2014 Chevrolet Impala Ls on 2040-cars

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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.

Chevy Tahoe-to-K5 Blazer conversion shop renders Jimmy option

Back in 2019 we told you about a truck that looked like a K5 Chevy Blazer, but was actually a modern late-model Tahoe underneath. It was the product of Arkansas shop Flat Out Autos, which reskinned modern GM full-size SUVs to look like their predecessors. Now, the same shop is planning to release a GMC version, converting Yukons to Jimmys. We were impressed by Flat Out's workmanship, beautifully blending the lines of the Blazer into those of the Tahoe. The result was a cohesive design, not just a panel swap. It clearly required a lot of work, which helped justify the $69,000 price tag, not including the cost of the donor Tahoe. FlatOut Autos GMC Blazer Tahoe reskin 01 View 11 Photos At least one new owner was so impressed that they recently purchased four identical Blazer conversions at once. The quadruplets were all finished in blue with a white roof and all based on brand-new 2020 Tahoes. Obviously, with such demand it was only natural for Flat Out to explore other options. On Facebook the company said it was working on a 1972 version with an eggcrate grille. Now, they've also released a rendering paying homage to the K5 GMC Jimmy. The Jimmy conversion uses the original's quad-headlight face, crosshair grille and GMC badging. Like the Blazer conversion, it adds chrome bumpers and milled door handles while adapting the original's 2-door design to the new truck's 4-door body. The rendering only shows the front three-quarter view, but presumably a new carbon fiber rear door would have to be created as the Blazer's says "Chevrolet" across the back. Flat Out says that all the modern conveniences found on the donor Tahoe will work on the conversion, including parking, blind spot and lane keeping sensors. If you have the coin, it's a great way to have retro style without giving up modern safety and performance. The new Blazer has been disappointing to many fans that had hoped for a Bronco-like SUV. Instead, GM gave us a crossover. The Flat Out conversions might be a good compromise, and expanding it to the GMC brand only makes sense. Obviously there's no requirement to use a GMC Yukon as the donor vehicle for the Jimmy, as it's functionally identical to a Tahoe, but wouldn't you want to keep it in the family? Related Video:

Here's the 2016 Chevy Camaro Convertible

Chevrolet is planning to reveal the 2016 Camaro Convertible on Wednesday, June 24. But here it is ahead of time, thanks to some leaked images found by the folks at Camaro6.com. These photos were apparently posted to Chevy's website and then immediately taken down. But they clearly show the new droptop Camaro from a number of angles, with the top both up and down. Not surprisingly, the Camaro's design hasn't changed for the convertible body style, and it looks pretty good. Have a look at the low-res images in the gallery above. We'll have the full details later this week.