2013 GMC Bi-Fuel Pickup Unveiled

GMC Sierra gaseous option available in late 2012

Oshawa, Ont. (March 22, 2012) ? GMC  announced details of General Motors' bi-fuel 2013  GMC Sierra 2500 HD extended cab pickup trucks.  Fleet and retail consumers can place orders late this year. 

The vehicles include a compressed natural gas (CNG) capable Vortec 6.0L V8 engine that seamlessly transitions between CNG and gasoline fuel systems. Combined, the trucks are expected to offer a range of more than 1000 kilometres. The Sierra will be available in standard and long box, with either two- or four-wheel drive.

"The bi-fuel GMC Sierra provide customers with choices in advanced propulsion technology, and because CNG is a clean-burning, domestically produced fuel, it has wide appeal, "said Ed Peper, general manager, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations. "The addition of a full-size bi-fuel pickup truck to GM's fleet portfolio is another milestone in putting the customer first in everything we do ? by offering great products, innovative solutions and a great customer experience."

GM is the only manufacturer to offer a single-source option for its gaseous fuel vehicles.  The bi-fuel trucks are built with a specially designed engine, the fuel system is installed by GM's Tier One supplier and the completed vehicle is delivered directly to the customer. This process makes ordering the bi-fuel option as seamless and efficient as a standard vehicle.

"The bi-fuel truck provides businesses with added re-fueling flexibility and eases consumer range concerns that typically come with CNG, all while reducing emissions and controlling costs,"  said Joyce Mattman, director, GM Commercial Product and Specialty Vehicles. "This turnkey ordering process, combined with the best warranty in the industry for a commercial product, makes our bi-fuel truck an attractive option, especially for commercial customers."

The bi-fuel commercial trucks will be covered by GM's three-year, 60,000-kilometre new vehicle limited warranty and five-year, 160,000-kilometre limited powertrain warranty and vehicle emissions warranty, meeting all Environment Canada emission requirements. It is the most extensive warranty offered by any manufacturer on commercial products.

The trucks are built in Fort Wayne, Ind., and then sent to the Tier One supplier for installation of the CNG bi-fuel delivery and storage system.  The entire gaseous fuel system meets GM's strict quality, durability, safety testing and is covered under the extensive warranty.

Source: GM

GMC Acadia Has Jet Fighter Technology, Room for Eight

Brand continues leadership in automotive heads-up display innovation.

DETROIT  Owners of the 2012 GMC Acadia midsize crossover can safely merge onto the highway using technology similar to what fighter pilots use to guide precise movements at supersonic speeds. The vehicle's optional heads-up display, or HUD, was born out of aerospace research.

 "With these devices, the main benefit is seeing important information without the distraction of looking down," said Wen Wu, a Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science researcher.

"The technology is useful but challenging. The key issue is deciding what to display, where to display, when to display, and how to display," Wu said.  "A square doesn't look like a square when projected on a curved windshield, so there is a lot of correction involved in designing these systems."

Acadia's HUD works by projecting information from within the dashboard, using two mirrors to reflect a crisp digital image off the windshield so that it appears to the driver to be floating in front of the vehicle's bumper. Drivers can adjust the brightness of the image, its location on the windshield or even turn the image off altogether.

Viewable information includes speed and tachometer readings, vehicle warnings, turn signal activation, outside temperature and other vehicle and radio information.

Cynthia Houeiss, lead General Motors electrical vehicle systems engineer for Acadia, said company engineers have come a long way in the integration of head's up displays into the vehicle.

"The HUD in the 2012 GMC Acadia is completely integrated into the vehicle and its styling," she said. "It was styled as part of the instrument panel, instead of being an afterthought or add-on."

The heads-up display is part of an available technology package on the Acadia and is standard on the Acadia Denali, and will be available on the redesigned 2013 model.

A technology invented for fighter jets to help pilots keep their eyes on the skies around them, HUDs were first implemented in automobiles in the late 1980s by GM. Since then, GM has been a leader in the area, with patented technology that makes the 2012 Acadia's system an industry leader.

Further advancements in head-up display technology are ongoing. General Motors R&D and several universities are working on a system that would use data gathered from an array of vehicle sensors and cameras and project images generated by compact ultra violet lasers directly onto the entire surface of the windshield.

