As a massive overhaul sweeps the auto industry, brands are taking advantage of their logos’ most iconic moments to anchor their image.
Electric vehicles were all the rage at the New York International Auto Show, an industry event showcasing new and upcoming vehicles. But companies are making sure tectonic innovation is inscribed in their ancient folklore.
One example is the Hummer.
Hummer burst onto the scene early before GM stepped in to buy the civilian-made brand.
The company produced gas-guzzling, war-inspired trucks that captivated the eye.
The three Hummer variants (H1, H2 and H3) have for years been cultural relics of the American brand.
However, in 2009, after GM went bankrupt, the Hummer logo was left inactive.
Gas prices skyrocketed in the late 2000s, driving consumers away from large trucks in favor of more fuel-efficient vehicles.
For years, GM brands have bet on more capable midsize SUVs.
SUVs such as Acadia, Traverse and Equinox are the brand’s line of passenger transport vehicles.
Pickup trucks, such as the Silverado and Sierra, have brought the company back to profitability — it made just about $20 billion in profits last year.
But that good luck has been overtaken by other industry disruptors.
U. S. automakers have been reluctant – if not defeated – to make the transition to electric vehicles.
While U. S. corporations such as GM, Ford, and Stellantis were generating gas-powered cars with a shift toward hybrids, automaker Tesla has outperformed the brands with massive success.
Tesla is now priced at $550 billion, about 3 times the price of the three American giants combined.
On Thursday there were fewer press releases and press teams at the Javitz Center for the New York International Auto Show, but. . .
A day after Kia, Hyundai, Subaru and Genesis unveiled new and refreshed vehicles, there’s a lot to learn from the show’s second day of media access.
To weaken Tesla’s dominance in the market, U. S. automakers are taking the iconic moments of their logos and turning them into electric vehicles.
Ford produces Mustangs (sort of, depending on which powerhouse enthusiast you ask) and F-150s.
And now the shift toward cars has propelled the Hummer into the company’s product line.
The car sitting in the back seat at the New York International Auto Show in March 2024.
This time, the battery-powered Hummer sports GMC badges.
Many of the design elements of iconic cars from the 1990s and 2000s are wrapped in a touch of new-age technology.
Virtual infotainment screens are covered with chrome inlays. Giant bucket seats with tons of virtual convenience features put drivers at the front of the truck. An American flag descends to the side of the vehicle while off-road topographic maps are etched into the speakers.
Drivers will also receive vintage parts of the new Hummer.
“Hummer” is glued to the front of the vehicle, while massive 22-inch wheels lift the cabin’s feet into the air.
The pickup weighs more than 10,000 pounds, making it one of the heaviest production cars on the U. S. market.
This time it doesn’t produce smog.
The newest Hummer is a transparent example of American brands looking to hold on to their iconic afterlife as they proceed to revolutionize toward a zero-emissions future.
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