There are a lot of things that are different between the 2024 GMC Sierra EV’s design and the gasoline Sierra pickup, but one we noticed right away was the headlight placement. On GM’s full-size gasoline trucks, the headlights are about as far up the front fascia as they can be. In the Sierra EV, they’re positioned significantly further down and into the lower bumper below the grille.
Why are we highlighting this particular aspect of the design? Well, unless you only ever drive massive, high-riding trucks, you’re probably very accustomed to being frequently blinded by them on the road these days. In describing the Sierra EV’s headlight placement, designers told us they intentionally put the lights further down to improve matters. We pulled Phil Kucera, a GMC design manager, aside to ask him about the change.
“It tends to be a better spot where it’s not glaring in other people’s eyes, right, the lower you get,” Kucera says.
Beyond blinding others, putting the headlights lower on the face of the truck improves headlight performance for the driver, too.
“Typically the lower the better, because that’s where they’re going to be on the road, so there’s less to reflect off of in fog or rain,” Kucera explained. “If you get them up at a certain height, they’re going to be reflecting certain things like snow, rain or things like that in your eyes.”
Of course, you’ll notice on the Sierra EV that the daytime running lights (DRLs) are still big and bold in the upper part of the front end. These lights are around for decor, though, and act as pieces of design rather than a functional way to see at night. In other words, they’re lights, but they’re not going to dazzle oncoming traffic or cause glare for the driver like a headlight pointed down the road will.
Moving those lights further down in the front should hopefully be a net positive for other drivers coming across the Sierra EV and for drivers of the truck themselves. How the lights are aimed plays just as much a role in how other drivers perceive oncoming lights, though, so we’ll have to wait and see the real-world performance on this one.
We’ll also note that moving the actual headlights further down the front end doesn’t take anything away from the design of the Sierra EV. It still features a strong, upright stance that the world is accustomed to seeing from new trucks these days. It’s no surprise, but GM agrees.
“It worked with the design,” Kucera finishes.
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Rolls-Royce is preparing to unveil the Spectre, its first series-produced electric car. The big coupe is scheduled to make its global debut online tomorrow (Tuesday, October 18) at 8 a.m. Eastern, and you can watch the livestream right here to get all of the details.
Official details about the Spectre remain few and far between; Rolls-Royce has done a good job keeping the EV under wraps. Official spy shotspublished by the British company in July 2022 suggest that the model will wear a futuristic-looking design, though it will remain recognizable as a member of the Rolls-Royce range, and it will be the brand’s most aerodynamic car thanks to a 0.25 drag coefficient.
Rolls-Royce noted that it put the Spectre through the most rigorous testing program it has ever subjected a new model to; prototypes will have covered over 1.5 million miles by the time deliveries begin. While that might sound like overkill, there’s a lot to test: In addition to a battery-powered drivetrain, the Spectre features “141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions and more than 25,000 sub-functions,” according to the company, and it will inaugurate a new suspension system capable of disconnecting the roll bars.
Details such as horsepower and driving range will be announced during the unveiling. One of the figures that we do know is that the 59-inch-long doors are the longest units ever fitted to a production Rolls-Royce; put another way, they’re nearly as long as a Smart Fortwo is wide.
Tune in tomorrow to watch the Spectre make its debut. Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, and pricing hasn’t been announced — though Rolls-Royce buyers aren’t price-sensitive.
Price growth is slowing. The average listing price for a used vehicle was $28,237 at the end of September, up from the revised $28,064 at the end of August. That price is only $1,686, or 6%, ahead of a year ago.
Graphic: Cox Automotive
Used-vehicle inventory and asking prices are stabilizing while used supply held steady in September from August, and is higher than a year ago, according to the Cox Automotive analysis of vAuto Available Inventory datav released Oct. 14. Meanwhile, growth in listing prices is slowing.
The total supply of unsold used vehicles on dealer lots, both franchised and independent dealers, across the U.S. stood at 2.46 million units at the close of September, about the same as the revised number at the end of August and 10% higher than September 2021.
The total days’ supply at the end of September stood at 50, compared with the revised 52 days’ supply at the end of August. Days’ supply in September was 8 days above year-ago levels. Used-vehicle inventory has been holding at about this level since mid-January.
