2018 Gmc Sierra 1500 K1500 Denali on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC's electric Hummer could someday serve alongside the Humvee in the U.S. Army

Every civilian Hummer model traces its roots to AM General's Humvee, which made its combat debut when the United States invaded Panama in 1989. Fast forward to the 2020s, and the tables have turned. The born-again Hummer that will arrive with an electric powertrain and a GMC emblem could spawn a military-spec truck. "[The upcoming Hummer] is a full-size truck with 400 miles of range and 1,000 pound-feet of torque, it's a very highly capable vehicle. That could provide a great base platform for an electric vehicle to be used in the military context," said David Albritton, the president of General Motors Defense, in an interview with GM Authority. Although he didn't sketch out the Hummer's role in a battalion, its range, torque, and dimensions would theoretically make it well-suited to carrying soldiers, weapons, and/or gear like radio equipment. It wouldn't necessarily look like the production model (shown above in a preview image). General Motors Defense might use its basic platform and its powertrain technology to build a purpose-designed off-roader, like it did with the Colorado Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) it will soon begin manufacturing for the Army. The ISV shares 90% of its parts with the regular-production Chevrolet Colorado, but the two vehicles look nothing alike. Securing a contract with the American military is easier said than done, and Army officials haven't publicly expressed an interest in sending the upcoming Hummer into a war zone. We'll learn more about what a battle-ready electric truck could look like after the showroom-bound model makes its debut. In the meantime, Humvee production continues, and AM General introduced a comprehensively updated model named NXT 360 in 2018. Related Video:     Green GMC Hummer Truck Electric Military

GM to idle car production at five factories as Americans continue CUV love affair

In case you needed another reminder that Americans have fallen out of love with sedans, General Motors today announced plans to idle five factories in January in a bid to cut its inventory to 70 days. Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly ( Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Volt and Impala) and Fairfax Assembly in Kansas ( Chevy Malibu) will stop production for three weeks. Lansing Grand River ( Cadillac ATS and CTS, and Chevy Camaro) is going down for two weeks, while Lordstown, OH ( Chevy Cruze) and Bowling Green, KY ( Chevy Corvette) will go idle for a week each, Automotive News reports. GM's shutdown reflects a broader problem with the company's supply – at 847,000 vehicles, the company's supply increased unsteadily from a low of 629,000 units in January of 2016. That's more than a 25 percent increase in the past year. Citing information from Autodata, The Detroit News reports that at the end of November, GM had a 168-day supply of LaCrosses, 177 days' worth of Camaro, 170 days of Corvette, 121 days for Cruze, 119 days for ATS, 132 days for CTS, and 110 days of CT6. Meanwhile, inventory of the company's more popular vehicles is actually below the professionally accepted 60- to 70-day supply, The News reports. The Trax, Colorado pickup, and GM's full-size SUVs are sitting below 50 days and experiencing year-over-year sales increases. GM needs a rethink of its inventory levels, which is something that's apparently coming. "We're going to be responsible in managing our inventory levels," GM spokesman Jim Cain told The News. Another unnamed spokesman told Automotive News the company's day-to-day supplies would "fluctuate before moderating at year-end." But at least one analyst thinks this won't be the last time Detroit needs to stop production to level things out. "Incentives are elevated, residuals are declining, and rates are rising," Brian Johnson, an analyst with Barclays, told The News. "And while GM in particular may benefit in the months ahead from new product launches, it's important to recognize that GM's inventory is elevated at the moment, and it wouldn't surprise us if they need to announce another production cut – which could pressure the stock." Related Video: News Source: The Detroit News, Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Plants/Manufacturing Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Crossover SUV Sedan bowling green cadillac xt6 fairfax

Google Earth helps sheriff's department find stolen car [w/video]

A stolen-vehicle case opened back in March was recently solved with the help of a property owner using Google Earth, a virtual globe and mapping service similar to Google Maps, ABC News reports. The man, who remains anonymous, found the stolen GMC Yukon while he was surveying his property in George County, Mississippi, using the map service and, judging by the top-down satellite image, thought he found a "shooting house" on his hunting grounds.
When he drove out to the suspicious structure, he realized it actually was a sport utility vehicle wedged in thick brush about 70 yards from the nearest road, so he called the police.
Law enforcement officers had arrested a female suspect in the case earlier based on eyewitness accounts, but didn't prosecute her because the stolen SUV hadn't been found. Ben Brown, a lieutenant detective with the George County Sheriff's Department, says that he ran the plates and confirmed the SUV was the stolen vehicle the department had been looking for.