Pontiac? General Motors' New Vehicles Need a Name

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Not to be outdone by Ford Motor Company’s Bay Area bikeshare program, General Motors has unveiled two new, two-wheeled vehicles that are sure to get any Camaro ZL1 owner’s pulse racing. We’ve poked fun at the Blue Oval’s non-car efforts of late, but entering the pedal-powered field is serious stuff for companies — stagnating new vehicles sales calls for a myriad of alternative revenue solutions. Just wait till Fiat Chrysler launches a RAMbike.

At least with GM’s latest mobility effort, a motor comes attached. What isn’t attached, however, is a brand name. GM needs help with that.

Your help. The two e-bikes, one folding, the other fixed, will be marketed under a yet-to-be-decided e-bike brand name sourced from the public. General Motors Urban Mobility Solutions is offering the winner $10,000, with a grand apiece going to the nine runner-up entries. Clever marketing types with a knack for naming have until November 26th to offer up a moniker, with their choices judged against a fairly lengthy list of criteria.

Reading through the list, it seems unlikely GM would choose this author’s preferred brand name, and it’s fairly certain we won’t see the Oldsmobile brand re-emerge in the most unlikely of forms. Wouldn’t that be something.

Interested in learning more about your next GM vehicle? There isn’t much to go on. Weight, dimensions, and electric range are not mentioned, leaving urban Chevy Sonic lessees on the cusp of trade-in time wanting more. I’ll admit to finding the folding model intriguing, as I’m pretty sure I could easily fit a couple of those things in my car’s trunk.

[Images: General Motors]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 18 comments
  • Blackcloud_9 Blackcloud_9 on Nov 05, 2018

    EV1! It's electric (EV). Seats 1. Perfect

  • Arach Arach on Nov 05, 2018

    No one mentioned that GM ALREADY SELLS BIKES?? I own a GMC Denali Bike. This one right here: https://www.amazon.com/GMC-92706-Denali-Road-Bike/dp/B002GNWPK2 Its not terrible for the price... but yes that the real GMC and its Denali branded... I enjoy telling everyone I have a GMC Denali. With that being said, I don't think this is a totally new world for them. I bought this like 10 years ago and they still sell 'em. They have a bunch of different bikes all undeer the GMC Denali name.

  • MaintenanceCosts Poorly packaged, oddly proportioned small CUV with an unrefined hybrid powertrain and a luxury-market price? Who wouldn't want it?
  • MaintenanceCosts Who knows whether it rides or handles acceptably or whether it chews up a set of tires in 5000 miles, but we definitely know it has a "mature stance."Sounds like JUST the kind of previous owner you'd want…
  • 28-Cars-Later Nissan will be very fortunate to not be in the Japanese equivalent of Chapter 11 reorganization over the next 36 months, "getting rolling" is a luxury (also, I see what you did there).
  • MaintenanceCosts RAM! RAM! RAM! ...... the child in the crosswalk that you can't see over the hood of this factory-lifted beast.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Yes all the Older Land Cruiser’s and samurai’s have gone up here as well. I’ve taken both vehicle ps on some pretty rough roads exploring old mine shafts etc. I bought mine right before I deployed back in 08 and got it for $4000 and also bought another that is non running for parts, got a complete engine, drive train. The mice love it unfortunately.
Next