2006 Hummer H2 on 2040-cars

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Why didn't GM recall fire-prone Hummers earlier?

As early as 2009, motorists reported fires in the Hummer H3. In a complaint filed that March with the regulatory agency in charge of vehicle safety, one motorist said they leaped into a smoldering vehicle and drove it away from gas pumps moments before it was engulfed in flames. Three months later, another motorist described how a fire spread from behind the glove box and consumed their H3. Dozens of car owners filed similar complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the six years that followed, detailing car fires of varying severity that originated in the HVAC systems of their Hummer H3s. But General Motors didn't issue a recall for any of the affected cars until last week, prompting fresh questions about how the company treats safety concerns in the wake of an ignition-switch flaw that went unaddressed for years and, at latest count, is responsible for killing at least 124 motorists. In recall documents filed with NHTSA last week, GM initially said it knew of three fires associated with the defect. Within hours, the company said it knew of 42 fires associated with the problem and three injuries sustained by vehicle occupants. A company spokesperson attributed the inconsistency to a "misstated" number in the original documents and that the higher number comes from NHTSA complaints, reports to GM and TREAD data. Beyond that discrepancy, the documents show General Motors, which has touted a revitalized attitude toward safety concerns since the ignition-switch recalls, did nothing upon determining there was a problem with the H3s. Prompted by two complaints the company received in September 2014, General Motors says it launched an internal investigation related to melting blowers in the HVAC system on December 8, 2014. In that investigation, the company says it confirmed a problem existed, finding that "mismatched electrical conductivity could result in overheating and melting of the blower motor connector module." But even with that conclusion, the company opted to close its internal investigation on April 29, 2015, without taking any action. It wasn't until NHTSA officials met with GM representatives in a meeting on June 18, 2015, that General Motors was prompted to reconsider.

How a New York cabby can get an MV-1 taxi for just $11k

AM General – the same company that's behind the Hummer – is making it easier for taxi drivers to buy one of its wheelchair accessible cabs in New York. Between the factory's own incentives and those offered by the city, the new MV-1 Empire Taxi can cost as little as $11,200. Unlike other vehicles that can be converted after production for handicapped mobility, the MV-1 is designed by AM General from the get-go as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Mobility Ventures LLC – the AM General subsidiary responsible for the MV-1 – displayed a yellow cab version at the New York Auto Show in 2012, and is now bringing it to market as the MV-1 Empire Taxi. Pricing has been announced, and it is rather competitive, to say the least. Mobility Ventures charges $33,000 for one of its wheelchair-accessibly taxis. But the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission is offering a $14,000 grant toward the purchase of a wheelchair-accessible cab, bringing the purchase price down to $19,000. Of course, the Commission will offer the same incentives towards the purchase of any wheelchair-accessible vehicle, but converting an existing van for the purpose generally costs a good $10-20k. So while a Nissan NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow, for example, might start at under $30k, add in the cost of mobility conversion and you're looking at a lot more – a solid $10k more, according to Mobility Ventures. If the $19k purchase price isn't enough to get New York cabbies on board, the manufacturer and the commission are offering further incentives for some customers. For every wheelchair-bound passenger a driver picks up, the city will pay the cabby 50 cents – that may not sound like a lot, but it adds up over time. What's more, Mobility Ventures will match the incentive for the first 25 customers who buy an MV-1 Empire Taxi, which combined can come to as much as $7,800 in payments over the course of a year. Work that into the equation and the end cost of the new Empire Taxi could come out to just $11,200. Mobility Ventures is working with other cities to offer similar incentives, with negotiations currently under way in Washington with the DC Taxi Commission. Mobility Ventures Unveils New "MV-1 Empire Taxi" for NYC - More Legroom and Luggage Space Than any Other Taxi or Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle - Innovative Program will Match TLC Payments to Drivers for Every Ride in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, Along with Special MV-1 Purchase Discounts NEW YORK, Jan.

Turn Out the Lights: Final Hummer H3 rolls off the line... for Avis

2010 Hummer H3 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Would the last one out the door please switch off the lights? The long strange trip that has been the Hummer brand is just about over for General Motors. The final ever production H3 rolled out of GM's Shreveport, Louisiana factory on Monday May 24, 2010 on its way to an Avis rental car outlet. As you may recall, GM had actually stopped assembling H3s in mid-2009 as it went through bankruptcy, but it resumed production recently in order to fill an 849 unit special order.
GM tried to sell the Hummer brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd but the deal ultimately fell apart last February. A subsequent offer from Raser Technologies also went nowhere. Now that production has ceased, 200 of the 900 remaining employees at Shreveport will be laid off by July and the rest of the Hummer staff back at headquarters in Detroit is either leaving or being reassigned.