The Cox Automotive days’ supply is based on the daily sales rate for the most recent 30-day period, in this case, ended Sept. 26. Sales were 1.48 million vehicles, compared to the revised 1.43 million at the end of August. For the month of September, Cox Automotive estimates used retail sales declined 8% from August and are down 10% from a year ago.
The average listing price for a used vehicle was $28,237 at the end of September, up from the revised $28,064 at the end of August. That price is only $1,686, or 6%, ahead of a year ago.
“It may well be that higher interest rates are beginning to hurt used-vehicle demand because consumers can’t afford the higher monthly payments,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive, in a news release. “Slowing sales and building inventory could force dealers to lower prices over the next few months.”
As with new cars, the lower the price, the tighter the inventory. The days’ supply increases with every $10,000 increase in price category. Days’ supply for under $10,000 vehicles is 33. At the opposite end of the spectrum, days’ supply for vehicles over $35,000 is 65.
Also, as with new vehicles, Toyota, Subaru and Honda have the lowest days’ supply of used vehicles at about 44.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest £11.4bn in a new global software centre and research and development (R&D) headquarters by 2030 as it targets a new era defined by pioneering connected car technologies.
In a global forum presentation delivered this morning (October 12) the Korean carmaker revealed its intention to transform all vehicles into Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) by 2025 through the development of a new Connected Car Operating System (ccOS) which will offer customers personalized services and process data at “blazing speeds”.
Mobility and connectivity
Standardisation of the system across the Hyundai, Genesis, Kia and Ioniq brands will provide cost-savings and drive profitability, it claimed, while also facilitating the provision of new mobility solutions.
Mobility solutions, including Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs), Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), robotaxis and robots are all parts of its plan.
Speaking at this morning’s global forum in Seoul, Chung Kook Park, the president and head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division, said: “By transforming all vehicles to software defined vehicles by 2025, Hyundai Motor Group will completely redefine the concept of the automobile and take the lead in ushering in a never-before-experienced era of mobility.
“Creating visionary vehicles empowered with the ability to evolve through software will enable customers to keep their vehicles up to date with the latest features and technology long after they have left the factory.”
Volkswagen plans to run all new models on its vw.os operating system by 2025 after tasking its Cariad software subsidiary with creating the new technology in-house as part of its plans for a connected car future, while Toyota’s Woven Planet operation aims to introduce its Arene operating system.
Hyundai Motor Group expects its connected cars to deliver 20 million subscriptions by 2025.
The technology will aloe customers to not only remotely upgrade their vehicles software systems and take out service subscriptions, but will also provide the possibility of upgrading the performance of their vehicles, it said, in a process which could enhance residual values.
Streamlined EV platforms
Also looking to drive value and profitability for the OEM will be an increased focus on streamlining platforms across its various brands to reduce development time and productions costs.
The approach mirrors that taken by Ranault as part of its Renaulution strategy.
In 2025, it said, new EV platforms – named eM, and eS – presented under the Group’s Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) system be presented, offering a 50% improvement in driving range compared to current EVs.
The eM platform is also being developed to support Level 3 or higher autonomous driving technology and OTA software update features.
The eS platform, meanwhile, will be developed as an EV ‘skateboard’ exclusively for Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs), with a fully flexible structure to meet B2B demands.
Paul Choo, Hyundai Motor Group executive vice-president and head of its electronics and infotainment development centre, said: “These new platforms are evolving under Hyundai Motor Group’s ‘Integrated Modular Architecture’, which will lead to further standardization and modularization of core components of electric vehicles, such as batteries and motors, while offering advantages in sectors additional to electric vehicles.”
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As the need for cleaner, more sustainable transport becomes ever more urgent, I’ve noticed a familiar pattern in conversations on the topic. Someone will point out that bikes are a lot more efficient and environmentally friendly, reduce congestion and are often faster than cars in cities. Others respond saying that bikes can’t possibly replace cars for a multitude of reasons: Riding on roads is dangerous, it requires a fit body, it makes you get all sweaty, it’s not ideal for trips into the office and bikes can’t protect you from the rain. The other objection is that a standard bike can only carry one person, making it useless for the times when you need to carry multiple people, or lots of stuff. Bikes can’t be used to ferry kids on the school run or haul a week’s worth of groceries, and so it’s pointless to look at them.
