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Chevy Express 1500, GMC Savana 1500 get the axe

Fans of truck-based, light-duty vans can officially pour one out for the Chevrolet Express 1500 and GMC Savana 1500, as General Motors has officially put its long-serving big/little rigs out to pasture. Things aren't quite as sad as they sound, though. The heavier-duty 2500 and 3500 vans will soldier on, in order to duke it out with the largest members of Ram ProMaster, Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter families.
The move does seem to make a lot of sense. According to GM, customers only purchase the 1500-spec Chevrolet 23 percent of the time, while the GMC captures a mere 7 percent of the Savana family's sales. With numbers like that, it's no shock that GM thinks it can shift some of its buyers into its van family's more capable variants. "We knew we could move a lot of our 1500 customers into 2500-series territory," said GM's Joe Langhauser, the product manager for the company's full-size vans.
It's not just simple sales figures dictating the move, though. The 1500 line is taking up some valuable factory space that will be better spent on an eagerly anticipated new product.

GM crab walked the Hummer EV truck up and down Woodward this weekend

Sometimes, manufacturers like to show off their fancy new wares at the Woodward Dream Cruise. It’s largely done through static showcases with big displays for the public to gawk at. However, GM did something a little different with its GMC Hummer EV truck this year. Instead of parking it at the Chevy and GM display area, it took to Woodward Avenue itself to show off the Hummer in pre-production form. Not only did GM drive the electric truck on the road in front of thousands, but it crab walked the whole way. This was our first time, and probably most of the publicÂ’s first time seeing the Hummer EV crab mode in person. Judging from the crowdÂ’s reaction (GM got its wish of everybody paying attention), folks are impressed, and maybe a bit confused at the HummerÂ’s sideways movements.  ItÂ’s a strange spectacle to see in person. At first, the truck appears as though itÂ’s sliding sideways on ice in a smooth, graceful slide. ThatÂ’s because even though the wheels are turned, the front of the truck is still pointing dead straight ahead. The GM employee behind the wheel of the prototype appeared to be moving forward at about 5-10 mph — it appears shockingly quick in person for the way this behemoth of a truck presents itself. The tech making it work is rather simple in concept. GM simply took existing rear-wheel steering technology, then amplified and modified it for this type of movement. Whereas most cars with rear-wheel steering max out at around 5 degrees of lock with the rear wheels, this Hummer can turn the wheels up to 10 degrees. Turn the wheel left or right in crab mode, and the Hummer moves diagonally down the street. If you use it for its intended purpose, crab mode is meant to help you navigate the Hummer through trails it might otherwise be too big to fit through using regular steering. In reality, we suspect most folks might use crab mode in the exact same fashion as GM did this past weekend: to impress people. And honestly, we canÂ’t blame them. It was a seriously cool sight to see. Crab mode in action: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvo and GM team with Amazon for in-car deliveries

Volvo and GM are the first automakers to pair their vehicles with a new service from Amazon that lets owners have their packages delivered inside their cars, without them having to be there. The service will initially be rolled out in 37 U.S. cities at no extra charge to Amazon Prime members with a Volvo On Call or OnStar account, and it works with same-day, two-day and standard shipping. It's intended as an alternative for people who don't want to risk having their package stolen from their front porch or receive deliveries at their workplace, and both automakers say it's an example of how they're embracing innovation as a way to make their customers' lives easier. Volvo released a video (above) showing how the service works. Users download the Amazon Key App (or " Ama-zin," as the narrator pronounces it) and link their Amazon Prime account with their Volvo On Call account — or OnStar, in the case of GM-branded vehicles. Once they register their delivery location in a publicly accessible location, users can select the "In-Car" option at checkout. They get a notification when the delivery is en route and once it's completed and the car is relocked. Volvo has been offering in-car delivery in certain European countries since 2015 through its Volvo On Call platform, which enables services like the ability to send calendar-based navigation destinations directly to the vehicle, find nearby gas stations and help locate the vehicle when you forget where you parked it. Volvo says the platform is now available in roughly 50 countries and covers more than 90 percent of its global sales. The service is compatible with 2015 or newer Volvo, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles. Volvo says it's available to the majority of Volvo owners, while GM says more than 7 million vehicle owners can qualify. The service is expected to roll out to more cities later. You can check eligibility at amazon.com/keyincar. Related Video: Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Volvo Technology Infotainment Amazon connected car volvo on call e-commerce