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Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.

Hummer officially returns as an EV with 1,000 hp in Super Bowl ad

Hummer, the iconic, controversial and long-dead truck and SUV maker, returned this Sunday in a Super Bowl ad that previewed its comeback under the GMC brand. General Motors announced the move and teased the vehicle with a series of clips (below) Thursday morning, confirming reports of Hummer's resurrection that have simmered for months. The bane of environmentalists in the early 2000s, Hummer is recast as an electric-only truck capable of a jaw-dropping 1,000 horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of torque (we believe this figure to be wheel torque) and a sprint to 60 mph in 3 seconds. “We came to play ball,” a spokesman deadpanned in an interview with Autoblog. Electric range was not revealed. The teaser shots show a grille that recalls old Hummer vehicles, though the look is updated with flashy lights. GM will build the reborn Hummer at the Detroit-Hamtramck factory in Michigan that was once thought to be set to close. It will be revealed May 20 at an event, possibly in Las Vegas. The truck will be available in fall 2021. “GMC builds premium and capable trucks and SUVs and the GMC HUMMER EV takes this to new heights,” Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick and GMC, said in a statement. “We are excited to debut our revolutionary zero-emissions truck during the biggest night in TV advertising.” The Super Bowl ad aired just before halftime in the United States and featured Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.  In a statement, he said: “Teaming up with GMC to introduce the Hummer EV is a natural fit. Everyone knows about my love for Hummer since high school and IÂ’m proud to be a part of announcing the new EV model. The truck may be quiet, but the performance numbers speak for themselves.” Hummer will take aim at a slew of electric truck and SUV makers, including Rivian, which announced Wednesday plans to help build LincolnÂ’s first electric vehicle in its partnership with Ford Motor Co. Hummer will also face off against the Tesla Cybertruck, BollingerÂ’s EVs and other competitors.    GM shuttered Hummer in 2010 after trying to sell the brand to Chinese investors as it shed units during its historic bankruptcy and restructuring.  With today's announcement, GM issued a truckload of videos on the new Hummer:    

Watch the 2022 GMC Hummer EV launch using its Watts to Freedom mode

It’s nearly the July Fourth weekend, and GM is celebrating Independence Day a little earlier than most. The celebration comes in the form of a GMC Hummer EV demonstrating Watts to Freedom, or WTF, mode for us on video. You can watch it at the top of this post, but the idea is rather simple. ItÂ’s just a video of a Hummer development vehicle accelerating as quickly as it can from 0-60 mph and beyond. GMC claims its 1,000-horsepower electric Hummer is capable of hitting the 0-60 mph mark in “approximately 3 seconds,” which is borderline terrifying for how large of a vehicle it is. The super-quick time is possible when using the Watts to Freedom launch control mode, which “channels the propulsion systemÂ’s tremendous power into acceleration bursts.” The truck will still be plenty fast when accelerating normally, but WTF mode is what you should use to unlock its full potential. GMCÂ’s video shows us the graphics it uses in the digital cluster to signal Watts to Freedom is activated, and the whole sequence looks like it leans on U.S. military themes for both design and phrasing. For example, GMC lets you know that Watts to Freedom is ready via an “Armed” message in the cluster.  The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV is a first-of-its kind supertruck develop View 40 Photos Instead of a rumbling exhaust and screeching tires, the Hummer appears to silently launch with all four tires grabbing on and catapulting the truck away. It looks quick as it throws all of the weight rearward into an accelerative squat. And in case you missed it, thatÂ’s a lot of weight — GMC says itÂ’ll tip the scale at 9,046 pounds. GMC has previously said that production will begin in late 2021, and this video continues to confirm that timeframe with a note saying “initial availability Fall 2021.” Do keep in mind that only the sold-out Launch Edition is coming at that time. Other cheaper variants will follow in the years to come. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. GMC Hummer EV reveal