Except, of course, bikes have always been able to do those things, sometimes more efficiently than a car, SUV or truck. Cargo bikes offer the capacity to carry multiple people at once and / or haul sizable loads of stuff with very little trouble. It’s this form of cycling that may provide the easiest win for both individuals and cities to help solve the climate crisis. The argument that you need to be physically fit to ride – if that’s even true – doesn’t really apply any more given the benefit of electrification. It means that modern cargo bikes can rid dense city streets of delivery vans cluttering up our roads, and SUVs doing little more than the school run. And this isn’t a dispatch from some far-flung utopia, but something that might become massively popular as a looming fuel crisis causes the price of fuel to skyrocket.
The Bakfiets
RUBEN RAMOS via Getty Images
It’s worth saying that cargo bikes are nothing new – in the days before the car was king, cargo bikes were used by many. In Europe, before the second world war, cargo bikes were a common sight on the streets, used by grocers, tradespeople and families to carry goods and people. In the post-war era, and the age of car-centric reconstruction that followed, cargo bikes were left a curiosity in many countries, save, of course, their use to sell ice cream or other food at funfairs, festivals and markets.
There are roughly four types of cargo bike in common use today, although none of these terms are official and there’s plenty of blurring on the edges. Cargo Bikes, for instance, are stretch limousine versions of regular two-wheeled bikes, with a small cargo section behind the front wheel and in front of the rider. Then there are Box Trikes, with two wheels up front and a much larger box between them, while the rider steers from behind. Now, both of these can be described as Bakfiets, from the Dutch “box bike,” but there’s a world between the two and three-wheeled versions.
A more nebulous category is the Longtail, a regular bicycle with a longer, load-bearing frame behind the rider. Instead of a pannier rack, the frame can hold a small cargo box, or a bench seat that can hold an adult or two children. Bikes like Tern’s GSD or Yuba’s Spicy Curry are examples of the type of bike I’m talking about here. Finally there are Cargo Trikes and Cargo Quad Cycles, where the rider sits up front and there’s a hefty box mounted on the two rear wheels. EAV’s 2Cubed, for instance, is already being adopted by some major logistics companies. (Obviously three-wheeled Bakfiets can also be called Cargo Trikes but I’m trying to keep the definitions clear here.)
The Babboe
Daniel Cooper
The Netherlands already underwent its dramatic transition into a cycling-first society, and is the nominal home of the cargo bike. Its bikes are designed not just for one or two people, but families of up to five, and I felt compelled to try one before lecturing people on the future of transport. Raleigh, the British distributors of several Dutch bicycles, leant me a Babboe Curve-E, which is arguably the SUV of the cycling world.
The Curve-E is big, beefy and relatively expensive – in Europe it retails for €3,449 ($3,441). The Curve-E’s box has a volume of around 275 liters (72 gallons) and a load capacity of 100kg (220 pounds), with two benches running along the front and back sides. On each side are two three-point harnesses, and the bike is designed to carry up to four small children comfortably.
(In the US, you can buy a more powerful mid-drive version of the Curve-E I rode from Going Dutch Bicycles in New York for $6,250. It’s worth saying, of course, that the cost of importing a model like this is significant, and there are domestic alternatives available for less. For instance, Bunch Bikes – which previously featured on Shark Tank – will sell you a four-seater model for $3,999.)
I’ve been using the Curve-E as much as I can in place of the family car, trying to see which parts of our lives it can fit into. My wife wasn’t enthused about being a participant in this story, and so I used the bike for various adventures with my two kids. Of particular interest to me was if the Babboe would revolutionize the school run, enabling me to save time at the start and end of each day.
Cleaning up our roads
Leon Neal via Getty Images
If you read Engadget, then you already know how bad cars and trucks are for climate change, air quality and congestion. The rise of e-commerce, supercharged by COVID, has seen a massive surge in fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles on city streets. And that’s not good for congestion, air quality or emissions. But cargo cycling has already been found to be something of a silver bullet for all of the problems caused by this surge in heavy goods vehicles on our streets.
Last year, Dr. Ersilia Verlingheri at the University of Westminster found that a cargo bike is 1.61 times faster than a van to make deliveries. Using GPS data strapped to both bike and truck couriers, she found that the bikes had a faster average speed and reduced carbon emissions by 90 percent compared to a diesel vehicle, and 33 percent compared to an electric van. The study focused on London, and found that there are more than 213,100 vans working in the city, occupying 2,557,200 square meters of road space. Dr. Verlingheri’s study found that more than half of all motorized freight could be completed by a bike instead of a van. And that the benefits of doing so are staggering – including tens of thousands of hours lost to traffic jams, and several hundred thousand tonnes of CO2 not being released into the atmosphere.
