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Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
5 of the Most Unique Car Features for 2025
Just when we thought a refrigerated armrest cooler was the ultimate feature a vehicle could have, we are proven dead wrong. Innovation is key in the automotive industry, and whether those innovations are related to safety, comfort, or convenience, there's no question that some features were the result of some very deep thinking. There are certainly automotive features almost no one uses, but there are some that make us applaud based on their sheer brilliance. For 2025, there are unique features, both real-world practical and highly technological, that change the entire experience of vehicle ownership. Here are five of the most unique car features for 2025. The Hummer's revival brings back the massive ethos of the military-to-civilian beast to the 21st century with the exclusively plug-in electric power of the 2025 GMC Hummer EV in pickup and SUV variants ($99,045). Not only is it opulent and powerful, but it's also almost balletic when spaces shrink. The colossal Hummer EV sometimes needs help in tight quarters. Thankfully, GMC engineers came up with a special four-wheel steering system known as CrabWalk, which enables all four wheels to turn in the same direction by up to 10 degrees. Some vehicles have four-wheel steering, but the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels for tighter turns. The Crab Walk feature allows the Hummer EV to move diagonally without altering the angle of the body. This makes navigating tight trails or cramped urban spaces with remarkable agility a breeze for something this big. It works at a maximum of 1.2 mph, so don't think of threading the needle between two minivans on the highway. Learn more here. Oh, to live the convertible life. It's wonderful when it's warm and sunny, but not so much when the temperatures drop. Mercedes makes it possible to not look (or feel) like a shivering fool with the top down thanks to its brilliant Airscarf and Aircap that are standard in the 2025 CLE-Class Cabriolet ($66,450). The Airscarf is located in the backrests of the front seats, blowing warm air through the headrests. The nozzles can be adjusted up or down to accommodate occupants of different heights, and they automatically adjust based on interior temperatures, exterior temperatures, and the speed at which the car is traveling. It combines with the Aircap, a system that utilizes two wind deflectors, one on the trailing edge of the windscreen that can be extended at the touch of a button, and a second automatic wind deflector between the head restraints in the rear. It reduces turbulence and keeps the warm air in the cabin. Together, the system extends the top-down season and almost justifies the extra cost of the Cabriolet style. The Aircap can also be used in hot weather to keep the cabin cool when the top is down. Learn more here. Midway through the year, Volvo refreshed its XC90 ($59,745) three-row mild hybrid steed with updates to its front fascia, as well as an updated dashboard, better sound-deadening, revised suspension tuning, and a new 11.2-inch infotainment screen. The brand remains all about safety with numerous innovations. Case in point, their ingenious Integrated Child Seat. This isn't some new feature, as Volvo created its first one in 1990 and modified it in 2007 to accommodate the varying heights of children. Moreover, the seat is meant to eliminate the risk that seat belt slack creates when using a separate aftermarket booster seat. Just pull it up from the adult position, and it locks into place. There's no extra equipment required, and it easily retracts for grown-ups. More carmakers should implement this brilliant idea. Learn more here. There are good car seats, and then there are great ones. The 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label ($116,495) has standard 30-Way Perfect Position Seats that are easily the latter. Since everyone's body is different, the Perfect Position Seats' level of customization can accommodate just about anyone. Inspired by executive office and private jet seats, Perfect Position Seats are aptly named. There are two sections on the seat upper, one that supports the shoulders and the other that provides suspension for the back. The power thigh bolsters are divided into right and left sections that can be extended, raised, and lowered individually. The bolsters for the shoulders, back, and cushion can also be adjusted separately. The power headrest can even move up/down as well as forward/back. Lincoln also includes heating and ventilation, as well as the Active Motion customizable massage feature. These are the car seats that you'll never want to get out of. Learn more here. The 2025 Rivian R1T ($69,900) is one of the most innovative pickup trucks, and not just because it's fully electric. The R1T provides up to 420 miles of range on a full charge and as much as 1,050 horsepower from four electric motors. But it's more than just an electric powerhouse; it's a storage master. Due to the lack of a transmission tunnel like gas vehicles, the R1T makes use of its space with a Gear Tunnel Storage section that opens up both sides of the vehicle to 11.7 cubic feet of separated storage. It's 65 inches long, watertight, and even has a rubberized high-traction lining, so you can store muddy and sloppy gear without fear of messing up the cabin. It also features 120V and 12V ports, LED lights, and compartment doors that can hold 250 pounds for convenient seating. Learn more here. These special car features, both standard and optional, are excellent examples of innovative thinking in the automotive industry. While none of these five features is required to properly operate a vehicle, they're fantastic to have. From retractable booster seats to pass-through gear storage, these ingenious features change the car ownership experience for the better. We can't wait to see what carmakers will think of next. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
