Ford Calls Out GM for Copying Volume Knob Design on 2024 GMC Sierra EV
The recently-revealed 2024 GMC Sierra EV shares one obvious thing in common with the F-150 Lightning.
The battle between Ford and General Motors is one of the oldest and more storied rivalries in the history of the earth, and it’s still going strong today, well over a century later. These two Detroit-based automakers are constantly attempting to one-up each other in a number of ways, particularly in the super-heated world of trucks, a lucrative, profitable, and incredibly popular segment. However, when the 2024 GMC Sierra EV was revealed recently, there was one thing about it that looked eerily familiar – the physical knob location on its massive infotainment screen.
When the Ford Mustang Mach-E launched with its own large touchscreen, many were surprised to see that it featured a physical knob that can control stereo volume and certain other features, which isn’t common in today’s EVs that have largely ditched physical controls, for the most part. That same knob showed up in the F-150 Lightning as well, mostly thanks to its popularity with customers. GM likely saw that and thought, “why not do the same thing in the 2024 GMC Sierra EV?”
In an industry where companies often copy each other’s homework, that’s precisely what GM did – it created its own, slightly different knob for the EV pickup’s touchscreen. We – along with a lot of other folks – noticed this particular quirk, but so did Ford designer Ryan McManus, who actually took the time out to poke fun at The Blue Oval’s crosstown rival on Twitter, saying “Hey GM, we coulda just sent you the CAD file for the Sync Knob, might’ve saved you a few hours work.”
Hey @GM we coulda just sent you the CAD file for the Sync Knob, might’ve saved you a few hours work. 😝 pic.twitter.com/l6VoVEJPzr
— Ryan McManus (@ryantomorrow) October 21, 2022
Of course, both designs are a bit different, but the general premise is the same, and both buttons are located in the same exact spot – the bottom center portion of the massive screens. As one might imagine, however, the touchscreen button was created by a supplier, not Ford. In this case, it’s a German company called Preh, who invented the unit, but both automakers have since given it their own unique styling touches. Regardless, it’s certainly humorous that GM chose to mimic Ford in its forthcoming F-150 Lightning competitor, and we can’t blame FoMoCo for using that decision to keep the flames of this rivalry going.
Photos: General Motors
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