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I emailed GM about the Avalanche/High Dessert option

Vaeagleav said:
It seems GM is like most manufacturers in that the research and development department is very heavily guarded and won't release info on future projects until the top brass is ready for a press release.

Not too much of a problem since GM owns the patent on the defining feature: https://www.google.com/patents/US6796600

Also, they have a split midgate patent, but apparently never used it, which is a shame since the seats are split 60-40: http://www.google.com.sl/patents/US6786535

And this interesting contraption: http://www.google.co.ug/patents/US6742834
 
PromptCritical said:
Not too much of a problem since GM owns the patent on the defining feature: https://www.google.com/patents/US6796600

Also, they have a split midgate patent, but apparently never used it, which is a shame since the seats are split 60-40: http://www.google.com.sl/patents/US6786535

And this interesting contraption: http://www.google.co.ug/patents/US6742834

At the bottom is says in 2012 "expired due to lack of fee payment"

I wonder if that means that the patent itself has expired?
 
4x4dreamer said:
At the bottom is says in 2012 "expired due to lack of fee payment"

I wonder if that means that the patent itself has expired?

I saw that. If so, I'm hoping Tesla includes a midgate in their pickup truck.  For a company with a small vehicle selection, that sort of versatility would be a big plus.  "Avalanche" with a Tesla drive system?  Yes please!
 
MLM said:
GM still has an active patent on the midgate. The one that expired was only for the supporting ring structure.

That makes sense, no reason to maintain the patent on the supporting ring structure if it's worthless without the midgate. What else is it good for that won't infringe on their midgate and possibly other cabin pass thru patents?

It makes me wonder how many other patents the automakers are sitting on for various reasons. The top two reasons are the idea isn't cost effective and not enough customer demand. Then add we don't want our competition to use it and prove we were idiots for not building it.
 
Flint4x4 said:
That makes sense, no reason to maintain the patent on the supporting ring structure if it's worthless without the midgate. What else is it good for that won't infringe on their midgate and possibly other cabin pass thru patents?

It makes me wonder how many other patents the automakers are sitting on for various reasons. The top two reasons are the idea isn't cost effective and not enough customer demand. Then add we don't want our competition to use it and prove we were idiots for not building it.

Agreed.

The midgate patent will expire in a few years but sadly the Avalanche is not coming back. Hard to believe it's been 15 years since the first Avalanche was built. I still have no idea what I will replace mine with when the time comes. :( Most likely it will be something body-on-frame.
 
PromptCritical said:
I saw that. If so, I'm hoping Tesla includes a midgate in their pickup truck.  For a company with a small vehicle selection, that sort of versatility would be a big plus.  "Avalanche" with a Tesla drive system?  Yes please!
That would be sweet.  By the time they would get to it, the actual mid-gate patent might just expire.
 
MLM said:
The midgate patent will expire in a few years,...

Quadrasteer for the full size trucks/SUVs came out the same time as the Avalanche.

That's another patent they are sitting on. The Quadrasteer patent took a few twists and turns but I think GM still owns it. The new GM reacquired some steering gear operations from their failed Delphi spin-off. The system was developed before the Delphi spin-off so GM had sole proprietary license to use it.

I want a new truck with a midgate and quadrasteer. Might as well ask for the moon  :B: 
 
PromptCritical said:
I saw that. If so, I'm hoping Tesla includes a midgate in their pickup truck.  For a company with a small vehicle selection, that sort of versatility would be a big plus.  "Avalanche" with a Tesla drive system?  Yes please!
I would love to see Tesla put it to use, I have seen several of the new model x rolling around here, and boy are they sharp  :cool:
 
What would also be cool is to integrate solar panels into the bed panels for additional charging/range.  Oh the possibilities, that will probably never happen.
 
PromptCritical & wyotonka - I was piggy backing on your ideas and screwed up the copy/paste.
Not that I haven't had similar thoughts, no surprise we are thinking in the same direction.

Tesla Motors builds cars in Fremont, CA at a plant that was formerly a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. They inspired GM to build the Volt & Bolt, in other words quit sitting on their hands and put it in production. (they already had the designs) Never say never, the incestuous relationships between automakers goes back over 100 years. It's hard to keep track of who owns who with publicly traded companies.