2026 GMC Hummer EV: Faster, smarter and packed with new tech
2026 GMC Hummer EV: Faster, smarter and packed with new tech Show Caption Hide Caption Chinese EV battery maker shows new tech US consumers can't buy At the Shanghai Auto Show, Chinese EV battery giant CATL revealed new technologies, but none are likely to reach US consumers anytime soon. Straight Arrow News One of the most astonishing aspects of the 2025 GMC Hummer EV pickup is that this 9,000-pound electric behemoth can go from a standstill to 60 mph in three seconds. A second cool feature is Crab Walk, enabling the truck to seemingly sashay from side to side with the front and rear wheels turned in the same direction. Apparently, those party tricks were not enough for GMC, today's curator of the Hummer brand. The automaker has found a way to improve both Hummer features. This means the huge truck launches even quicker, and all eighteen feet of its length can be steered with greater precision and the ability to navigate even tighter turns off-road. GM has used software updates to enhance the truck for the 2026 model year. The '26 Hummer comes out later this year, so there's a bit of a wait, but also some of the improvements will be sent over the air to prior models, so current owners aren't totally left out. The Hummer is the first software-defined vehicle for GM, meaning new features or performance are added or can be unlocked via software over time. The hardware for the improvements has been in place since 2022. The advanced platform and electrical architecture of the truck make it possible to continue to make improvements and add features with software. As GM gathers more data about its vehicles, it also reveals more ways to unlock more performance and capability. More neck-snapping launches By optimizing the software and propulsion calibration, engineers say they have shaved 0.2 seconds off the launch time in the 2026 Hummer EV pickup. With its large 24-module battery pack and two motors in the rear and one up front for a combined 1,160 hp and about 1,200 lb-ft of torque, the improvements spell a new time: 2.8 seconds to hit 60 mph. This is exclusive to the 2026 model, at least for now. It starts with a limited production run of the Hummer EV Carbon Fiber Edition pickup and SUV, based on the top 3X trim. The ability is there to unlock the extra performance on prior models in the future. Launching Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode for max acceleration is unchanged: double press the traction control button, acknowledge you want WTF mode, feel the haptic seat start to vibrate in anticipation, hear the sound amp up and the graphics light up. The vehicle will lower in preparation, the battery temperature is optimized, and a message tells the driver to put their left foot on the brake, right foot on the accelerator, and then the digital drive coach tells you to 'floor it' by releasing the brake. The vehicle crouches and unleashes. Your neck snaps back. You can't help laughing out loud as the G-forces hit your body and this driveway-cracking monstrosity takes off like it was fired from a gun. In case you missed it: The 15 quickest pickup trucks MotorTrend has ever tested Time to giggle Experiencing it as a passenger while an engineer did repeated launches in a prototype, the gauges showed acceleration of 0.8-G as the truck quickly hit 96 mph. The next launch had a bit of a wiggle and hop as the vehicle crouched back on its haunches, nose pointed upward before it lunged forward and was soon at 101 mph. The impact is like being hit full force from the rear. For comparison: the GMC Sierra EV, with a Max Power mode, needs 4.5 seconds to hit 60 — way longer, even though it shares some hardware with the Hummer. For an engineer like Aaron Phau, achieving 2.8 seconds not only feels different, it is also an emotional achievement to be under the 3.0 second mark. 'It is an exciting day in a development engineer's life,' said the vehicle performance manager for battery electric trucks. You can stay in the mode for as long as you want and do repeated launches. The only degradation is that when range gets below 50 percent, you will feel a slight drop-off in performance, Phau says. When you are done with your fun, get out of WTF mode so the vehicle will return to normal drive height for daily driving. So how did GM do it? Inverter limits were increased to extract more power from the battery to the drive units. Engineers also recalibrated the slip targets to manage wheel slip with the extra power and manage the torque. Ride quality was also enhanced with more control from the electronically controlled semi-active dampers. The spring rates remain the same, but the amount of damping force is increased so more force can be applied to manage vertical motion. GM also changed the way the control units are managed to unlock more power. The