GMC drops hints about electric Hummer pickup with help from LeBron James
GMC will reveal details of its eagerly awaited Hummer electric sport truck later this year, when the 1,000-horsepower four-door pickup is officially unveiled, but the automaker dropped hints recently about features like “crab mode” and “adrenaline mode.”
And a brief video narrated by NBA superstar – and former Hummer H2 owner – LeBron James shows outlines of the pickup and an electric SUV Hummer will build alongside it.
“Evolving, imagining, seeing the world not as it is but how it could be,” James narrates as the video shows workers developing the new Hummer. “That’s how true greatness is realized. That is how you change the world.”
GMC will begin taking reservations for the electric pickup, which promises to deliver extreme performance on and off-road, at an unspecified date between now and the end of 2020. Production begins in fall 2021 at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which is being converted to build exclusively electric vehicles.
The unveiling – which will provide the first detailed look at a crew cab pickup with looks that recall popular, but controversial Hummer SUVs of the early 2000s – will take place sometime before the end of 2020. GMC will show the SUV later, closer to when it will go into production.
GMC says the pickup should have a range of about 400 miles. Features will include the latest version of GM’s Super Cruise system for hands free highway driving. GMC’s clearly looking to steal some of Tesla’s thunder with terms like crab mode and adrenaline mode to compete with the EV-only startup’s “insane mode” for maximum performance.
GMC’s not providing any details, but it’s safe to assume:
Crab mode will maximize the Hummer’s maneuverability and off-road ability, using its multiple electric motors to give all four wheels tailored traction.
Adrenaline mode is likely to be for on-road performance, including the 3-second 0-60 mph sprint GMC promised earlier this year.
The brief video teases other features that will presumably be explained when GMC shows the vehicle:
■ Super fast-charging
■ Ultravision cameras
■ Infinity roof
■ Modular sky panels
Q: I have always been told that tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. Now I just saw an article that said to rotate them “only if needed.” Is that correct? Is it OK to not rotate them if they appear to be wearing evenly? – T.M., Bemidji, Minn.
A: I used to suggest rotating tires at every second oil change. The 3,000-mile oil changes are gone, but rotation every 7,000 to 8,000 miles is still good. The plan is to have all four tires wear at the same rate and get replaced at the same time. If your car has different size tires on the front and rear, do not rotate. Is your car a Corvette ZO6? If so, the front tires are 19-inch diameter and the rears are 20-inch.
Q: Being a very frugal person, I switched from 4/40 to air-conditioning years ago when I learned that driving with windows open ruins the aerodynamics of an automobile and reduces gas mileage dramatically. Plus, the noise with windows open is hard to live with. – M.H., Chicago
A: You confirm with what I said in this column a couple weeks ago.
Q: Your response about keeping the windows open may not save gas. My 2011 Honda Fit loses as much as 10% when I run the A/C. A Honda Fit only has about 125 HP so A/C drag is more significant for small cars. – R.A., Minneapolis
A: To every rule, there is an exception. I need to research this in greater detail.
Q: You recently wrote that Americans have a fetish for frequent oil changes. My 2013 Honda Civic has an oil quality sensor. Can I believe the reading? – C.W. Des Plaines, Ill.
A: Yes, you can. Carmakers,
including Honda, do not want owners to have problems. The companies want them to buy another when the current one wears out or the owner gets tired of it. There are “over maintainers” amongst us who change their oil more frequently. There is nothing wrong with that if you have the time and money.
Q: My wife’s 2014 Accord has about 51,000 miles on it. I still do the basic stuff such as oil and filter changes, wiper blade replacement, and keeping the tires at the correct air pressure. Other stuff goes to the pros. I realize that the maintenance minder uses algorithms for oil change intervals and probably coolant change intervals. How does the minder determine other functions such as replace/ check brakes, change transmission fluid, etc.? Is it mileage, sensors or voodoo? Love your column for the info and humor, first place I go to every Sunday, even before Dilbert. – A.L., Tinley Park, Ill.
A: The items you ticked off are not voodoo, they are you do. You do the task whenever it needs to be done. Since it is up to you, the carmaker has provided help in the form of a book that spends most of its life in the glove compartment … unopened. I love Dilbert.
Q: A friend of mine just bought a 2002 Corvette. Nice car but he neglected to check out the lug nuts. The wheels have a locking lug nut on each one. There is no master unlock and previous owner is not answering his calls. Any idea on how to go about getting them off without wrecking things? – J. F., Chicago
A: There are ways to remove the locking nuts. Many professional technicians know how to do it. Of course, they will be damaged beyond repair so your friend will have to buy a new set of locking nuts that will include the proper key. The other option is to take his chances with standard lug nuts.
Q: As regards J.F. in Chicago with the locking lug nuts on his 2002 Corvette; I would suggest that he take his car to a Chevrolet dealership. If the locking lug nuts were installed when the car was originally purchased, a dealership might have a master socket. When I take our Honda to my Honda dealership for tire rotation, they don’t need my unlock socket, as they have a master socket. – E.L., Allentown, Pa.
A: Good point and something I had overlooked.