5/17/15

Spied: 2017 GMC Sierra 2500/3500 Chassis Cab


The GM light-duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks look like they'll be coming to market refreshed for 2017 or 2018. Our spy shooters are seeing both of them running all sorts of loaded and empty test loops, likely to work out the bugs on a modified or upgraded powertrain. Here's their latest report:

    "Recently we've caught the updated Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickups out on their first test runs. … We caught a pair of 2016 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty prototypes (one crew-cab 2500 near maximum payload and towing capacity, and the other an empty chassis-cab Duramax) coming in from a run.

    "Much like the light-duty trucks we've seen before, the Sierra looks to be hiding a moderate front-end refresh, with a new front end, hood cuts, a revised grille and updated headlights.

    "We suspect the bigger news is under the hood, where the GM HD trucks are reported to get upgraded versions of the Duramax V-8 turbo-diesel. At least one report pegs the new Duramax numbers at 450 horsepower and 850 pounds-feet of torque.

    "A version of the 10-speed transmission co-developed with Ford is also likely to make it into the heavy-duty pickups by 2018."

Chris Doane Automotive images

Source: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/04/spied-2017-gmc-sierra-25003500-chassis-cab.html

5/15/15

What’s Next? GM Predicts Jobs of the Future

Top 10 jobs of the future that will drive exciting technologies



DETROIT – As smartphones get more sophisticated, watches connect us to the world and our homes grow more automated, cars will advance in ways customers cannot imagine. Already, people are developing and bringing products to the mainstream that we don’t even know we want.

What will be the jobs that bring the technology that improves our lives to market?

“In the automotive industry we have the opportunity to make our technologies impact real change,” said Gary Smyth, executive director, global research and development at General Motors. “Not many other industries can embrace the future so holistically: We have battery chemists, electrical engineers, manufacturing experts, software developers and social media operators all in one industry, working at making our lives easier and more productive.”

Ten years from now the workplace may depend less on location than connectivity, such as eco-friendly workstations that offer collaborative environments catering to technology developers.

GM employees of various experience levels and backgrounds see these as the Top 10 jobs of 2025.

1.    Electrical engineers – Battery, hybrid and plug-in vehicles are becoming mainstream. The internal combustion engine isn’t going anywhere soon, but the industry is developing alternative ways to make a car move. Electrified vehicles are more powerful and achieve greater range, and as more customers try these alternatives, demand can only be expected to grow. Over the next 10 years, more engineers will be needed to explore and develop electrified vehicles.

2.    Analytics expert – Data is everywhere and can help diagnose what in a car needs attention before it becomes a problem and help pick the best route to a destination. With smart data, the car and the driver will work together for a more efficient future. Analysts will be needed to create algorithms to decipher how this data can best help drivers.

3.    Interaction designers - Operating all the technology in the car needs to be designed with an artistry that makes it easy to use. A driver can be going 60 mph on the freeway and the information and technology within the car needs to be accessed intuitively so the driver can keep his hands on the wheel. 

4.    Web programmer – The car is not a smartphone or a tablet or whatever is going to come next, but it will be a platform that allows the next big thing to easily connect to the vehicle and its occupants. Software is playing an increasingly important role in the vehicle, and coders and developers are only going to be in more demand. 

5.    Autonomous driving engineer – GM envisions a world without crashes and a key step toward that direction is the introduction of vehicle-to-vehicle technology on the 2017 Cadillac CTS that allows the car to “talk” to other cars that are equipped with V2V technology. After that will come Super Cruise, a semi-autonomous driving technology in the Cadillac CT6 range-topping luxury sedan. Within these fields there will be sensor experts, radar developers and all types of engineers needed to make these vehicles and those that follow them a reality.

6.    Customer care experts – It’s not just about cars being made by car people who deliver them to the masses. With social media, direct interaction with companies big and small is direct and near instantaneous. Social care experts provide the listening ear and resolution to problems that can help make customers for life. 

7.    Sustainability integration expert – Proof points of a sustainable business model can be seen throughout GM. Already, the company has 122 plants and facilities that send no garbage to landfills. A variety of other environmentally friendly programs – from using alternative energy sources like solar and wind – to just finding ways to use less of everything opens employment opportunities for people who understand the best ways to apply these goals to the business. 

8.    Industrial engineer – Vehicles are mass-produced products. The best companies discover and apply the most efficient production techniques. The future for this position will challenge engineers to build complex vehicles in ways that are sustainable and efficient.   

9.    3D Printing engineer – The uses and capabilities of 3D printing in the development, design and engineering world are just beginning to be fully realized. A part mockup that once took weeks to create can now be printed in a matter of hours. Faster prototyping doesn’t just save time; it can lead to more options to be tested and better end products.

10.     Alternative propulsion engineer – Diesels, battery electrics, fuel cells. There is no single answer to the future of propulsion. Refining and developing new ways for cars to move will also drive job creation.


General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com 

5/13/15

2015 GMC Canyon Off-Road Review: Snow, Dirt, & Donuts in TFL4K The Fast Lane Truck



The 2015 GMC Canyon is a new pickup that doesn't drive like a truck. In fact it drives much more like a new crossover but in this TFLtruck Review we wanted to know how this truck drives when the road turns snowy and slick.