faster launch will not be available on the GMC Hummer SUV because, with its smaller footprint, it can only fit the smaller 20-module battery pack. Not that the SUV is a slouch: it can still hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. And while there are boost systems for the Sierra EV and the Chevrolet Silverado EV, those trucks have a different suspension and cannot be lowered to the same extent for launch as the Hummer. Remembering our favorite models: The most significant cars of the 2000s Adding King Crab to the menu One of the most eye-catching Hummer tricks is Crab Walk, where the four wheels are pointed in the same direction, allowing the truck to scuttle ahead on a diagonal path to get out of tight situations. The King Crab off-road rear-steer mode has the front and rear wheels turned in opposite directions, with the rear wheels spinning significantly faster, to help make, say, a sharp angled maneuver around a tree. It helps the rear end of the vehicle swing around, avoiding a two- or three-point turn. It also makes it easier to find good placement if stuck going up loose rocks for more traction to try again. Camera views show the position of the wheels, as well as the terrain they are covering. King Crab allows the driver to position the truck more accurately and execute with greater precision. We rode along on an off-road course where the wide truck made sharp turns around trees that would have required a multi-point turn without the feature. Regular Crab Walk is helpful if you slide down a ditch, it will help walk the truck back up without the rear end sliding back down. But King Crab is the feature for a tight turn with all four wheels working to find grip. It is one more tool to make off-roading more fun, says ride and handling engineer Mike Burns. Solving the mystery mode Like Crab walk, you push a button on the drive mode dial to enable King Crab. Crab Walk is in the 9-o'clock position; King Crab will be at 3 o'clock on 2026 models. An over-the-air update will activate it on older models. On those, King Crab will be in the same position, filling the 'mystery mode' spot on current models with its triangular graphic that was a holding spot for a future feature. This is the feature. Why not just make the more extreme rear wheel steering standard, giving the truck a tighter turning radius at all times? Most people will keep it on all the time, but there are instances where you don't want it, like backing up with a trailer where you want it off, Burns says. The GMC Sierra EV pickup is offered with Crab Walk and the Chevrolet Silverado EV has a similar system it calls Sidewinder mode, but they will not get King Crab. It is exclusive to Hummer which boasts unexpected and unmatched capability, Burns said. 'There's nothing else out there that has these features.' King Crab will be standard across the 2X and 3X Pickup and SUV trims for the 2026 model year. It will also go out to all 2022 through 2025 Hummer EV pickup and SUV owners through an over-the-air update later this year. Updates to the 2026 GMC Hummer For the 2026 model year, the Hummers also add bi-directional charging to allow vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-vehicle charging capability. The 2026 Hummer will have three new exterior and three new interior colors, a new off-road wheel design, a higher-resolution infotainment screen, and enhanced Super Cruise for hands-free driving with lane change. The 2026 Carbon Fiber Edition trucks and SUVs have their own distinctive matte gray exterior and ember interior, unique 22-inch carbon fiber black wheels, all-terrain tires, carbon fiber inserts in the hood, mirror caps and skid plate, black approach shield and tonneau cover. Production begins at Factory Zero later this year. Pricing has not been announced. As for those rumors about bringing back a Hummer with an internal combustion engine — if GM is working on it, it is news to engineers like Phau. Photos by manufacturer
WIRED
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- WIRED
GM's New Battery Tech Could Be a Breakthrough for Affordable EVs
May 13, 2025 10:00 AM General Motors has cracked the chemistry of lower-cost, energy-dense electric vehicle batteries. Budget-conscious gasoline holdouts may soon have no excuse. Photograph: Steve Fecht for General Motors General Motors is bringing in potentially groundbreaking new battery tech that not only has 30 percent more energy density at the existing production cost for cells, but would also circumvent China's stranglehold on intellectual property for EV batteries. The company even claims this new type of battery pack could lower the cost of its electric SUVs so they're comparable to their gasoline counterparts. The news came today as GM has announced it will use lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery cells in its largest electric vehicles, the full-size trucks and SUVs sold by Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac. They are to be produced by Ultium Cells, its joint-venture battery company with LG Energy Solutions. The first such cells will come from a pilot line in 2027, with full volume production in 2028 at a plant it hasn't yet disclosed. The new cells are in the prismatic format, versus Ultium's current pouch cells, which use a nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum (NCMA) chemistry. Those cells, in large standardized modules, power GM's entire current EV lineup, from the compact Chevrolet