) in just 16 seconds. As an added bonus,...
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Tonight will be a historic moment for gearheads that intently follow the car industry. The Chevrolet Corvette throughout its entire run as a production vehicle has been a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle. And the for vast majority of those years, it has been powered by a V8 engine. The 2020 Corvette Stingray [C8] changes that, as it will switch to a more preferable -- for a supercar -- mid-engine layout. While General Motors has teased the C8 Corvette Stingray for the past few months, the actual unveil will take place tonight at 10:50pm ET (7:50pm PT). You'll be able to watch the show by visiting the following link, or by checking out the embed below later tonight. Up until this point,...
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Today is a rather sad day for fans of General Motors. The company announced that it is laying off 15 percent of its workforce in North America, and will close a total of five manufacturing plants on the continent. With regards to its workforce, a total of 14,000 contract and salaried workers will be out of a job in 2019. As for its manufacturing plants, the following will all be closed within the next year: Oshawa Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit Lordstown Assembly in Warren, Ohio Baltimore Operations in White Marsh, Maryland Warren Transmission Operations in Warren, Michigan General Motors says that this represents the latest step in its efforts to "accelerate...
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Autonomous autos are coming to the masses, eventually, but right now only a handful of states and cities allow the testing of autonomous cars on public roads. To accelerate the rollout of driverless cars, more testing needs to be performed and there are rules and regulations standing in the way of manufacturers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is moving ahead with plans to rewrite rules and remove roadblocks to the autonomous auto future. As it stands now, regulations require certain equipment on any car that drives on the highway. These rules prevent autonomous autos from being rolled out that lack things like steering wheels, pedals, and mirrors. The NHTSA indicated...
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Chevrolet has unveiled the refreshed 2019 Camaro line up and the range has one very nice new addition for the car guys and gals out there that want something more track ready but without a big honkin' V8. The new model is called the Turbo 1LE and it gets some of the cool parts from the other, higher performance 1LE Camaros that Chevy makes. The Turbo 1LE goes into the range alongside the V6 1LE, SS 1LE, and ZL1 1LE cars meant to split time between the race track and the streets. Chevy will offer the Turbo 1LE with only a 6-speed manual transmission and a chassis package that is derived from the V6 1LE. Turbo 1LE buyers get FE3 suspension with larger stabilizer bars, specifically tuned dampers,...
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When it comes to self-driving cars, we've seen various takes from auto manufacturers. For the most part, they all add the hardware and software necessary to allow complete control of a vehicle by a computer, but retain primary controls (like the steering wheel and accelerator/brake pedal) for the driver to operate in the case of an emergency. General Motors' new Cruise AV throws tradition out the window by removing the steering wheel and the foot-operated pedals. In essence, you are simply along for the ride -- at all times. It seems a little unsettling at first to not see a big steering wheel dominating the left-hand side of the cabin, but if technology keeps advancing at the rate its going,...
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It's good to be the king! Just over two weeks ago, General Motors officially pulled the wraps off the scintillating 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (days after it had leaked to the internet). Now, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the convertible version of the vehicle made a surprise appearance. This marks the first-ever factory Corvette ZR1 convertible, and it is every bit as attractive (maybe even more so) and formidable as its closed-roof sibling. Under the low-slung hood still beats a supercharged LT5 V8 engine pumping out 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque. As with the coupe, you'll have your choice of a seven-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed automatic (which, surprisingly, seems to...
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We here at HotHardware love fast cars, so our ears definitely perked up when the upcoming 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 leaked to the web yesterday. The ZR1 is supposedly the swan song for the C7 chassis, and by all accounts, the vehicle will go out with a tremendous bang. At the heart of the ZR1 is a burly LT5 V8, according to Car and Driver, which is an evolution of the LT4 engine used in the 650 horsepower Corvette Z06. The LT5 is enhanced with a larger blower (which pumps 52 percent more air) and a new fuel delivery system that used both port- and direct-injection (like the 3.5-liter V6 used in Lexus vehicles). To handle all of that power at its disposal, General Motors engineers increased...
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If electric vehicles like the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf offer too little range, the Tesla Model S is simply too expensive, and Model 3 production is just too far off into the future, General Motors is hoping that you’ll give its Chevrolet Bolt a try. GM announced this week that it has begun production on the mainstream EV at its Orion Township, Michigan assembly plant. Residents in California and Oregon will be the first to take delivery of the Bolt at the end of 2016, while GM will expand sales to the rest of the United States in 2017. The Bolt will have a base price of $37,495, but customers will be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit which will drive the price down to roughly...
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A week ago, General Motors (GM) revealed that its brand new Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle (EV) is EPA rated to travel 238 miles per charge, which is quite impressive for the small runabout. Today, GM announced how much the Bolt will cost, after saying for months that the vehicle would start at around $37,500. We've now learned that the official base MSRP is right in line with GM’s previous guidance: $37,495. That means that the Bolt will be priced at $29,999 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. And the Bolt has the potential to be priced even lower thanks to various state rebates and credits. “Value is a hallmark for Chevrolet and the pricing of the Bolt EV proves we’re serious about delivering...
