The Latest News, Rumors and Changes in the Truck World

Wagoneer Grows Lineup with Extended L Models, Hurricane Twin-turbo Engines

 Wagoneer, the premium extension of the Jeep brand, continues to grow. At the 2022 New York International Auto Show, the new extended, long-wheelbase 2023 Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L, along with the new 2023 Wagoneer L Carbide and the all-new Hurricane twin-turbo engine family, took center stage, bolstering the award-winning lineup that has set the benchmark for American premium SUVs.

The new 2023 Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L are 12 inches longer overall (226.7 inches) than the standard-wheelbase models. They feature a 130-inch wheelbase (+7 inches compared to standard wheelbase) and up to 44.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row (+15.8 cubic feet compared to standard wheelbase). The 2023 Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L are designed and engineered to provide unmatched comfort for up to eight passengers and ample cargo room for oversized gear. They also deliver the attributes of the standard-wheelbase versions, including legendary capability from three available 4×4 systems, exceptional driving dynamics, best-in-class towing capability of up to 10,000 pounds, and advanced safety and technology.

The all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine family delivers more horsepower, more torque, and less emissions than many competitors’ naturally aspirated V-8 and boosted six-cylinder engines. The Hurricane twin-turbo engine achieves its V-8-rivaling performance while being up to 15% more efficient than larger engines. The Wagoneer L features the Hurricane twin-turbo engine, which produces 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque. The Grand Wagoneer L sports the new high-output Hurricane twin-turbo 510, which delivers 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. Both engines return an estimated one to two miles per gallon (mpg) combined-rating improvement compared with the existing V-8 engines. For the 2022 model year, a special run of Hurricane twin-turbo 510 will be available on Grand Wagoneer, with ordering now available at dealers. A standard, robust TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission optimizes engine output with smooth gear changes and provides efficient power delivery at highway speeds.

The 2023 Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L are built alongside the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer at the Warren (Michigan) Truck Assembly Plant, part of the company’s $4.5 billion commitment to invest in five existing Michigan manufacturing facilities and build a new assembly plant in the city of Detroit to meet the growing demand for Jeep, Wagoneer and Ram vehicles. In total, the projects will create nearly 6,500 new jobs.

Ultium Energy Recovery Can Help GM EVs Charge and Accelerate Faster and Drive Farther

GM announced a feature standard in its Ultium-based EVs that captures and repurposes waste energy from the battery. Through the Ultium Platform’s energy recovery system, this waste energy can increase a vehicle’s range, reduce battery energy needed for heating, increase charging speed and even enable sportier driving.

EV batteries, power electronics and other propulsion components produce heat. The Ultium Platform can recover and store this waste heat from the Ultium propulsion system. Further, it can also capture and use humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle, including body heat from passengers. The Ultium Platform can then deploy energy stored through the recovery process to heat the cabin more quickly in cold weather than comparable systems found in vehicles with an internal combustion engine.

Ultium’s energy recovery capabilities reduce the need to power heating and other functions from energy stored in the battery, which provides GM’s EVs with as much as 10% more range, potentially allowing more power and range than vehicles with similarly sized batteries without energy recovery capabilities. With its active heating capabilities, Ultium vehicles can also potentially charge more efficiently by preconditioning, or warming up, the batteries before charging.

Ultium’s energy recovery even enables GMC HUMMER EV’s available Watts to Freedom feature. Energy recovery precools the propulsion system to help the all-electric supertruck accelerate from 0-60 mph in approximately 3 seconds.

Covered by 11 patents and four publications, the development of Ultium energy recovery traces its inception back to GM’s first EV, the EV1, in the late 1990s, when GM engineers first developed an EV heat pump. Ultium energy recovery is available on all current Ultium vehicles and planned for future Ultium vehicles.

F-150 Lightning Is First Electric Truck to Pace NASCAR Race

A fully electric truck that is helping change the future of Ford Motor Company was on the track at Martinsville Speedway as the 2022 F-150 Lightning made its debut as a pace vehicle for the NASCAR Cup Series on April 9.

The Lightning has received nearly 200,000 reservations since being unveiled last May and is part of a growing EV portfolio for Ford that includes the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit.

This marks the second straight year an all-electric Ford vehicle has paced a NASCAR race after the Mustang Mach-E led the field at Talladega Superspeedway in April. Ford became the first OEM to use an electric vehicle to pace a NASCAR raceway back in April 2012 when the all-electric Ford Focus paced the field at Richmond, Virginia.

“I haven’t driven the Lightning yet, but if it’s anything like the Mustang Mach-E, it’s going to be a blast,” said NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney. “I hope it ends up being the only thing in front of me once the race starts.”