Winston
Lorenzo von Matterhorn
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Messages
- 9,560
- Reaction score
- 1,748
GM to revive Hummer name, but not the brand, in a new GMC pickup
Starring in a Super Bowl ad with LeBron James
Jan 10, 2020
https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...-gm-general-motorselectric-pickup/4434550002/
General Motors is bringing back the name Hummer, but not the whole brand.
The automaker will build an all-electric pickup dubbed Hummer to be sold within the GMC brand in early 2022, according to a person familiar with GM's product plan. The story was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.
NBA superstar LeBron James will promote Hummer’s return, said the person, who wasn't authorized to speak about the program. GM will also air a commercial during the Super Bowl next month.
GM declined to comment on the report.
As the Detroit Free Press reported in October, GM planned to build a new group of premium electric pickups and other vehicles such as SUVs at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant beginning in late 2021.
At that time, people familiar with the program told the Free Press that GM was considering reviving the long-gone Hummer brand on some of those vehicles.
2008 Hummer HX concept vehicle
The Pentagon Just Slammed This Contractor's Flagship Vehicle
The initial reports are discouraging, but the Humvee replacement can still be a winner.
23 Apr 2019
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/02/28/the-pentagon-just-slammed-this-contractors-flagshi.aspx
The first Oshkosh-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) were fielded at Fort Stewart in Georgia in mid-January, a major milestone for one of the Army's priority replacement programs. But according to an annual report prepared by the Pentagon's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, those vehicles suffer from a range of issues in areas including "reliability, maintainability, training, manuals, crew situational awareness, and safety."
The vehicle will likely require more maintenance than the Humvee, the audit warns, with a greater reliance on contractors to perform that maintenance due to its "poor manuals, and the challenges with troubleshooting the vehicle." The close-combat version is "not operationally effective for use in combat and tactical missions" at this time, the audit warns, because the missile reload process "is slow and difficult for crews," and the JLTV provides poor visibility for crews.
The vehicle is also at a greater risk of being detected on the battlefield because of its larger size and greater noise signature, the report found.
Trade-offs, teething, and training
The report is a black eye for the JLTV, but some of the complaints are issues typical for a new program, and they can be addressed in later manufacturing batches. The vehicles have engine wiring issues and brake system faults that need to be redesigned, and in some cases, the doors would jam and prevent a quick exit from the vehicle.
Other issues are tied to design choices made by the Pentagon. The JLTV from the beginning was meant to improve upon the Humvee's shaky record in the Middle East, where it was susceptible to ambushes and improvised explosive devices. The response was to create a larger vehicle with better body armor and more high-tech electronics.
The armor and extra battery power for the electronics require a bigger, heavier vehicle with a more powerful, and louder, engine. The decreased visibility is another trade-off of loading the vehicle with more armor so it is better able to withstand an enemy attack. Much of the Pentagon's plan to address the identified shortcomings is classified, implying that the Army is willing to live with the issues and adjust tactics instead of demand wholesale changes to the design.
As Oshkosh gains experience manufacturing the vehicle and the military gains experience maintaining it, some of the issues should resolve themselves. Others are design trade-offs that the Pentagon recognized going into the procurement process. Importantly, the audit did conclude that the JLTV is "operationally effective" to be used in combat and tactical missions, so despite the issues, the government has concluded the vehicle is able to do what it is supposed to do.
Starring in a Super Bowl ad with LeBron James
Jan 10, 2020
https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...-gm-general-motorselectric-pickup/4434550002/
General Motors is bringing back the name Hummer, but not the whole brand.
The automaker will build an all-electric pickup dubbed Hummer to be sold within the GMC brand in early 2022, according to a person familiar with GM's product plan. The story was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.
NBA superstar LeBron James will promote Hummer’s return, said the person, who wasn't authorized to speak about the program. GM will also air a commercial during the Super Bowl next month.
GM declined to comment on the report.
As the Detroit Free Press reported in October, GM planned to build a new group of premium electric pickups and other vehicles such as SUVs at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant beginning in late 2021.
At that time, people familiar with the program told the Free Press that GM was considering reviving the long-gone Hummer brand on some of those vehicles.
2008 Hummer HX concept vehicle
The Pentagon Just Slammed This Contractor's Flagship Vehicle
The initial reports are discouraging, but the Humvee replacement can still be a winner.
23 Apr 2019
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/02/28/the-pentagon-just-slammed-this-contractors-flagshi.aspx
The first Oshkosh-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) were fielded at Fort Stewart in Georgia in mid-January, a major milestone for one of the Army's priority replacement programs. But according to an annual report prepared by the Pentagon's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, those vehicles suffer from a range of issues in areas including "reliability, maintainability, training, manuals, crew situational awareness, and safety."
The vehicle will likely require more maintenance than the Humvee, the audit warns, with a greater reliance on contractors to perform that maintenance due to its "poor manuals, and the challenges with troubleshooting the vehicle." The close-combat version is "not operationally effective for use in combat and tactical missions" at this time, the audit warns, because the missile reload process "is slow and difficult for crews," and the JLTV provides poor visibility for crews.
The vehicle is also at a greater risk of being detected on the battlefield because of its larger size and greater noise signature, the report found.
Trade-offs, teething, and training
The report is a black eye for the JLTV, but some of the complaints are issues typical for a new program, and they can be addressed in later manufacturing batches. The vehicles have engine wiring issues and brake system faults that need to be redesigned, and in some cases, the doors would jam and prevent a quick exit from the vehicle.
Other issues are tied to design choices made by the Pentagon. The JLTV from the beginning was meant to improve upon the Humvee's shaky record in the Middle East, where it was susceptible to ambushes and improvised explosive devices. The response was to create a larger vehicle with better body armor and more high-tech electronics.
The armor and extra battery power for the electronics require a bigger, heavier vehicle with a more powerful, and louder, engine. The decreased visibility is another trade-off of loading the vehicle with more armor so it is better able to withstand an enemy attack. Much of the Pentagon's plan to address the identified shortcomings is classified, implying that the Army is willing to live with the issues and adjust tactics instead of demand wholesale changes to the design.
As Oshkosh gains experience manufacturing the vehicle and the military gains experience maintaining it, some of the issues should resolve themselves. Others are design trade-offs that the Pentagon recognized going into the procurement process. Importantly, the audit did conclude that the JLTV is "operationally effective" to be used in combat and tactical missions, so despite the issues, the government has concluded the vehicle is able to do what it is supposed to do.