"We're looking to create enhanced vision systems," said Thomas Seder, group lab manager-GM R&D. "Let's say you're driving in fog. We could use the vehicle's infrared cameras to identify where the edge of the road is and the lasers could 'paint' the edge of the road onto the windshield so the driver knows where the edge of the road is."

General Motors has turned the "automotive safety cocoon" into a reality by rolling out a vehicle with the industry's first front center air bag.

 The new GMC Acadia will feature air bags on both sides of the driver -- above and below the shoulder -- as well is in the front. With the new setup, drivers will essentially be surrounded by cushioning, GM said.

"This is significant," Russ Rader, vice president of communications for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told us. This setup "has real potential to save lives in side-impact crashes."

 The new bag, which pops out of the right side of the driver's seat, specifically targets opposite-side crashes. For a driver, the real value is realized when the vehicle is struck on the right side. (For a passenger, it's when the vehicle is struck on the left side.)

 In a side crash, the occupant's upper body is forced toward the window, where it rebounds off the side curtain air bag. During that rebound, the upper body bounces back toward the center of the vehicle. That can cause a neck injury or, worse, cause the driver to bang heads with the front seat passenger, who is moving in the opposite direction. With a front center air bag, the occupant's momentum toward the center of the vehicle is cushioned.

 "Now, you're not going to fall too far over, and you won't hurt your neck," said Susan Eckel, vehicle chief engineer for the GMC Acadia and Denali. "And if you have a passenger, you won't hit heads."

The Acadia was a logical choice for the first center air bag, Eckel said. GM worked with the automotive supplier Takata Corp. on the bag's development. Optimizing the packaging, cushioning, and restraints took three years.

"You need to have enough available height to give the bag proper [crash] coverage," Eckel said. "And the side of the seat has to house the bag, so you need the seams on the seat to be just right."

 By introducing the center air bag, GM is at the tip of a trend that includes most of the industry. Many vehicles incorporate air bags for drivers, passengers, and rear seat occupants. Side curtain air bags are common, as are knee bags and front seat "outboard bags," which provide lateral support for the lower half of the body. 

GM said the front center air bag will also be available on the 2013 editions of the Buick Enclave and Chevy Traverse.

Rader of the Insurance Institute said GM's move to center air bags is a logical one. "It comes down to Packaging 101. The same thing you do to keep a fragile object safe in a box in transit is the same thing you need to do to protect people in a crash."

TORONTO (February 16, 2012)  The GMC Sierra All Terrain HD concept is an exploration of heavy-duty truck capability combined with greater off-road versatility. It is highlighted by a bold exterior design, enhanced all-terrain suspension and premium details expected of a GMC, all designed to enable greater access to off-road destinations.

 The new 2011 Sierra HD underpins the All Terrain HD concept, with a modified, production-based 4WD chassis and the Duramax diesel/Allison 1000 six-speed powertrain. The enhanced suspension and unique body dimensions, including increased ground clearance and wider track, as well as greater approach/departure angles, deliver off-road capability while maintaining HD levels of payload and trailering capacity.

 "The Sierra All Terrain HD concept takes GMC's outstanding new HD platform to the next level, marries it to the legendary Duramax diesel/Allison transmission, and provides a heavy-duty expression of GMC's premium All Terrain package," said Lisa Hutchinson, GMC product marketing director. "It delivers the exceptional capabilities of the Sierra HD, hauling, towing and performance, and applies them to the toughest driving environments. It's the ultimate professional-grade tool for construction crews, ranchers and adventurers whose activities aren't limited by where the pavement ends."

 The Sierra All Terrain HD features a unique five-foot, eight-inch Crew Cab/short box body configuration that supports a wheels-at-the-corners proportion. Shorter in overall length than production Sierra HD models, the concept's dimensions contribute to greater approach/departure angles. Additional off-road elements include:

Wider, 73-inch (1,853 mm) track for greater stability

Approximately 3 inches (76 mm) greater ground clearance

Custom front upper and lower control arms

Specially constructed Fox off-road shocks with remote fluid reservoirs (integrated in the wheel house liners)

Front and rear jounce shocks

Electronic front stabilizer bar disconnection

35-inch-tall BFGoodrich KM2 "mud terrain" tires mounted on 20-inch machined aluminum wheels

Full composite underbody protection.