A smaller 2019 study that focused on Seattle, found that electric-assisted cargo bikes were more cost-effective than vans in densely populated areas, such as the hearts of major cities. And that benefits of bikes were magnified when you added in the extra effort needed to find parking, and the second-order costs of owning a truck. Not to mention, of course, the cost of buying the truck, keeping it fueled, maintained, as well as the necessary insurances and permits to ensure it’s road legal.
Zedify
Daniel Cooper
One company already well ahead of this argument is Zedify, a British courier business making “last mile” deliveries in major cities. It exclusively uses low-and-zero emission vehicles, with the bulk of its fleet made up with a number of cargo trikes. The managing director of the Norwich branch of the company, Richard Jennings, talked me through the benefits of a bike-first delivery fleet. The first being the cost, the second being the relative speed compared to deliveries made by a light truck.
Jennings explained that most major freight companies operate large depots at business parks far outside a population center. Each van is loaded full with parcels before being sent in to cover a planned route that will take the bulk of the day to complete. Zedify’s model, by contrast, uses a smaller hub in the center of a city, where parcels in bulk are dropped off and then loaded on a smaller fleet of cargo trikes. These trikes will then do multiple routes each day, with riders able to choose their own routing in order to avoid cyclist-unfriendly roads and dodge traffic jams.
On paper, that sounds less efficient, but in practice Jennings said that it was significantly better, and Zedify deliveries are often a lot faster than expected. It’s also significantly cheaper, since all of the major capital costs associated with maintaining a fleet of vans are eliminated. The local setup, at least, uses cargo trikes from specialist provider Iceni Cycles, based in Wiltshire. It sells its heavy-duty delivery trike for £11,705 (around $13,486), or leases them for periods of up to five years for £61.47 ($71) a week.
While many fleet companies have to spend enormous sums on regular maintenance, Jennings can employ a single bike mechanic to run the entire fleet. Zedify doesn’t charge a premium for its services either, meaning that any cost savings can be passed on to employees. Jennings said that he’s able to “take better care of [his] people.” Zedify also made (local) headlines for being able to maintain deliveries during one of the UK’s several recent fuel crises.
There are limits, of course – a standard Iceni trike has a maximum weight limit of around 550 pounds, but Jennings says that the safe operating weight is just under 400. After that point, and hauling goods around just gets a lot harder to deal with. That means bicycle couriers won’t be delivering heavy goods, like home appliances or beds, any time soon. But the bulk of smaller goods could easily be carried by bike, removing a big reason for why city streets are full of vans. If companies like Zedify can corner the market in shipping and grocery delivery, then we should see significant benefits fairly quickly.
Jennings also showed me his latest purchase, a Maderna Tractor, a four-wheeled monster capable of taking pallet-sized loads. It’s equipped with a Bafang mid-drive motor that gives it extraordinary power and speed for a bike – as I learned when I rode it. It’s the sort of bike that you could imagine riding for a day without ever feeling fatigued, and certainly one you could have a lot of fun tearing around town on.
Our first trips
My adventures with the Babboe Curve-E involved me taking the kids out and about around the city. They were (and still are) delirious with excitement whenever we go out on the bike. Part of this, I suspect, is because it offers them a substantially better view of the trip compared to sitting in the back seat of a car. They like waving to people as we pass them by, and shouting hello to cyclists when they, in turn, pass us. They sit side-by-side on the forward facing bench, preferring the view (and a little bit of a squeeze) to one facing the other.
At a standing start, the bike requires a decent amount of push, but I found I didn’t need the electric assist at all. As soon as you start moving, the bike’s weight and inertia seem to do a lot of the work for you, to the point where I was riding the brakes more than the pedals. It’s also pretty quick, quicker than I was comfortable riding (especially with my kids in the front box) and so I never felt the need to switch up the gears to go faster.