5/12/15

GMC 2500HD with Royal Service Body Is A Mainstay



Ron Sadler, Fleet & Commercial Manager at Lehmer's Buick-GMC in Concord CA gives us a brief tour of one of the mainstays in the industry of work trucks: The 8' service body on a 2500HD chassis. See more at http://www.LehmersGMC.com

5/10/15

GMC Offers Special Pricing for All Veterans Through June

GM Military Discount covers all 22 million veterans, 
regardless of separation date


DETROIT – For U.S. military veterans waiting for the right time to purchase a GMC truck, crossover or SUV, GMC is expanding the GM Military Discount to all veterans – regardless of separation date – through June 30.

The expanded discount is part of GM Military Appreciation Month, which began May 1. Last year, more than 40,000 active-duty, reserves, retired and veteran service members used the discount to purchase vehicles from eligible GM brands, including veteran Kathryn Scott of Reidsville, Ga. who bought a new GMC Terrain.

“The process was easy – all I had to do was show my DD Form 214 separation papers and my dealer (NeSmith Chevrolet Buick GMC Inc. in Claxton, Ga.) took care of everything,” said Scott, who served eight years in the U.S. Air Force, most recently at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. “I love my Terrain, and it was nice to put the savings toward other things I needed to take care of.”

The most comprehensive military pricing program of any automaker covers all 22 million active-duty, reserves, retired and veteran service members and spouses from every military branch: U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard during May and June. After June 30, the discount applies to active-duty, reserves and retired military and spouses, and veterans and spouses within a year of separation.

First offered in 2008, the GM Military Discount Program features pricing below the suggested retail price for eligible vehicles. It can be combined with most other current incentives from GMC, as well as a $750 discount for USAA Insurance members. Customers must take delivery by June 30, 2015.

“At a time when more Americans have been buying trucks, crossovers and SUVs, it is a privilege to have the opportunity to make a GMC more attainable to the men and women have served this country,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president, GMC sales.

All GMC models, including the Denali trim, are eligible for the GM Military Discount:

•    GMC Canyon midsize pickup, the newest member of the GMC family and winner of AutoWeek’s 2015 “Best of the Best” Truck award and Ward’s 10 Best Interiors
•    GMC Sierra 1500 – the most powerful light duty pickup on the market – and Sierra HD full-size pickups, all new for the 2014 model year
•    GMC Terrain small SUV and GMC Acadia large crossover
•    Yukon and Yukon XL full-size SUVs, all new for the 2015 model year
•    GMC Savana passenger vans

GMC and the military: A distinguished history

GMC’s relationship with the U.S. military dates to World War I, as trucks began replacing horses and mules to transport troops, serve as ambulances and provide other tactical support. In 1916, the GMC Model 16 was chosen for the Class AA standard ¾-ton truck by the U.S. Army for the duration of the war.

By 1936, GMC was developing multi-drive axle military vehicles. During World War II, GMC fulfilled 59 U.S. War Department contracts, as well as those from Great Britain, France and other Allies, worth $1.5 billion. GMC built 583,925 multi-drive military vehicles, including 528,829 6x6 trucks, 21,147 amphibious 2½-ton DUKW353 “Duck” trucks(based on modified GMC CCKW trucks, and 32 armored cars.

GMC delivered its first “Ducks” – finished on a repurposed bus assembly line – to the U.S. Army in 1943. A unique central tire inflation system allowed the driver to adjust tire pressure from his seat. Higher pressure made the craft navigable on pavement; lower pressure provided better flotation and traction on soft ground, such as beaches. The last Ducks were produced in 1945; surviving units were used for military training and in the tourism industry.

In 1944, GMC received the Army-Navy “E” Award for Excellence in the war effort. The U.S. Army considered the GMC 2½-ton 6x6s the best trucks in service, and the GMC Duck the most outstanding of new ordnance weapons.

GMC’s military support continued beyond the world wars. In 1963, GMC built specially designed tractors for the U.S. Air Force to transport Minuteman guided missiles. In 1991 and 1992 during the Persian Gulf War, GMC light trucks were delivered to the joint military forces of Saudi Arabia. They included heavy-duty pickups converted to troop/cargo carriers and 900 heavy-duty chassis cabs with ambulance bodies.

Learn more about how to purchase a new GMC vehicle using the GM Military Discount at gmmilitarydiscount.com.

About GMC
GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, with innovation and engineering excellence built into all GMC vehicles. The brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover. GMC’s highest-volume vehicle, the Sierra pickup, is the most powerful light-duty pickup on the market, and the first full-size pickup to receive the highest-possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

About GM Military Support
GM’s 100-year history of military and support leadership continues today through philanthropy, education and training opportunities and employment initiatives. The GM Military Discount offers the most comprehensive military purchase program in the auto industry to active duty members, reservists, National Guard members, veterans and retirees — and spouses — of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

5/09/15

OnStar 4G LTE now available on Buick & GMC Fleet Vehicles



Get more work done in the field by making your vehicle a mobile office with OnStar 4G LTE. Connect up to 7 device and stay connected with your fleet with OnStar 4G LTE.

5/07/15