2004 Hummer H2 on 2040-cars

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Hummer H2 burns to a crisp; now the owner won't need the hoarded gas

Here's your daily Autoblog public service announcement: Don't hoard gasoline, but if you do, absolutely do not let 20 gallons of it catch fire inside your 2004 Hummer H2. You might end up, as a Florida owner learned the hard way, with a very crispy Hummer. According to CBS affiliate WABI, in Citrus County Fire Rescue was called out to the scene at a Homosassa, Florida, Texaco station yesterday morning. The Hummer owner had just filled four five-gallon jerry cans' worth of fuel and placed them in the back of the vehicle. It's not clear what started the fire, but when emergency crews arrived the SUV was already, as the kids say, fire. The vehicle was a total loss. Photos show it completely singed and missing the hood and windows. One fender sat forlornly on the ground nearby. One injury was reported, but the individual refused to be taken to the hospital. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was called in to handle the fuel cleanup. There's been a run on gasoline across the eastern seaboard due to a shortage caused by Colonial Pipeline, one of the major refined petroleum pipelines on the East Coast. Due to lax cybersecurity measures, the company fell victim to a ransomware attack, which shut down its operations over the weekend. Hackers based in Russia demanded a payout of $5 million to release control of Colonial Pipeline's computer systems, and Colonial paid up and has since resumed operations. Between fires, fights and admonitions by politicians not to hoard — probably one of the few things Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Joe Biden agree on — that's probably good advice to follow. Gas stations should be resupplied in many affected areas within days. In Tampa, Florida, a third of the city's gas stations were out of fuel on Thursday. In Miami, outages stood at nearly 40% and growing as residents rapidly filled up their tanks. The outages would make sense if the largest U.S. gasoline pipeline served those cities. But it does not. South Florida is seeing the worst outages among areas not directly impacted by the line closure. "If you want a perfect case for where hoarding has made the situation what it is, that's southern Florida," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "They should not be having any issues at all - they get gasoline from a barge." Statewide, about a third of gas stations are out of product, according to GasBuddy.

Electric Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Bolt EUV and more GM electric cars are on the way

GM’s murky and somewhat secretive electric car plan is falling into place, as the company dumped a massive amount of information about whatÂ’s in the pipeline at an event at its Warren, Michigan campus today. New EVs are going to be popping up across the GM brand lineup, with new entries from Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick in progress. We also learned some big news about GMÂ’s new Ultium battery tech today, but check out this story for all of those nitty-gritty details. The electric vehicle onslaught will begin with the Cadillac Lyriq, an electric SUV thatÂ’s already been teased out. Naming it the Lyriq is the news today. No explanation for the name was provided, so weÂ’ll have to wait for April to learn more. GM didnÂ’t specifically say if the Lyriq would be launched at the NY Auto Show, but that show (assuming coronavirus doesnÂ’t cancel it) will begin on April 8 this year. Next up in the order of events is the GMC Hummer electric truck that we know will be launching on May 20. This truck will use GMÂ’s modular Ultium battery technology. However, the wait to buy a GMC Hummer will be a long one, as the truck isnÂ’t going to dive into production until fall 2021 at GMÂ’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant. GM revealed that its new modular Ultium batteries can be configured anywhere from a 50 kWh pack to a 200 kWh pack depending on the application. Range is estimated to be about 400 miles on the upper end with the largest battery pack, and GM continues to boast about a 0-60 mph acceleration time of three seconds. Charging estimates for the Ultium battery-equipped Hummer EV were also provided. GM says its truck platform will have 800-volt battery packs and be capable of 350 kW fast-charging. Time estimates werenÂ’t given, but those numbers suggest the truck will be a rapid charger. The Hummer truck on hand, which was the same that previously starred in GMC's Super Bowl spot, showed off removable roof panels that store in the frunk, as well as what appeared to be a version of GMC's Multi-Pro tailgate. It also featured sail panels on the sides, similar to those in front of the bed of the Chevy Avalanche. In addition to the Hummer, expect to see a couple Chevys launching. GM says the refreshed Bolt EV will be launched “in late 2020” with a refreshed interior and what appear to be thicker front seats.

GMC's Hummer EV will offer several powertrain options

General Motors confirmed plans to resurrect the Hummer nameplate on a GMC-badged electric pickup, and it's beginning to release details about the drivetrain that will power the model. Speaking to investors, company president Mark Reuss announced buyers will have at least three drivetrains to choose from at launch. The few specifications that have already been announced are impressive. GMC quoted a three-second sprint from zero to 60 mph, at least 1,000 horsepower, and 11,500 pound-feet of torque, though that latter figure undoubtedly corresponds to wheel torque rather than the powertrain's basic output. Most truck buyers don't need Lamborghini-rivaling acceleration, and they'd rather not pay for it, so GMC will also offer more basic versions of its Hummer. "When we go to market, we'll have one-, two-, and three-motor versions offering different ranges, different performance, and different price points to meet customers wherever they may be. If the customer wants a basic package, we'll have that. If the customer wants true off-road capability, and towing capability, we'll have that, too," Reuss said. He stopped short of revealing additional specifications about each configuration. While that sounds expensive to develop and certify, Reuss explained General Motors is keeping costs in check by making the Hummer's powertrain as modular as possible. He compared the platform to an ice cube tray. Its overall dimensions are fixed, but people can choose how many rows they fill with water. What he's likely alluding to is a scalable battery pack whose capacity can be increased or decreased by adding or removing cell packs. As for the motors, we're expecting the entry-level, rear-wheel drive Hummer will come standard with a single motor mounted over the rear axle. The mid-range variant will likely gain a second motor positioned over the front axle to deliver through-the-road all-wheel drive, and the range-topping trim will receive individual rear motors (though they won't be integrated into the wheels) for jaw-dropping performance, and improved off-road capacity.  Economies of scale will come into play, too. While the Hummer is the only electric off-roader whose launch has been confirmed by General Motors, Reuss stated the company's other brands will benefit from it, too. "We'll have a complete lineup of EVs, including the [Hummer EV] and its stablemates," he said.