More often than not, cars would give me a fairly generous berth – I think the uniqueness of the Babboe’s design on British roads meant there was some degree of curiosity. Especially on the main road close to my home, where cyclists are often given short shrift by motorists, it was a striking change. I suspect, too, the fact that the bike is wide enough, and my ride position high enough, that almost by default, I was taking a more aggressive pose on the road than I would ordinarily. That’s important, given the lack of segregated cycle infrastructure, although cargo bikes are often forced onto the roads by default, as most cycle lanes that do exist are designed for the two-wheeled variety.
The cargo boom
It’s clear that some of the factors that have boosted interest in cargo bikes relate to the energy crisis. COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have caused prices to spike, and Europeans are looking for ways to cut their energy consumption across the board. Back in August, Cycling Industry News reported that while e-bike sales – which had spiked for much of 2020 – were starting to slow, eCargo Bikes were still growing. In fact, the uptake of cargo bikes has increased by 37 percent compared to the previous year, while manufacturer Urban Arrow said that it expected to see sales jump by 50 percent across 2022.
The school run
Maja Hitij via Getty Images
The kids enjoy the Babboe so much that they ask, whenever we go out, if we’re taking it or the car. I was, therefore, expecting this bike to totally revolutionize the school run each day and make everyone’s life a lot easier. It didn’t, but there’s one very good reason that I struggled in this instance, and I want to be clear that it is actually worth doing. You just need to really make sure that you know what bike you’re buying, and what your home terrain is like.
My home city is relatively flat, but it does have a handful of utterly murderous hills, and my kids’ school is at the top of one of the worst. According to local maps, the gentlest gradient to get up the hill is around 11 percent, which is a very significant slope. (The road on the other end has a maximum gradient of 22.4 percent, which I wouldn’t attempt to walk, let alone ride up.)
Now, I’ve tested my cycling output to be around 200W, and the motor on the Babboe can output 250W. But it turns out that it’s not enough, given the weight of the bike, to get up that 11 degree gradient without a lot of sweating. In fact, it’s so hard to get up there, especially with kids in the front, that no matter what gear I rode in, or what strategies I tried, with the electric assistance on full, I was still a hyperventilating puddle by the time I got to the top.
This, I should admit, is something that Babboe (if you check) does say in its marketing materials, as its bikes are designed for flat Dutch roads. If a buyer expects to cover a lot of hilly ground, then they should opt for the specialist Mountain version of its bike with a far more powerful mid-drive motor. At my child’s school, another parent bought the same model of Babboe that I had – but said that he would be trading it in for a Mountain version at the earliest opportunity.
Cost
Education Images via Getty Images
The elephant in the room is price. You can expect to pay upwards of $3,000 for a standard cargo cycle, and some of the fancier brands start at $5,000. The common response from cyclists is that people think nothing of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a car, nor the hidden costs of fuel, tax, insurance, servicing and depreciation. On a total cost of ownership basis, the price difference between a car and a cargo bike is stark, and bikes win out nine times out of every 10 when picking the ideal form of transportation. But I can see, and share, the mental barriers to spending thousands on a bike for all of the obvious reasons.
For a start, the comfort level is far less than that of a car, you’re exposed to the elements and you’re limited by range. Then there’s the unspoken truth that in many countries in North America and Europe, bicycle theft is effectively legal. After all, with law enforcement resources stretched thin and the prevalence of bicycle crime, it’s difficult to enforce. Even in situations where people can show the location of their bike with built-in GPS, officers are reluctant to engage in recovery action.
Interesting (!) afternoon while filming, tracking my stolen bike which has an internal tracker & can’t be ridden without a code being ferried presumably in a van …from being swiped in London Bridge….To Stratford in half an hour and now finding a new resting place in East Ham… pic.twitter.com/4SBsatjvA8
I took plenty of extra precautions, and rarely let my Babboe out of my sight knowing that if I’d left it in the street, even with a chorus of locks, it was at risk. That dilemma is doubled for people who have spent upwards of $3,000 on an e-cargo bike as their primary mode of transportation. Sadly, a lack of infrastructure to keep these bikes safe and secure means that they’re a prime target for thieves, and so you can’t always trust that they’ll be where you left them.
The solution to this problem, surely, would be for a manufacturer to grasp this market for itself. Is it possible for someone to mass-produce a low-spec, but solid, cargo bike “for the people?” And, when I say that, I mean at the sort of prices where it’d be affordable for utility, rather than sport and leisure, cyclists.
