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GM crab walked the Hummer EV truck up and down Woodward this weekend

Sometimes, manufacturers like to show off their fancy new wares at the Woodward Dream Cruise. It’s largely done through static showcases with big displays for the public to gawk at. However, GM did something a little different with its GMC Hummer EV truck this year. Instead of parking it at the Chevy and GM display area, it took to Woodward Avenue itself to show off the Hummer in pre-production form. Not only did GM drive the electric truck on the road in front of thousands, but it crab walked the whole way. This was our first time, and probably most of the publicÂ’s first time seeing the Hummer EV crab mode in person. Judging from the crowdÂ’s reaction (GM got its wish of everybody paying attention), folks are impressed, and maybe a bit confused at the HummerÂ’s sideways movements.  ItÂ’s a strange spectacle to see in person. At first, the truck appears as though itÂ’s sliding sideways on ice in a smooth, graceful slide. ThatÂ’s because even though the wheels are turned, the front of the truck is still pointing dead straight ahead. The GM employee behind the wheel of the prototype appeared to be moving forward at about 5-10 mph — it appears shockingly quick in person for the way this behemoth of a truck presents itself. The tech making it work is rather simple in concept. GM simply took existing rear-wheel steering technology, then amplified and modified it for this type of movement. Whereas most cars with rear-wheel steering max out at around 5 degrees of lock with the rear wheels, this Hummer can turn the wheels up to 10 degrees. Turn the wheel left or right in crab mode, and the Hummer moves diagonally down the street. If you use it for its intended purpose, crab mode is meant to help you navigate the Hummer through trails it might otherwise be too big to fit through using regular steering. In reality, we suspect most folks might use crab mode in the exact same fashion as GM did this past weekend: to impress people. And honestly, we canÂ’t blame them. It was a seriously cool sight to see. Crab mode in action: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

How the Ram Multifunction Tailgate compares to Ford, GMC, Honda

Ram just announced its Multifunction Tailgate — a descriptive if not very creative name. It's an asymmetrical barn-door arrangement, which can both fold down like a conventional tailgate or swing open like a gate. There's a new bed step, but unlike Ford or GM, the step isn't part of the tailgate itself. Rather, it kicks out from under the bumper (as opposed to out from under the driver's side of the rear bumper in its previous incarnation). So let's just focus on the tailgate functionality. A video of the Ram Multifunction Tailgate in action is above. For one, either of the swinging tailgate sections can be opened independently. They open to a full 88 degrees. In conventional flip-down mode, the tailgate works just like a normal one, too, with a 2,000-pound rating. The bottom line is that while it gives a variety of types of access to the load area, it doesn't "do" anything else. It's a $995 option on any Ram 1500. Its closest analogue is the Honda Ridgeline, which works basically the same way, but on that truck the tailgate swings as one piece. And the Honda's load rating isn't as hefty as the Ram's tailgate: 300 pounds. As Honda says, that's sufficient to hold the weight of the part of an ATV hanging out of the bed, or something similar, but it's a lighter-duty unit (and a lighter-duty truck) than the Ram's overall. Let's also get Ford's one-trick tailgate out of the way before comparing to the more analogous, and complicated, GM MultiPro. A bit of trivia: Ford's optional Tailgate Step is actually designed and supplied by Multimatic, better known as the outfit that builds the Ford GT and produces the DSSV spool-valve shocks. This step has been available for years. It pulls out of the top edge of the tailgate when the tailgate is lowered, deploying a single step. A separate handle pulls out from beside the step and flips up, giving a handhold. While it was initially (and infamously) mocked by competitors, with load floor heights as high as they are it's better than toting around a stepstool. It's currently a $375 standalone option. Now we get to the GMC MultiPro tailgate, the most complicated and multi-functioned around. It's essentially a tailgate within a tailgate, with a fold-out stopper that deploys from the inner tailgate. This gives it several functions depending on the position of all the parts. It can still be used like a normal tailgate, dropping down at the push of a button or using the key fob.

GM invests $24 million to build more crew cab trucks in Fort Wayne

The full-size pickup truck arms race continues unabated here in the United States as Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler battle back and forth for sales supremacy. The Ford F-Series of trucks continues to lead the field in sales (214,611 units sold through the first quarter of 2019), but the race for second place has been a lot more interesting to watch. That's because Ram, long a distant third in truck sales, eked its way past Chevrolet late in 2018 and has managed to hold the position so far in 2019. Don't take this to mean that sales of GM's trucks have been poor across the board. In fact, the automaker reports that sales of its four-door crew cab pickups are up 20 percent in 2019 over the same period a year ago. And that's what makes GM's announcement today so interesting. The automaker is investing $24 million into its assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana to build more Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, and the focus will continue to be on crew cab models. "We are building Chevrolet and GMC crew cab pickups at record volume and mix levels to meet customer demand and the $24 million investment will allow us to build even more," said GM chief Mary Barra in a statement. "Crew cab sales have been very strong, and we are expanding customer choice with new models, more cab choices and innovative new powertrains." It's worth noting that, if crew cab sales are up 20% this year, but overall sales are down (over 15% for Silverado and around 2% for GMC), that means it's the cheaper regular cab and double cab models that are lagging. At the same time, sales of the midsize Chevy Colorado have surged 16%. And finally, if you combine sales of the Silverado and Sierra into one bucket, GM still has a comfortable lead over Ram overall. If there's a takeaway here, it's that trucks of all shapes and sizes have been, currently are and will surely remain hot in America, and automakers will continue to invest money into making sure they are able to satiate consumer demand.