Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

GM Suspends Work on Future Trucks to Focus on Cars

DETROIT – General Motors delayed plans to replace its fleet of profitable large pickups and SUVs and will focus on developing cars that promise improved fuel economy.

by Staff
June 24, 2008
2 min to read


DETROIT – General Motors delayed plans to replace its fleet of profitable large pickups and SUVs and will focus on developing cars that promise improved fuel economy. Engineers who had been assigned to overhaul such models as the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Silverado pickup for 2012 are being transferred to other projects, according to www.bloomberg.com.

Ad Loading...


The shift is the second change this month in response to consumer demand for better mileage as gasoline tops $4 a gallon. Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said June 3 he will close four factories that build large SUVs and pickups by 2010. Trucks account for more than 60 percent of GM’s annual
U.S. sales and typically generate more profit than cars.

Ad Loading...


GM, the biggest U.S. automaker, reported a 37-percent plunge in May
U.S. sales of pickups, SUVs, and vans. Those vehicles, classified as light trucks, are required by U.S. law to travel an average of 22.5 miles on a gallon of gasoline. Passenger cars must get 27.5 mpg.


The automaker will continue to work on improvements to current large pickups and SUVs, primarily to make them more fuel efficient.

GM had been studying options for the next Chevy Tahoe, GMC Sierra, and other models under the code name GMT10XX. The program has been suspended indefinitely, until GM has a better sense of whether the light-truck market may recover, according to www.bloomberg.com.

Stricter fuel-economy and pollution regulations are also forcing GM and other automakers to rethink plans for future models. Under rules passed last year, automakers must make their U.S. fleets 40 percent more fuel-efficient by 2020.


GM plans to fight to retain its market share leadership in large SUVs and will have gasoline-electric hybrid versions of its pickups later this year to cut fuel use.




More Operations

Podcast cover for “The Fleet Skills We Keep Missing on Veterans’ Resumes” featuring a folded American flag, military dog tags, a resume listing leadership and adaptability skills, a wrench, and vehicle keys on a dark workbench.
OperationsSeptember 11, 2026

What Fleet Employers Are Missing When Hiring Veterans

What if some of the strongest candidates for fleet are already out there, but their experience is written in a language our industry does not always recognize?

Read More →
Graphic promoting Automotive Fleet's 2026 Personal Use Survey with the text "Have a Personal Use Policy? We Want to Know!" encouraging fleet managers to complete the annual industry survey.
Operationsby StaffSeptember 8, 2026

Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers

Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.

Read More →
Truck Chat promotional graphic featuring two hosts and the headline “Operate Fleet at the Speed of Business,” presented by Work Truck.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 7, 2026

What Resilient Fleets Do Differently When Conditions Change

Fleet resilience is about more than reacting to disruption. Lauren Fletcher talks with AP Fleet’s Alex Coveney about flexibility, planning, scaling, and what helps fleets adapt when business conditions shift.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
View down the 996-foot Soap Box Derby track at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio, with grandstands, the starting structure, and a colorful Soap Box Derby sign in the foreground.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 1, 2026

If We Want the Next Generation in Automotive, We Have to Give Them a Reason to Care

The automotive industry talks constantly about its workforce shortage. But before we can recruit the next generation, we may need to do a better job giving kids a reason to care about automotive in the first place.

Read More →
Work Truck Weekly Truck Chat Cheat Sheet thumbnail featuring Lauren Fletcher with blue hair and raised hands beside a work truck, with callouts for Ram under $40K, tariffs, and AI maintenance.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherAugust 31, 2026

Ram ProMaster City Under $40K, Truck Tariffs, and AI Maintenance Lead the News

A sub-$40K commercial van, tariff questions, AI-powered maintenance, and a new EV production strategy headline this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.

Read More →
Fleet Legends promotional graphic featuring Bob Adamsky in a suit beside bold black, white, and yellow text reading “Legends of Fleet,” with his name and the tagline “Decades of Leadership. Lessons That Last.”
Sponsoredby Lauren FletcherAugust 31, 2026

Bob Adamsky Shares the Fleet Lessons You Usually Learn the Hard Way

After more than 30 years in fleet, Arrow International’s Bob Adamsky has learned that the job is about far more than vehicles. He shares the lessons he wishes every fleet manager could learn a little earlier.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Fleet veteran Jeff Hurrell pictured in two career photos beside the words “Fleet Legends: Keep Asking Why.”
Operationsby Lauren FletcherAugust 27, 2026

Why Fleet Leaders Have to Keep Asking Why

What if the biggest fleet improvements start with one simple question? After decades managing budgets, policies, technology, teams, and some of the largest fleet operations in the business, Jeff Hurrell shares why fleet leaders should keep asking “why” before deciding what comes next.

Read More →
Truck Chat Monthly thumbnail saying Beyond the Truck with hose Lauren Fletcher from Work Truck
Sponsoredby Lauren FletcherAugust 26, 2026

Drones, EV Reality, Truck Production & Smarter Fleet Operations Lead This Month

August’s biggest work truck stories go beyond the vehicle, from disaster-response drones and EV reality checks to truck production, roadside uptime, and smarter fleet operations.

Read More →
Lauren Fletcher and Kim Davidson pose at Derby Downs with the All-American Soap Box Derby track behind them, alongside Soap Box Derby and Work Truck Truck Chat graphics.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherAugust 25, 2026

Team Fletcher Takes 2nd Overall at the Corporate Soap Box Derby

Team Fletcher came to Akron as a rookie and left with a win over Team Brown, a second-place overall finish, and $22,000 raised for The Hourglass Foundation. See how race day unfolded.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Shades of Fleet Hidden Heroes graphic featuring silhouetted dispatchers, coordinators, parts specialists, and support staff working across fleet operations, with a Share Your Story callout.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherAugust 24, 2026

Shades of Fleet Call for Voices: Fleet's Hidden Heroes

Fleet’s hidden heroes are often the ones keeping everything moving behind the scenes. September’s Shades of Fleet is looking for dispatchers, coordinators, parts specialists, and other support pros to share their stories.

Read More →