Certainly, this isn’t likely to come in the form of a cargo trike. Ben Johnson is the founder of The Cargo Bike Company, a former engineer who got into cargo biking when his kids were born and he “couldn’t afford a European one.” He produces custom cargo bikes and trikes from his workshop in Derbyshire, UK, with a focus on commercial bikes as well as custom bikes adapted to assist people with mobility issues. He said that the rise in cargo cycling is tied to the falling cost and greater access of electric motors, which “enables people to shift loads around town.” He, however, has resisted the trend in his own bikes, saying that the reliability issues are too risky for a small business like his to take on.
Johnson added that there are several factors that mean that cargo bikes will remain a more costly purchase for many. That includes the fact that major manufacturers are “very happy to use unusual or high-end engineering” on its bikes, including drum brakes, geared hubs and stub axles. But as well as the equipment hung on the frame, a major difference between a regular bike and a cargo bike is the time taken to build the frame itself. For instance, Taiwanese maker Giant says that it can produce a bike frame in under two hours, whereas it takes Johnson a full day to weld a frame, and a further day to build the bike that sits on it – in between it’s sent off to a third-party for painting.
That’s not to say that there aren’t affordable cargo bikes available, but the segment that’s ripest for lower prices is the longtail. RadPower’s RadWagon 4 can take a 350lb payload on its long rear rack, or that space could be used to carry two passengers for just $2,000. Similarly, Richard Andrews, who works in local government on cycling strategy in the UK said that an even more disruptive bike is hiding in plain sight. He pointed to (French sports retailer) Decathlon’s R500 electric longtail as a bike that could be mass-produced by the sort of manufacturer who could afford the initial outlay. There are only two downsides to the R500 – it uses a rear hub motor, and it’s presently out of stock.
Farewell
It’s now time to send the Babboe back to the company for someone else to test it. I didn’t expect to feel as sad sending it back as I presently do, mostly because of how engaged it made my kids. It was fun to cycle – except up and down hills – and I think they enjoyed having a front-row seat on the journey, taking in the city around them. I think that, with a model better suited to the terrain, a cargo e-bike could remove the need for us to have a car for any trips into the city. The only thing I would need is a place to securely store it when I’m out and about, or the reassurance that it wouldn’t go missing.
I should, at least, have some hope there – here in the UK, the previous administration published Gear Change: A Bold Vision for Cycling and Walking. The paper committed to improving road design to ensure segregated cycleways – with a physical barrier between cars and bikes – would be built as standard. It also, more crucially, pledged to back the construction of high-quality, theft-deterrent bicycle parking in towns and cities, as well as bike hangers for residential areas. This should benefit folks who might want to switch to cargo cycling but don’t have the space to store a bike in their own home.
Fundamentally, I’m a convert, even if I still don’t consider myself a cyclist by any means. Riding a cargo bike feels natural, fun and easy, and is something I want to do on a regular basis, especially since I’d like to think my kids will still appreciate the help getting to and from places for the next five years or more. I think I learned two things over the last couple of months: Cargo cycling really is for everyone, and don’t buy a bike with a hub motor if you live anywhere close to a huge hill.
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The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD made its debut in September 2022, so it was only a matter of time before the GMC Sierra HD received a similar round of updates. Unveiled online, the truck gains a new-look design and a more powerful turbodiesel V8, among other changes.
GMC developed the Sierra HD primarily for towing and hauling so the most significant changes are found under the hood. The available 6.6-liter turbodiesel Duramax V8 engine now develops 470 horsepower at 2,800 rpm and 975 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm, figures that represent increases of 25 and 65, respectively, over the 2023 model and that match the 2024 Silverado HD‘s. GMC notes it increased low-end torque by about 25% by fitting a new turbocharger. The V8 spins the rear or the four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission.
On the gasoline side of the spectrum, the 6.6-liter V8’s output stays flat at 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque. It’s now bolted to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and replacing the 2023 truck’s six-speed lets the engine run closer to its peak power for longer periods. Here again, rear-wheel-drive comes standard and a part-time four-wheel-drive system is available across the entire line-up.
Properly equipped, the 2024 Sierra 2500 HD Crew Cab can tow up to 21,900 pounds. The standard 2500 HD’s towing capacity checks in at 22,500 pounds (a 4,000-pound improvement), and the 3500 HD is capable of towing up to 36,000 pounds — that’s nearly 13 Subaru BRZs.