"The capability-enhancing attributes of the Sierra All Terrain HD build on the already outstanding capabilities offered in the all-new production Sierra HD trucks," said Hutchinson. "Although it is strictly a concept, it is a pretty realistic one."

Purposeful design

 From every angle, the All Terrain HD looks the part of a dedicated off-road performer, with bold, accentuated features complemented by a wide stance and tall profile.

 Streamlined bumpers are designed to enhance approach/departure angles and incorporate frame-mounted recovery hooks, with integrated skid plates. A large, airflow-optimized grille maximizes cooling in tough conditions, while a forced-induction hood delivers more air to the Duramax diesel engine.

 "The design of the All Terrain HD is an expression of its capabilities, strong, functional and absolutely professional grade," said Carl Zipfel, design manager. "We're excited about the design elements and exploring how they could apply to future GMCs."

 Large fender flares stretch away from the body to cover the 35-inch-tall BFGoodrich tires. At the rear, the cargo box features lockable, lighted storage compartments, along with a number of tie-down cleats, including a pair in the bed floor and two on each side of the bed. A non-slip rubber pad is used on the tailgate, while two special compartments inside the cargo box provide access to a 110-volt power outlet and air compressor. A composite bed liner with a unique "circuit board" pattern provides a protective cover for the bed.

 Motorized, deployable assist steps for the cab and cargo bed make it easier to enter and exit the All Terrain HD, while maximizing ground clearance during off-road driving. It also incorporates a number of industrial-grade lighting elements to provide greater visibility for safer driving where stars may be the only other source of illumination. The lighting details include:

 High-intensity LED headlamp, taillamp and fog lamp lighting mounted in impact-resistant composite housings and featuring edge-lit illumination

High-intensity LED park and turn signal lamps

Smooth-appearance front marker lamps integrated behind the top edge of the windshield glass

Integrated center high-mounted stop lamp and rear marker lights mounted at the top edge of the rear window glass

LED floodlights for the cargo bed and assist steps.

The All Terrain HD is painted Iridium Metallic, a dark charcoal color that reveals a reddish, anodized inflection when viewed from certain angles. It complements other anodized and satin-metal finishes on the exterior, which give the truck a more precise and functional appearance.

 The interior matches the exterior aesthetic, with premium appointments and increased functionality, including enhanced lighting. It conveys solidity and precision, blending accent details such as stainless steel mesh and satin chrome with an amplified expression of the All Terrain's premium features. Two-tone dark gray leather seats, matched with embossed carbon fiber-style leather on the seating surfaces, have red contrast stitching.  Additional leather-wrapped interior features include the steering wheel, instrument panel and center console.

A new navigation radio is also featured on the Sierra All Terrain HD concept and previews future radios to be offered in GMC vehicles. An integrated 80-gig hard drive contains map data for the navigation system. It eliminates the need for a map disc and provides greater storage of music from portable devices. It also features DVR-style "time lapse playback," which allows up to 20 minutes of recording/playback from the AM/FM/XM radio stations.

 All Terrain chassis and suspension

 Based on the chassis of the 2011 Sierra HD trucks, the All Terrain HD features a fully boxed steel frame with exceptional strength and torsional stiffness. It incorporates the production models' new independent front suspension and asymmetrical rear leaf-spring suspensions, but with a wider 73-inch (1,853 mm) track (front and rear) that enhances stability during off-road and highway driving. A production Sierra 2500HD has front and rear tracks of 68.8 inches (1,748 mm) and 67.3 inches (1,709 mm), respectively.

 An increased ride height provides greater ground clearance of 21.1 inches (536 mm) at the rockers and 11.8 inches (300 mm) at the skid plates, while specialized Fox off-road shocks deliver exceptional damping on tough terrain. They were created specially for the All Terrain HD, with specific valving. The shocks feature visible, remote fluid reservoirs, connected to the shock bodies via custom hoses, mounted in the wheel house liners and are matched with front and rear jounce shocks. They add additional compression damping and more controlled rebound, which helps increase control, stability and handling.