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There is no love lost between General Motors and Tesla Motors. If the companies aren’t battling it out over the merits of the dealership model, the two are throwing barbs at one another over the emergence of electric vehicles. When GM CEO Mary Barra revealed the production version of the Chevrolet Bolt EV earlier this year at CES, she took thinly veiled swipes at Tesla, touring GM’s vast dealership network, its support of CarPlay and Android Auto, and the fact that GM was beating Tesla to the punch with a mass-market 200-mile EV. Rather than lash out at Barra with equally dismissive barbs, Tesla at the time issued the following statement: Commitments from traditional car makers to build electric...
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In early December, we got a clear look at a completely naked Chevrolet Bolt EV. The vehicle was shown driving around out and and about with no camouflage, much to our amazement. Although the production version of the Bolt differs quite a bit from the concept that bowed at the Detroit Auto Show last year, two things haven’t changed since then: 1) the price and 2) the 200-mile range. "It was less than a year ago that we revealed the Bolt EV concept and promised to deliver a long-range electric vehicle attainable by the masses," said General Motors CEO and Chairman Mary Barra. "The Bolt EV is capable of using the latest mobile app technology to enable car sharing, advanced GPS routing and...
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The electric vehicle wars are about to heat up, and it looks as though the next big fight will be between General Motors and Tesla Motors. Both companies are no stranger to electrified vehicles, but Tesla has by far been the poster child for the EV movement since the introduction of its highly acclaimed Model S. However, GM is looking to swing the momentum back in its favor with the release of the Chevrolet Bolt, which is already hitting the streets in prototype form. This is actually a pretty quick turnaround for GM, as the concept vehicle was first shown this January at the Detroit Auto Show, which means that development on the EV was well underway at that point. GM was kind enough to provide...
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The pony car wars are about to heat up again. Last year, Ford’s Mustang got a much-hyped complete redesign, bringing with it a new turbo-charged four-cylinder engine option, a revised 5.0-liter V8, all-new styling, and a fully independent rear suspension. This time around, it’s General Motors’ turn, with the unveiling of an all-new, sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. For starters, GM has put the vehicle on a massive diet, trimming 200 pounds from its curb weight. GM says that the weight savings allows for a “more nimble, responsive driving experience” and allows the new Camaro SS to turn in lower lap times (it must be some mythical track because the company didn’t take the time to state which...
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Ahhh… to be 16 again. Hormones are raging, you’re just getting into your grove in high school, and you get the keys to your first set of wheels. Turning 16 gave me newfound independence from my parents (which I abused, slightly, from time to time) and allowed this gearhead to cruise the streets knowing that while I wasn’t being watched like a hawk by mom and dad, it was up to me to make sure that I followed the rules of the road and didn’t end up with the front end of my car wrapped around a tree. General Motors is debuting a new system on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu that will put more than a little bit of control back into the hands of good ‘ol mom and dad. Teen Driver is meant to promote safe...
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General Motors raised more than a few eyebrows when it unveiled the quirky-looking Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle concept last month at the Detroit Auto show. In a world where most “affordable” EVs have a driving range of around 80 to 90 miles before they must be recharged; an EV for the “everyman” that can travel 200 miles on a charge was music to the ears of many people. Well, GM today committed to the production of the Bolt, although an exact production start date and on-sale date wasn’t provided. The vehicle will be produced at GM’s Orion Assembly facility, which is located just outside of Detroit, Michigan. “The message from consumers about the Bolt EV concept was clear and unequivocal:...
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General Motors is stepping up it game in the electric car arena with its second generation Chevrolet Volt, and it’s also adding some enhancements to make what’s already a pretty solid commuter vehicle even better this time around. The original Volt combines the best of both worlds by giving drivers the ability to travel 38 miles on battery power alone before the gasoline engine kicks in — the 2016 Chevy Volt extends that all-electric range to an even more impressive 50 miles. To hit the 50-mile mark, the lithium-ion battery pack was increased in capacity from 17.1 kWh (2015 model) to 18.4 kWh. In addition, the battery pack’s weight has been reduced by more than 20 pounds, dropping from 288 total...
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It was revealed in early October that General Motors was planning to release an electric vehicle with a 200-mile range. According to the Automotive News’ sources at the time, the vehicle will be based on the current generation Chevrolet Sonic, which was first introduced in the U.S. market back in 2011 as a 2012 model. The Wall Street Journal is now giving us a few more details on the upcoming EV, which will bill called the Chevrolet Bolt when it debuts in 2017. An additional detail gleamed from the report is that the vehicle will be styled to look more like a crossover and that a concept version of the vehicle will debut on Monday at the Detroit Auto Show.The Chevrolet Spark EV is about to receive...
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“Just a moment. Just a moment. I've just picked up a fault in the AE-35 unit. It's going to go 100% failure in 72 hours.” General Motors’ latest technology, which will find its way into future Chevrolet vehicles, has us thinking back to 2001: A Space Odyssey. While we doubt that the computers in future GM vehicles will go off on a murderous rampage, they will be able to detect faults in a limited number of components and alert the driver when they are near failure. GM is using what it calls “predictive technology” to constantly monitor the status of three important components: the battery, the fuel pump, and the starter motor. Additional critical components will be added to the program in...
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