1989 Chevrolet Corvette Base Hatchback 2-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Huge, pricey trucks haul jobs and profits for the Detroit Three

DECATUR, Texas — Mickey McMaster is on his 12th pickup truck. The 61-year old farm equipment dealer in Decatur, Texas, two weeks ago treated himself to a 2019 GMC Denali for around $69,000 — a reward for long hours at work. "For me this is the Cadillac of trucks, it's a real luxury vehicle," McMaster said. "I've worked my way up to afford a truck like this and it shows that I've earned it." McMaster is the kind of customer General Motors Co is banking on as it plans to add 1,000 jobs at a plant in Flint, Michigan that will build a new generation of its largest pickups. Demand from Texas and other heartland states for big pick-ups is providing a lifeline to many workers the No. 1 U.S. automaker is laying off at plants elsewhere. The Detroit Three automakers and thousands of their U.S. workers are counting on customers like McMaster to keep buying bigger and more luxurious pickup trucks even if overall U.S. vehicle demand weakens this year, as most analysts predict. At Flint, GM will build a new generation of its heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierras, including luxury models that are some of the most profitable vehicles on the planet. GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Ram division own the segment and are each doubling down with new or redesigned models launching this year. Sales of heavy-duty pickups in the United States have grown to more than 600,000 vehicles a year, up more than 20 percent since 2013, according to industry data. Prices for luxury models can easily top $70,000. GM on Tuesday celebrated the launch of a new generation of heavy-duty GMC and Chevrolet pickups at the assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, that is now building all such trucks for the company. At the same time that GM is laying off thousands of U.S. workers and planning to shutter five North American factories, Flint is hiring. The plant runs on three daily shifts, six days a week. As the new model's assembly system ramps up, the plant's capacity will increase by more than 25 percent, plant manager Mike Perez told Reuters. The Flint plant plans to add 1,000 workers, more than half of the 1,500 factory workers who have asked to transfer from plants GM has targeted for shutdown as part of CEO Mary Barra's restructuring plan. "We're bringing in 50 to 100 people every week," said Perez. Workers last week were still finishing the job of retooling the Flint factory to build the new heavy-duty trucks as part of a $1.5 billion investment project.

Buick Encore, Chevy Trax reportedly dead after 2022

The Buick Encore will not get an encore, and the Chevrolet Trax is dead in its tracks. Separate unverified reports say the two crossovers, which are essentially identical underneath the sheetmetal, will retire at the end of the 2022 model year without being directly replaced. Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website GM Authority wrote that production of the Encore and the Trax is scheduled to end in the third quarter of 2022. Both models are manufactured in Bupyeong-gu, South Korea, and General Motors will reportedly use the extra production capacity to build more examples of the Trailblazer, which outsold the Encore and the Trax combined by a significant margin in 2021. General Motors hasn't commented on the report, but we wouldn't be surprised if the end is indeed near for the Encore and the Trax. Buick released the Encore for the 2013 model year, and Chevrolet launched the Trax for 2015, but the model made its debut as the Opel Mokka in 2012. It's at the end of its life cycle, and sales figures reflect this: 20,072 units of the Encore were sold in America in 2021, a drop of 52% compared to 2020, while 42,590 examples of the Trax found a home, a 60% decline. It's further proof that Americans don't like small cars. Viewed in that light, the decision not to replace either crossover makes perfect sense. If the report is accurate, the Encore GX (which is not related to the Encore in any way) will enter the 2023 model year as Buick's entry-level model. The situation is a little more complicated at Chevrolet: The pocket-sized Spark is on its way out in 2022 as well, meaning that the Trailblazer will become the entry point into the range. It's a different story in Europe: Opel, which is now part of the Stellantis group, released the second-generation Mokka in June 2020.

Recharge Wrap-Up: LAPD gets Zero MMX, Chevy's new inverter, Hyundai Tucson's new powertrains

Some police in Los Angeles will be riding Zero MMX electric motorcycles on duty. The LAPD is adding the fully electric police/military all-terrain bikes to its patrol fleet. According to Officer Steve Carbajal of the department's off-road unit, "It costs less than 50 cents to charge compared to using gallons of gas, maintenance is simple, and the community appreciates how quiet they are." The electric bikes, with their lack of noise and a headlight the rider can turn off, also have the benefit of stealth, giving the officers what Carbajal calls "an added tactical advantage." The MMX also has swappable batteries, is designed for quick ignition and has power reserve capabilities so the rider won't be caught with a dead battery while chasing down a perp. Read more at Ride Apart. Remember when it seemed like we'd never run out of oil, and giving your buddy five bucks for gas was actually a worthwhile gesture? Drivers of classic cars in Detroit were able to fill up their tanks at gas prices corresponding to their model year, thanks to a promotion by Hagerty Insurance for National Collector Car Appreciation Day on July 11. That meant prices from 21 to 90 cents a gallon, as the cars that showed up ranged from the years 1929 to 1989. That's about as affordable as charging your EV. Head over to Autoweek for more details and some photos from the event. The next-generation Chevrolet Volt will likely benefit from a new inverter being developed by General Motors. GM is about two-thirds of the way through the development of the new inverter, which should be ready in January 2016. The inverter, which has a peak output of 55 kilowatts a continuous output of 33 kilowatts, will be adaptable for use in other GM vehicles. Chevrolet is working to reduce the Volt's production costs by $10,000 per vehicle, which should make it more affordable, and the new inverter could help reach that goal should it make its way into the car. Read more at Green Car Reports. Hyundai is likely planning some interesting powertrain changes for the 2016 Tucson, says Green Car Reports. Plug-in hybrid? Maybe. Diesel? Probably not. "We are covering the waterfront on all alternative fuel strategies, from standard hybrid, to plug-in, battery-electric, and fuel cell," says Hyundai's US Chief Dave Zuchowski.