A Tesla Avalanche with midgate and quadrasteer would rock  :cool:

frito- integrated solar panels into the bed panels for additional charging/range  (y)
 
Flint4x4 said:
Tesla Motors builds cars in Fremont, CA at a plant that was formerly a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. They inspired GM to build the Volt & Bolt, in other words quit sitting on their hands and put it in production. (they already had the designs) Never say never, the incestuous relationships between automakers goes back over 100 years. It's hard to keep track of who owns who with publicly traded companies.

A Tesla Avalanche with midgate and quadrasteer would rock  :cool:

frito- integrated solar panels into the bed panels for additional charging/range  (y)

I seldom look at the Dark Side first, but, look at the current replacement costs for our panels now.

Imagine these in use and surviving a Hail Storm, Tree Damage, or Flying Rocks from trucks and such on the road?

The Black Market demand for these things would out strip what we see with the 3rd row seats in Tahoe & Suburban variants.

I like the concept, though it requires much more thought for implementation. At least they could be changed out rather easily.

Just Saying  ???
 
Cat Dancer said:
I seldom look at the Dark Side first, but, look at the current replacement costs for our panels now.

OUCH! integrated solar panels into the bed panels for additional charging/range = bad idea

The cost, could you walk on them? I fell asleep on mine waiting for traffic to clear after a NASCAR race and got severely sunburnt, I may have been cooked alive if they were solar panels.  :D 

We've never had a problem with bed panel theft, I imagine we would if they were solar panels too.  :rolleyes:
 
Not so much of a bad idea as much as more thought to prevail. I'm sure there could be a layer of plexiglass or some sort to protection, but as I've observed panels in the wild, this may evolve someday into vehicles too.

My area is constantly being hit with 3rd row seat thefts. Tires & Wheels, not so much in the news though.
 
Judging by how few.people even know a quarter of the functionalities of an Avy, I'm not too concerned about theft.  Keep the tailgate locked and it's a non-issue, or at least a much more limited issue.
 
Cat Dancer said:
My area is constantly being hit with 3rd row seat thefts. Tires & Wheels, not so much in the news though.

My area had a rash of thefts on specific items, they took metal tailgates, wheels and catalytic converters. It wasn't limited to vehicles, anything for scrap metal. They cracked down on the rules for accepting such items which seems to have worked.

I guess our thieves aren't sophisticated enough to steal and sell on the black market.  :laugh:

 
GM ruined the Avalanche by making it look exactly like the Suburban.

It was a cool looking tough truck when it first came out, they turned it into just another half badge job.

I love the midgate in my 2013, I hate that it looks like a suburban.

I loved the midgate in my 2012, I loved that it didn't look anything like the Suburban.
 
I was at the Woodward Dream Cruise today and I sat in a High Country wth the Desert Edition.. very nice.  hmmm maybe will get one..
 
I got tired of waiting to see if GM would bring back the AV. I still have my 2007 LT with 672,000 miles and still working well. At two months into ownership of the 2007 AV the sprag broke on the 4l60 transmission and the dealer rebuilt it into a 4l65, and every 25k, dropping the transmission pan and changing the filter and fluid, that transmission with over 665k miles does not slip or burn the fluid. Did replace the transfer case. Last year I purchased a used 2013 LTZ Black Diamond, that one had 129k miles when purchased and now has 172k miles.

I like the ride of the AV better than the 2000 Silverado I used to have, handles better in snow country too. Just in case you may wonder what you have to replace on a AV with hundreds of thousands of miles, ball joints last about 200k, same with the hubs. Engine still going good too. MPG on the freeway is 20 to 21 on both AVs, both have the 5.3l flex fuel and the 4 cylinder mode. Rear end, front diff and CV joints still holding up well. Fuel pumps last about 400k. If you want it to last, change all fluids (synthetic) at earlier than the factory schedule. I hope to keep my to AVs till the wheels fall off then put new ones back on and keep driving. 2018 too a cross county drive on the 2007 AV and had no issues or worry about breakdowns.
 
I don't ever see GM bringing back the Avalanche as a gas-powered (ICE) truck. They have too much capital going towards electric. Maybe the next Avalanche will be electric.

Speaking of which, the electric thing is kind of funny. I live in California and due to the heat and everyone running their air conditioners, the State may start power blackouts. They will take on a whole different look if people start buying greater quantities of electrics and everyone wants to charge when when they get home at night.

Oh, and California is "importing" electricity because we don't produce enough. But they want electric vehicles......
 
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