Equinox EV all the way up to the GMC Hummer EV. The new prismatic cells appear even larger than Ultium's pouch cells, though GM did not provide dimensions. They will be housed in modules that, overall, have 50 percent fewer parts than their predecessors. That may prevent delays like those that delayed volume production of its Ultium modules by 12 to 18 months, pushing deliveries of several models from late 2022 to early 2024. Lower Cost, Higher Energy Density A full-size prototype GM LMR battery cell. GM has apparently prototyped 300 full-size LMR cells to crack the code on the new chemistry that offers up a third more energy density at no extra production cost. Photograph: Steve Fecht for General Motors Crucially, GM claims its Ultium battery engineers have created a chemistry that provides one-third greater energy density than comparable lithium iron-phosphate (LFP)—at a comparable cell cost. China owns virtually all the intellectual property around LFP chemistry, which costs less in materials than NMCA because it uses none of those metals. The tradeoff for lower cost is lower energy density by volume. The earliest NMC cells used roughly equal thirds of nickel, manganese, and cobalt. GM's current 'high-nickel' Ultium cells swapped out much of that cobalt for nickel, while adding aluminum as well. They use, said GM battery engineer Andy Oury, roughly 5 percent cobalt and 10 percent manganese, with the rest being nickel and aluminum. The LMR cells, however, substitute manganese—which is cheaper and more globally plentiful—for some of the pricier nickel and virtually all of the cobalt. They are, Oury said, 60 to 70 percent manganese, 30 to 40 percent nickel, and only up to 2 percent nickel. The new chemistry, in a second type of cell, will also use a new module format. Standardized Ultium NMCA modules for every vehicle were the right solution for GM to launch its current lineup of 12 different EV models, its execs said. Going forward, the company envisions using different chemistries for different purposes: NMCA for high-performance and its most capable models, now LMR for long range at lower cost, and LFP for its least expensive models. Cheap Long-Range Electric SUVs and Trucks So if LMR chemistry actually produces a cell that costs as little to make as LFP with greater energy density, that could be a game changer—including for North American competitiveness against China in the critical sphere of battery development and production. 'LMR will complement our high-nickel and iron-phosphate solutions to expand customer choice in the truck and full-size SUV markets,' said Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of battery, propulsion, and sustainability. It will, he said, 'advance American battery innovation, and create jobs well into the future.' A battery technician at the General Motors Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center in Warren, Michigan takes a chemistry slurry sample. Photograph: Steve Fecht for General Motors Specifically, LMR packs will lower the cost of some full-size EV truck and SUV models to bring their prices closer to those of their gasoline counterparts. That's crucial to boosting sales of the full-size EV models, which have not so far reached the same volumes and market penetrations as those of GM's compact and midsize EV crossovers. GM has said little about its plans for cells using the third chemistry, lithium-iron phosphate. However, the upcoming 2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV—a reboot of the compact hatchback that was its first and only battery-electric model from 2017 through 2022—has long been expected to use LFP cells to keep its price close to the $30,000 level of earlier models. Expect more details within weeks or months. Tesla's Ex-Battery Chief at Work Hiring Kelty was a coup for GM, given his previous 11-year tenure as Tesla's battery czar—and 15 years before that with Japanese cell maker Panasonic. He told WIRED he arrived at GM with 'some preconceptions' about what directions the company should take for its cells going forward. He was, he said, initially resistant to the idea of using LMR cell chemistry, but GM's own battery engineers had worked on developing the chemistry since 2015—and persisted in their advocacy. LMR's clear advantages, Kelty said, ultimately brought him around. Its cell partner LG Energy Solutions brought its own portfolio of more than 200 LMR patents dating back to 2010 to the table, and this week's announcement is the result. A GM battery technician aligning electrodes on an anode sample for a prototype LMR battery cell. Photograph: Steve Fecht for General Motors 'LMR' is not yet an industry-standard term for the battery chemistry; following the formats of the other two, it should really be 'LMN,' for lithium-manganese-nickel. Regardless of name, GM hopes to be the first to bring it to market in volume. Ford used the same term and beat GM to the punch on the PR front when Charles Poon, its global director of electrified propulsion engineering, published a LinkedIn post in late April. That post said Ford had developed 'a game-changing battery chemistry that will lead to enhanced safety, lower cost and industry-leading energy density' it was working to integrate into Ford electric vehicles 'within this decade'. GM's LMR announcement, while later, specified the year 2028.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Does the Slate Truck Mark a New Era for Electric Vehicles?