Buyers have a dizzying selection of trim levels and body styles to choose from. The range includes Regular, Extended, and Crew cabs as well as seven trim levels called Pro, SLE, SLT, AT4, AT4X, Denali, and Denali Ultimate, respectively. The AT4X variant will not be available at launch, and the Denali Ultimate is new for the 2024 model year. Additionally, 3500 HD models can be ordered with dual rear wheels.
What the truck looks like depends on the trim level. Broadly speaking, designers drew a more angular front end with a new-look grille, sharper-looking lights, and a redesigned bumper. New wheels are part of the update as well; the 3500 HD dually gets 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, and 22-inch units are optional on single-rear-wheel trucks. Finally, the color palette grows with six optional shades called Titanium Rush Metallic, Sterling Metallic, Volcanic Red Tintcoat, Redwood Metallic, Meteorite Metallic, and Downpour Metallic, respectively.
Similarly, not every 2024 Sierra HD is created equal on the inside. Pro models remain basic, SLE and SLT trims get a specific interior, while AT4, Denali, and Denali Ultimate versions benefit from a more upmarket cabin. Some models are available with the same basic 13.4-inch touchscreen found in the Silverado, a 15-inch head-up display, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. GMC makes a long list of electronic driving aids standard, including Front Pedestrian Braking (which is new for 2024) and lane departure warning, and numerous trailer-specific technologies are available such as gooseneck-compatible Transparent Trailer View and Gross Combined Weight Rating Alert.
The new-for-2024 Denali Ultimate slots at the top of the range. It comes standard with the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 as well as a trim-specific grille, 20-inch machined-aluminum wheels with high-gloss black accents, and specific exterior emblems that feature a rendering of Alaska’s Mount Denali, which at 20,310 feet stands proud as the tallest peak in North America. The Denali Ultimate also receives power-operated running boards, leather upholstery, wood interior trim, massaging front seats, and a Kicker sound system. It sounds luxury sedan-like.
The 2024 GMC Sierra HD will reach dealer lots across the nation in the first quarter of 2023, and deliveries of the off-road-focused AT4X model are scheduled to start later in 2023. Pricing information for the full range will be announced closer to the truck’s on-sale date.
At the 2022 Fleet Safety Conference, subject matter experts from a fleet management company, fleet safety consultancy, trucking media brand, policy and research institute, and another running a large pharmaceutical fleet will examine roadway deaths, distracted driving, and what fleets can do about it.
Photos: Bobit/Canva
Safety experts say that ever since pandemic lockdowns risky driving behaviors have become the new normal. During the darkest days of COVID-19, open roads and ample frustration tempted drivers to engage in everything from speeding to aggressive, distracted, and impaired driving.
Crash deaths rose 7% in 2020 despite a dramatic decrease in the number of miles Americans drove. But as drivers logged more miles in 2021, the pattern continued with fatalities rising by more than 10%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Finally, more than 9,500 people died in roadway collisions in the first three months of this year — the highest number of first-quarter fatalities since 2002.
What’s behind this spike in fatalities? The data indicates its due to risky behaviors that appear to have stuck with drivers since the start of the pandemic. Fleet managers can learn how to best support their drivers to avoid distractions, road rage, and more at the following two thought-provoking sessions at the upcoming Fleet Safety Conference (FSC).
“Driving in a World of Distractions, Impairment, and Rage”
Nov. 11, 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.; Moderator: Dan Belknap, Wheels Donlen
Presenters Phil Moser of Driving Dynamics and Katie Franssen of Roche Diagnostics Operations will dig into the reasons for our current alarming crash and fatality statistics. The duo will then introduce their respective cutting-edge methods around driver engagement and behavioral improvement to achieve real and lasting change.
Both Moser and Franssen bring a depth of real-world experience to the session. With over 30 years in the field of driver safety, Moser has assisted numerous Fortune 500 companies with developing and successfully implementing robust driver safety initiatives. As a former police officer and a vehicle crash investigator, Moser has also investigated thousands of collisions. Since 2014, Franssen has directed the safety policies, strategies, training, and tools to support Roche’s fleet of 1400 drivers.
“Driver Distraction: What Does the Data Say?”
