We would have seen the electric GMC Hummer in the metal already had things gone according to plan, but the coronavirus delayed its unveiling. Our consolation prize is a look at how it will let its occupants bask in the sun.
GMC released an image that confirms the born-again Hummer will be available with removable roof panels to please sun worshippers and stargazers alike. It won’t be a full convertible, it doesn’t look like users will be able to leave the full structure behind, but the top part of the roof comes off in at least four separate pieces to let the light in. It’s a cool feature reminiscent of the soft top that was available on the jumbo-sized H1 sold during the 2000s.
There’s no word yet on whether the removable roof will be standard, or if it will cost extra. And, although the lone image published by GMC hides the rest of the interior well, it reveals the presence of beefy grab handles on the A-pillars, and an upright windshield that creates a visual link between the upcoming truck and Hummer’s past models.
The 2022 Hummer hasn’t received its new unveiling date yet, though it’s still tentatively scheduled to begin rolling into showrooms in fall 2021. When it arrives, it will need to fend off competition from the Tesla Cybertruck and the Rivian R1T, among other electric trucks inching their way toward production. It’s difficult to tell who will come out on top because we haven’t seen the Hummer’s full specifications yet and because none of these pickups are in production yet, but early technical details released by General Motors sketch the outline of a hugely capable truck.
Company president Mark Reuss announced GMC will initially offer three versions of the Hummer. The base model will get a single electric motor (and, presumably, rear-wheel drive), the midrange model will gain a second motor for through-the-road all-wheel drive, while the flagship variant will benefit from three motors for jaw-dropping performance. It’s likely this version that the firm referred to when it quoted a monstrous 1,000-horsepower output.
Additional details (like the Hummer’s driving range and price) will emerge in the coming months.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.