1996 Hummer H1 Utility Truck on 2040-cars

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Big electric trucks won't save the planet, says the NYT

When The New York Times decides that an issue is an issue, be prepared to read about it at length. Rarely will a week passes these days when the esteemed news organization doesn’t examine the realities, myths and alleged benefits and drawbacks of electric vehicles, and even The Atlantic joins in sometimes. That revolution, marked by changes in manufacturing, consumer habits and social “consciousness,” may in fact be upon us. Or it may not. Nonetheless, the newspaper appears committed to presenting to the public these pros and cons. In this recently published article titled, “Just How Good for the Planet Is That Big Electric Pickup Truck?”—wow, thatÂ’s a mouthful — the Times focuses on the “bigness” of the current and pending crop of EVs, and how that impacts or will impact the environment and road safety. This is not what news organizations these days are fond of calling “breaking news.” In October, we pointed to an essay in The Atlantic that covered pretty much the same ground, and focused on the Hummer as one particular villain, In the paper and online on Feb. 18, the Times' Elana Shao observes how “swapping a gas pickup truck for a similar electric one can produce significant emissions savings.” She goes on: “Take the Ford F-150 pickup truck compared with the electric F-150 Lightning. The electric versions are responsible for up to 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions per mile.” But she right away flips the argument, noting the heavier electric pickup trucks “often require bigger batteries and more electricity to charge, so they end up being responsible for more emissions than other smaller EVs. Taking into consideration the life cycle emissions per mile, they end up just as polluting as some smaller gas-burning cars.” Certainly, itÂ’s been drummed into our heads that electric cars donÂ’t run on air and water but on electricity that costs money, and that the public will be dealing with “the shift toward electric SUVs, pickup trucks and crossover vehicles, with some analysts estimating that SUVs, pickup trucks and vans could make up 78 percent of vehicle sales by 2025." No-brainer alert: Big vehicles cost more to charge. And then thereÂ’s the safety question, which was cogently addressed in the Atlantic story. Here Shao reiterates data documenting the increased risks of injuries and deaths caused by larger, heavier vehicles.

2022 GMC Hummer EV Drivers' Notes: We can't stop talking about Crab Walk

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup defies reason and sense in most ways. It’s a pickup that weighs over 9,000 pounds, but will do the 0-60 mph sprint in around 3.0 seconds. That sounds like something to be afraid of, but itÂ’s also something you want to experience. ItÂ’s a feat of engineering to make something so heavy move so quickly, but thatÂ’s what the EV revolution has brought upon us. GMC gets the Hummer up and moving as quickly as it does with three electric motors — one in front and two in the rear — that combine for a nutty 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque. All of that power is unleashed in Watts To Freedom (WTF) mode. Your seat starts rumbling; the air suspension lowers you to the ground, and an electrifying soundtrack is played over the speakers to match your throttle applications. Launching this supertruck is an event every single time, but due to its extra-high ride height and off-road chops, sending it down your favorite trail is, too. That is, assuming said trail is wide enough to fit the gargantuan Hummer. Those knobby all-terrain tires keep the Hummer from being even mildly entertaining when you explore the truckÂ’s handling Â… but who cares. Our specific tester is an Edition 1 model, which means it comes fully loaded with every option you can imagine. As such, its price is $110,295. For the amount of performance and capability on display here, that number sounds surprisingly right. ItÂ’s also befitting the HummerÂ’s status as a supertruck, wherein you get everything youÂ’d ever want in one go-anywhere do-anything package. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — The Hummer EV is the biggest rock star vehicle IÂ’ve tested in quite some time. Literally. ItÂ’s huge and attracts a ton of deserved attention. The Hummer design is spot-on, especially the grille, lights and flared fenders. It looks the part. For $110,000, it should also have some substance, and this Edition 1 delivers Super Cruise, Watts to Freedom and CrabWalk, not to mention GMCÂ’s MultiPro tailgate and the removable Sky Panel roof. It feels quick, as you would expect something with 1,000 hp to feel, and itÂ’s shockingly maneuverable. I CrabWalked down my street to show off, navigating around things on the diagonal and amusing the neighbors. Just the regular four-wheel-steering function, which functions similar to those offered by various other cars, allows the Hummer to turn easily and confidently.

Texas sues GM, saying it tricked customers into sharing driving data sold to insurers

Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday against GM over years of alleged abuse of customers' data and trust. New car owners were presented with a "confusing and highly misleading" process that was implied to be for their safety, but "was no more than a deceptively designed sales flow" that surrendered their data for GM to sell. The suit contends that at no point was selling driving data ever even suggested as a possibility, putting GM in violation of the state's consumer protection laws. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking a jury trial and at least $10,000 per offense (every GM car sold in the state since 2015) and a hefty add-on of $250,000 in cases where the victim was over 65. Texas seems to be flying high after a recent $1.4 billion settlement from Meta over other privacy concerns. This may well be a way to solve any pending budgetary issues in the Lone Star State.