Nov. 11; 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; Moderator: Vesna Brajkovic, Managing Editor, Heavy Duty Trucking
Researcher Susan Soccolich will present results from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s (VTTI) recent commercial motor vehicle driver distraction study. It explores type, time, and frequency of behaviors before near crashes and collisions including cell phone use, drowsiness, other in-cab distractions, and external events. The study also reveals how drivers responded to onboard monitoring systems (OMBs) and coaching after these triggered events.
Soccolich is a research associate with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Division of Freight, Transit, and Heavy Vehicle Safety. She brings to this seminar over a decade of research project experience that have focused on improving roadway user safety through studies of wide-ranging issues involving commercial motor vehicle drivers, vehicles and technology, roadways, and the environment. A sought-after expert on reducing driver distraction, attendees will walk away from Soccolich’s session with actionable insights to improve fleet safety.
Entering its 11th year, Fleet Safety Conference returns to an in-person format as part of the Fleet Forward Conference Nov. 9-11 in Santa Clara, California.
The 2022 Fleet Safety Conference, combined with the Fleet Forward Conference, convenes Nov. 9-11 at the Santa Clara Marriott.
Photo: Marriott Santa Clara
As part of a combined agenda, the in-person FSC will convene and opening and closing keynote as general sessions. Concurrent sessions will take place along with Fleet Forward Conference sessions. Attendees will pay one registration fee to access both events.
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. They kick things off by talking about the Ford Mustang: which were the best, the Fox Body finally getting its due, and where they think the seventh generation will rank among the ‘Stangs of history. They talk about which Mustang they would get if they had $20,000 to spend; or $40,000; or $60,000.
Next, they talk news, including the 1970 Ford F-250 “High Roller” from Velocity Modern Classics, as well as the possibility of an electric Acura NSX. Finally, they talk about what they’ve been driving: the GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate and the Autoblog long-term Kia EV6.
Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.
Autoblog Podcast #749
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MOSES LAKE, Wash. — A prototype, all-electric airplane took its first flight Tuesday morning in central Washington state.
The Seattle Times reports that if the Federal Aviation Administration eventually certifies the small airplane to carry passengers, it could become the first all-electric commercial airplane.
The plane, built by startup Eviation, was built to carry nine passengers and up two pilots. It took off from Moses Lake, Washington, at 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, and landed eight minutes later.
The company’s goal is to show such electric planes are viable as commuter aircraft flying at an altitude of about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters).
The plane, designed by engineers in Washington state and Israel, is powered by 21,500 small Tesla-style battery cells.
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New technology in development could help protect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users from automotive collisions.
Photo: Canva
Ford Motor Company is researching a new smartphone-based communications technology that could potentially help warn drivers of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and bicyclists including those blocked from a driver’s view.
Partners in the research project of the scalable smartphone-based communication technology include Commsignia, PSS, Ohio State University, T-Mobile, and Tome Software.
Essentially, the technology is a concept smartphone app running on a pedestrian’s phone that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) messaging to communicate their location to a connected Ford vehicle. If the vehicle calculates a potential crash risk, Ford SYNC can alert drivers by the in-vehicle screen showing graphics of pedestrians, bicyclists, or more with audio alerts sounding.
The automaker is exploring ways to expand vehicle sensing capability, for areas drivers cannot see, to help people drive even more confidently on roads increasingly shared by others on foot or on two wheels.
The time is ripe for this type of technology, as pedestrian fatalities continue to rise. In 2020, 6,519 pedestrians were killed and an estimated 55,000 were injured on the nation’s roadways, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Moreover, bicyclist traffic fatalities increased 5% — reaching 1,000 — in 2021 as compared to 2020.
Noteworthy, BLE does not rely on line-of-sight detection like cameras or radar, which means pedestrians and others can be detected while hidden behind obstructions such as buildings. This is especially relevant to big-city driving on shared roads. What’s more, the automaker envisions other possible applications for the BLE technology such as detecting road construction zones and construction workers.
Ford’s concept uses BLE as a beacon capable of sensing multiple other similarly equipped devices in range without pairing two devices. The system interprets a person is using the device, differentiates pedestrians from bicyclists and others based on their traveling speed, and further evaluating risk by their direction.
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Speaking at this morning’s global forum in Seoul, Chung Kook Park, the president and head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division, said: “By transforming all vehicles to software defined vehicles by 2025, Hyundai Motor Group will completely redefine the concept of the automobile and take the lead in ushering in a never-before-experienced era of mobility.
