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GMC Hummer EV could have had the Chevrolet Avalanche's Midgate

One of the many rumors swirling around the GMC Hummer EV claimed the truck would resurrect the Midgate inaugurated by the original Chevrolet Avalanche. Although we now know there's no way to fully knock down the partition between the cab and the cargo box, the firm revealed the rumor wasn't entirely false. "There was [a Midgate] early on. We opted for the functionality of the drop glass in the back. With the package layout and things like that, it was not advantageous to pursue that one. And, the five-foot bed was kind of the industry standard in regards to price of entry in that segment," explained John Mack, the Hummer's exterior design management, during an interview with Muscle Car & Trucks. The Hummer will go on sale with a five-foot box, and it doesn't sound like a longer bed will be available, so a modern version of the Midgate would have made the model more versatile by giving users the ability to fold down the partition behind the rear seats to carry bulky items, like plywood and ATVs. It's a feature that would have inevitably made the truck more complicated to build, however, because it adds moving parts that need to be sealed. Hinges, seals, and latches in turn add weight, and complexity almost always invites high manufacturing costs. As an electric pickup built with newly-developed components, the Hummer already has enough of each. Motorists who need to carry something that's significantly longer than the cargo box aren't entirely out of luck. As Mack pointed out, the rear window drops into the partition, so owners will have the ability to haul surfboards, lumber, or anything else that's relatively long and reasonably thin by simply pushing a switch. Alternatively, the only thing limiting cargo space when the roof comes off is the sky — or, depending on where you live, bridges. Mack didn't reveal when the Midgate was dropped. GMC launched the Hummer project in April 2019, and it previously released early design sketches that show how the truck transitioned from a sketch to a prototype. As of writing, nothing suggests the Midgate will make a comeback in the near future on any member of the General Motors portfolio. It was introduced in 2001 on the first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche, which went on sale in the United States for the 2002 model year. It later spread to Cadillac's luxed-up variant of the truck, the Escalade EXT, and to the short-lived GMC Envoy XUV.

GM announces $7 billion Michigan factory investment, most going to EVs

GM announced a $7 billion investment in Michigan manufacturing, much of which is earmarked for EV production. Four sites are included, but the key elements are a new battery cell plant in Lansing and the conversion of GM's existing Orion Township facility to expand production of the forthcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV and its GMC Sierra sibling.  GM says it is the largest investment announcement in company history and that it will create 4,000 new jobs. It also says 1,000 jobs will be retained. "We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV," said GM CEO Mary Barra.  GM says the Orion expansion and new battery plant will support an increase in full-size electric truck production capacity to 600,000 units. This is in addition to the Factory ZERO facility in Detroit that will also be constructing the electric Silverado and Sierra.  The Orion Township factory current builds the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, and will continue to do so during the plant's conversion. GM did not indicate what will happen with the Bolts once that conversion is complete or whether all will continue to be built at Orion. They do not use the Ultium vehicle architecture. GM will build other EV models at three other factories that are under construction or being converted. They are located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Ingersoll, Ontario, and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM says that it will have the ability to produce 1 million electric vehicles by 2025. The Ultium Cells Lansing facility is a $2.6 billion joint investment by GM and LG Energy Solution. GM says it alone will create 1,700 jobs once fully operational by late 2024. It will join two other GM Ultium Cells battery factories currently under construction in the United States, one in Ohio and the other in Tennessee.  Not all of the $7 billion investment will be for EVs. It also announced $510 million of the total will go toward upgrading the Lansing Delta Township Assembly to produce the next-generation Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Money will also go to upgrading Lansing Grand River Assembly.

2020 GMC Acadia refresh brings a new engine, AT4 trim level

It's mid-cycle refresh time for the GMC Acadia, and the updated 2020 model kicks off its changes with a new face. It has a square-jawed grille seemingly pulled straight off the Sierra full-size pickup, and the size is amplified by the slender new LED headlights on either side. At the rear, the LED taillights are taller and more chiseled. A new AT4 trim level adds more visual distinction with black trim and wheels, plus all-terrain tires to make it a little more capable off road. The AT4 also boasts standard all-wheel drive. Under the revised skin, the Acadia hides one of two carryover engines, or a new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4. This new engine makes 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque with the help of a twin-scroll turbocharger. To make it more frugal, it's able to deactivate two of its four cylinders. The turbo engine is standard issue on the SLT and Denali trim levels. The carryover engines include a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder making 193 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, and a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 making 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. The V6 is standard equipment on the AT4 trim. No matter the engine, all 2020 Acadias get a 9-speed automatic transmission. The new transmission also ditches the current Acadia's mechanical shift lever in favor of an electronic shifter with the Terrain's mix of buttons and triggers. It does free up space between the seats, but the button arrangement is still as strange as it was when we first saw it in the smaller crossover. There are a handful of other little upgrades to mention. The suspension has been revised for greater comfort; the infotainment has been revised with a bigger screen, USB-C inputs and customizable profiles; and wireless phone charging is now an option. The updated Acadia goes on sale this fall, and pricing will probably be announced close to launch.