There s going to be some tough competition though.
Before we get started, you re probably wondering what the hell Extreme E even is. To summarize, it s an off-road racing series for electric vehicles. The series features vehicles with extreme buggy-like bodywork. The idea is to bring electric racing to some of the most remote corners of the planet to highlight the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems, whilst showcasing the performance of all-electric SUVs in extreme conditions. Former F1 driver Jenson Button has just signed up as a team owner and driver, and now GMC is lending its support to the series with a multi-year sponsorship of Chip Ganassi Racing s outfit.
Mind you, it s not anywhere remotely close to the 25-hour, 39-minute record set last year.
It would be selling things short to say there s been a flurry of Cannonball Run activity over the past year or so. The record for the fastest trek across the US, from New York to Los Angeles, has changed hands so many times over the past 14 months that it s difficult to keep track, the global pandemic and numerous statewide shelter-in-place orders creating a perfect storm of reduced-traffic conditions that, as it turns out, are particularly conducive to speeding from coast to coast in record time.
The original batch sold out in just ten minutes.
As the auto industry continues its shift towards battery electrics, some automakers have the immense challenge of convincing dealerships their future product plans will appeal to longtime customers. Cadillac is the perfect example. Out of 880 US dealers, around 150 chose to take General Motor s buyout offer rather than investing over $200,000 in infrastructure upgrades to accommodate EVs, the 2022 Cadillac Lyriq being the first of many. GMC dealers, however, are not being offered a similar buyout plan. Roughly half of America s 1,900 GMC stores have reportedly agreed to invest around $140,000 each in order to sell the 2022 Hummer EV, according to the Detroit Free Press.