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2019 GMC Sierra carbon fiber bed: How it's made

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The redesigned 2019 GMC Sierra has some pretty nifty features, and the one that has had the most attention is the MultiPro flipping and folding tailgate. But the Sierra also features the first-of-its-kind carbon fiber truck bed. It's interesting, of course, for its capabilities, such as being 62 pounds lighter than the all-steel box. It even adds more cargo volume since the material can be assembled and shaped differently from steel. As it turns out, the assembly process is cool, too, which we learned when GMC invited us to see the beds being made. Every GMC carbon fiber bed starts out as perfectly flat sheets of thermoplastic carbon fiber. The sheets consist of a mix of fibers and resins, a bit like the molded carbon fiber parts Lamborghini uses. The sheets are manufactured by Japanese company Teijin, which collaborated with GMC to develop the bed. They're all delivered to Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) in Fort Wayne, Ind., for construction into the actual bed. The company, a subsidiary of Teijin, makes a wide variety of composite and plastic parts for the car industry, including body panels for the C7 Chevy Corvette. The rectangular sheets are cut to shape and stacked up at a giant stamping press. Robots pick up sheets and slide them onto a conveyor that goes into a large oven. The heat softens the parts so they can be stamped. The large primary bed parts such as the base are stamped by CSP's enormous 3,600-ton press, and the smaller ones go through a 1,000-ton press. Each press can do different parts using different stamping dies, and CSP switches between dies to produce different batches of parts. After stamping, the parts roll out mostly ready for assembly, but there are rough edges that are trimmed off by water-jet cutters. These cutting machines also create holes for fasteners and for parts such as tie-down hooks and lights. The stamping process also provides the carbon fiber bed with a unique Easter egg. On the bottom of the base of the bed, there are two words: "Connors Way." This is a tribute to Tim Connors, who was the chief engineer of manufacturing at GM and a strong proponent of the carbon fiber bed. He was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash a few years ago. The words were added to honor him, and they were fortunately approved for production. There are some components to the bed that aren't stamped from the flat sheets of material.

2023 GMC Sierra prices up, start at $38,995 for Sierra Pro Regular Cab

It was only 90 days ago that GM Authority, typically a reliable source in these matters, reported on pricing for the 2023 GMC Sierra lineup before official numbers were released. Those early figures were apparently just placeholders. Now that GMC's uploaded the full 2023 configurator for the 2023 Sierra, not only are MSRPs higher except on the base trim, the destination charge has risen from $1,795 to $1,895. The sticker prices including destination and their changes from those late August sums are: Sierra Pro Regular Cab Standard Box 2WD Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B $38,995 ($1,025 less) SLE Double Cab Std Box 2WD Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B $52,095 ($1,100) Elevation Double Cab 2WD Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B $53,795 ($1,200) SLT Crew Cab Short Box 2WD 5.3L V8 L84 $57,795 ($1,300) AT4 Crew Cab Short Box 4WD Turbo-diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 $68,595 ($1,495) AT4X Crew Cab Short Box 4WD 6.2L V8 L87 $83,595 ($3,395) Denali Crew Cab Short Box 2WD 5.3L V8 L84 $67,595 ($1,095) Denali Ultimate Crew Cab Short Box 4WD Turbo-diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 $82,940 ($745) The Sierra's price bumps ranging from $745 to $3,395 come in tandem with the prices of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado going up anywhere from $800 to $1,800. The $3,395 MSRP boost on the Sierra AT4X skews the price curve because of extra equipment. GMA reported in July that the standard AT4X would inherit parts from the Sierra ATVX AEV created in collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles. That's what's happened. A revised grille with gloss black and dark nickel trim, AEV front and rear bumpers with increased approach and departure angles, a hot-stamped hardened steel front skid plate inflate the cost and give the ATX4 a little more capability off-road. The equipment list also narrows the gap from the regular AT4X to the AT4X AEV, the latter going just a bit further with four more skid plates, AEV's Salta wheels, and a smattering of black trim around the body. We're still waiting for official pricing on the AT4X AEV. The image above shows shows how similar both trucks will look when the AEV arrives, with the standard AT4X on the left, the AT4X AEV on the right. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The biggest gas-guzzlers of 2024: 'The Meanest List' is the opposite of greenest cars

In some circles — especially some automotive circles — bigger is better. This explains the Hummer, for example. In its so-called “Meanest List” of a dozen models, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) makes no apologies for berating “the worst-performing mass market automobiles” sold in 2024 in the U.S. The most diminutive car on the list is a Chevy Corvette Z06. At the top of this particular heap is the Mercedes-Benz AMG G63, a gas-powered SUV that the environmental agency says was “the worst-performing vehicle of the more than 1,200 models assessed by Greener Cars and has an annual fuel cost over $4,000.” Not to mention its MSRP of around $184,000. Rank Make & Model Powertrain Green Score MSRP Estimated Annual Fuel Cost* 1 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 Gas 20 $184,000 $4,242 2 Ram 1500 TRX 4x4 Gas 22 $98,335 $3,819 3 Ford F150 Raptor R Gas 24 $79,975 $3,777 4 Cadillac Escalade V Gas 26 $152,295 $3,388 5 Dodge Durango SRT Gas 26 $74,995 $3,332 6 Jeep Wrangler 4dr 4X4 Gas 27 $35,895 $3,260 7 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 Gas 28 $91,945 $3,058 8 Mercedes-Benz G550 Gas 28 $143,000 $3,186 9 GMC Hummer EV SUV EV 29 $98,845 $1,746 10 GMC Sierra Gas 29 $37,700 $3,069 11 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Gas 30 $114,395 $3,169 12 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680 Gas 30 $234,300 $3,031 *ACEEE analysis using EIA data of the annual cost of driving 15,000 miles In terms of numbers, the dirty dozen of the meanest includes seven SUVs and three trucks. Lonely at the middle of the list is the sole electric, the GMC Hummer EV, which weighs in at 9,000 pounds. The council notes that “though EVs have lower emissions than similarly sized gasoline models, the Hummer demonstrates that size and efficiency, not just fuel source, are important factors in a carÂ’s environmental impact.” ItÂ’s also worth reminding prospective buyers that the average fuel cost of a vehicle on the “Greenest List” eats up only a fifth of the fuel cost of a vehicle on the Meanest List, “showing that greener options can also be more affordable.” The ACEEE also put out a "Greener List" of efficient gasoline and hybrid cars that don't require plugging in.  By the Numbers Green Cadillac Chevrolet Dodge Ford GMC Hummer Jeep Maybach Mercedes-Benz RAM Emissions Fuel Efficiency Green Automakers Truck SUV Electric Hybrid