Sure, the 1,000-horsepower GMCHummer EV might be the stuff of dreams, and maybe you have a poster on your bedroom wall of the 258-mph capable Rimac Nevera, but unless you're also willing to drop a fantastical amount of coin, these vehicles are not realistically attainable for most people. Dream cars have always existed, and the world is surely a better place because of them, but it seems that more brands these days are focusing their efforts on striking, mind-blowing, and utterly unaffordable EVs that draw in more attention for brands than they do sales. Examples such as Cadillac's gorgeous, $300,000+ Celestiq and Rolls-Royce's Spectre–which costs nearly half a million dollars when optioned well and after taxes–come to mind here. All these lush and lavish luxury EVs bring about plenty of hype for electric cars in general, but whatever happened to the idea of switching to an EV to make one's life easier and more affordable? Sure, there are reasonably affordable EV options out there, like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Bolt, but both of those vehicles' current generations spawned around 2017, and aside from aesthetic facelifts and minor enhancements, nothing has really changed since then. So then, if you're in the market for a truly inexpensive electric vehicle, you'd be hard-pressed to find an option that isn't bland and dated. Then, out of the blue, comes the Slate EV: a completely modular pickup truck that can also be a boxy SUV and even a fastback. With an expected starting price of around $27,000, the Slate could cost even less than $20,000 so long as federal EV tax credits stay in place. Although the Slate's proposed range of 150 miles with the standard battery or 240 miles with the extended range battery isn't particularly noteworthy, it's pretty much on par with the similarly priced Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt. Where it strays from its aged rivals, however, is in its format. Instead of offering yet another blobby hatchback with a raised roof, Slate decided to try something new by reviving something lost: the (truly) small pickup truck. Small pickup trucks are making a comeback, and Ford has been capitalizing on the segment's popularity for some time now with the Maverick, which starts as low as $28,145. Hyundai has joined in on the fun, too, offering up its Santa Cruz pickup, which starts at a similar $28,750. Even without the federal EV tax incentives, the Slate EV pickup could offer an all-electric alternative for even less money than the Ford and Hyundai. What you will sacrifice in return for battery power, however, is size, but if I've learned anything in my many years, size isn't everything–it's how you use it. Slate uses its size to its advantage, and minimalism is the name of the game here. Instead of developing an intricate infotainment system at a cost to buyers, Slate simply gives you a mount for your iPhone or iPad. Like listening to music while you drive? You can have integrated speakers if you'd like, or you can save your money and simply opt for the Bluetooth speaker mount. Essentially, Slate has recognized a market that other manufacturers have neglected. Where I live, at least, small Japanese pickup trucks from the 80s and 90s still litter the roads like rusty cockroaches that refuse to die. They are extremely popular with young people because they can be had for dirt cheap, can take a serious beating, and have enough space for 2-3 occupants and as much junk as you can throw in the bed. Need room for bikes, surfboards, mattresses, or even more occupants, depending on your local laws or your willingness to bend them? A Nissan D21 Hardbody or similar will tick all of those boxes. Somewhere along the way, in the early to mid-2000s, manufacturers simply stopped producing basic trucks like these, and the barrier of entry into the midsize pickup segment has grown costlier and costlier ever since. Slate Auto's new electric truck will offer those who might otherwise buy a rather beaten-up Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Hardbody a similar package, without the necessity of the odd weekend rust repair job or costly fill-ups at the pump. What makes Slate's truck such a revolutionary EV is not that it has mind-boggling power figures, long enough range to travel the entire circumference of the Earth's surface, or even that it'll be incredibly affordable. The Slate truck's excellence lies in the fact that it might just be the most in-touch product we've seen from an auto manufacturer in years–it's exactly what people have been waiting for. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Photo Gallery
If the Cadillac Escalade IQ isn't the biggest all-electric SUV the earth has ever seen, then what is? Maybe some mining machine. The EV SUV offers up to 460 miles of range (in extended IQL trim), 750 hp, 8,000 pounds towing, and 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds. It's part of the anomaly of big, heavy, quick SUVs from General Motors like the GMC Hummer EV and Silverado EV that defy physics—and defy it well. Pricing will defy your budget: It ranges from around $130,000 to over $150,000. Ouch. On sale now and there's plenty of 'em on dealer lots. Cadillac's all-electric Optiq (left) and Escalade iQ.