 The All Terrain HD also features electronic disconnection of the front stabilizer bar, which enables greater crawling capability on rocky terrain. The driver simply pushes a button inside the cab to disconnect it from the front suspension.

 Custom upper and lower control arms for the front suspension are designed to work with the Fox off-road shocks and jounce shocks, while supporting the greater ground clearance and ride height. They contribute to the wider track, as do the aggressive 20-inch machined aluminum all-terrain wheels. The wheels are deep, with six split-spoke elements, and are constructed in a reverse drop-flange method that ensures optimal strength. They also feature a mix of satin chrome and anodized aluminum finishes, which provide durability and a premium appearance that complements the body's Iridium Metallic color.

 A full composite underbody protection system shields the All Terrain HD's transmission, drivetrain, fuel tank, exhaust system and axle differentials. It starts with the front bumper, which rolls beneath the truck and leads to a composite, integral belly pan that covers a front suspension skid plate. Protective covers are also mounted beneath the driveline components, while the front and rear differentials feature direct-mounted skid plates. The rear bumper is integrated with the rear skid plate.

 Powertrain details

 The Sierra All Terrain HD concept is propelled by the new, production 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V-8 and Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission powertrain combination offered in the 2011 Sierra HD trucks. The Duramax is rated at 397 horsepower (296 kW) and 765 lb.-ft. of torque (1,037 Nm).

 The powerful 6.6L Duramax is more fuel-efficient, with up to 11-percent greater fuel economy than previous versions, and reduces NOx emissions by up to 63 percent. The powertrain's efficiency is assisted by the Allison 1000 transmission, which requires less engine power to funnel torque to the axles. It also incorporates a "smart" exhaust brake feature that helps save wear on the brakes on downhill grades, a feature available on production Sierra HDs.

 With the same proven powertrain as production Sierra HD trucks, the All Terrain HD delivers comparable hauling and towing capabilities, including:

 Estimated payload capacity of 2,700 pounds (1,225 kg)

Estimated conventional towing capacity of 13,000 pounds (5,896 kg)

Estimated fifth-wheel towing capacity of 15,600 pounds (7,076 kg).

The Sierra All Terrain HD also features four-wheel drive, with automatic locking front and rear differentials, while the 14-inch, four-wheel disc brake system from the production Sierra HD provides the stopping power for this unique off-roader.

GMC SIERRA ALL TERRAIN HD CONCEPT SPECIFICATIONS

Note: Information shown is current at time of publication.

In an era where cars and trucks double as online data and information portals, General Motors has created a first-of-its-kind gigantic signal-testing facility to keep data, cellular and other signals active in areas where wireless signal strength is limited.  The Yukon Denali is one of the first vehicles to benefit from the technology, which looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.

GM created the world's first vehicle-sized electronically modulated spherical near-field antenna testing system, or ATS, in partnership with transmission tech giant SATIMO SA (Sociétéd Applications Technologiques de l'Imagerie Micro-Onde SA). Resembling one-half of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the $750,000 ATS beams signals from 103 discrete probes down to a vehicle on a rotating platform.

The data is used to optimize satellite antenna design and placement on GMC and other GM vehicles.

There are only two other vehicle antenna validation systems like this anywhere in the world, said Janalee Graham, who runs ATS "arch" testing for GM. And ours was the first.

The ATS system lets us test the antenna systems on the GMC Yukon Denali in virtually every possible real-world condition, said Graham. What would take other automakers days of testing can be done in minutes with this system.

Graham confesses to dragging her family to remote parts of the country to spot test XM satellite radio and OnStar signals on GMC trucks and SUVs.

They've been unwittingly pulled into my antenna obsession on several occasions while traveling.

What's her favorite arch?

I've been to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and even the golden arches, she said, but GM's SATIMO ATS arch is my favorite.

GM's antenna testing system is one of many behind-the-scenes facilities that make the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali a technology leader. Other technologies available on the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali, such as regenerative braking and active fuel management, are designed to provide efficiency, refinement and comfort without sacrificing professional grade capability.