GM will revive the Hummer nameplate in the 2022 model year with the GMC Hummer EV, an all-electric pickup truck and SUV with 0-60 times in the three-second range and a price tag of $100,000 or more.
The Hummer brand became part of the GM lineup at the turn of the century, when GM took over marketing of the former military vehicle. Eventually the lineup expanded to include H2 SUV and SUT vehicles and the smaller H3, before GM pulled the plug in 2009 during its bankruptcy.
The brand once maligned for its malignant environmental profile now will sport GM’s latest all-electric drivetrain, based on a 200-kwh battery pack that’s said to be good for 350 miles of range.
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That three-motor setup will put out around 1,000 horsepower, GM says, and more than 1,000 pound-feet of torque. With DC fast charging, GM also promises 100 miles of range restored in 10 minutes.
The Hummer EV’s other attributes are said to include four-wheel steering with a diagonal-steer “crab” mode, an adaptive air suspension, and an underbody-protection system that girds the battery against rock-crawling damage.
Though final specs haven’t been confirmed, GM execs say the Hummer EV fits inside the footprint of a Sierra 1500, though it’s shorter overall. GM will build two body styles—a pickup truck with removable roof panels as well as an SUV.
GM plans to issue the first GMC Hummer EV by the end of 2021 as a 2022 Edition 1—but it’s already sold out despite a price tag of $112,595, including destination. Those Edition 1 versions have a power glass roof, a multi-function tailgate, 35-inch OD tires, GM’s Super Cruise driver assistance system, a digital key system, and an Extract Mode which raises the suspension an extra 6 inches to help the Hummer EV extract itself from off-road pitfalls.
After that, GM will stagger the Hummer EV launch to provide a three-motor EV 3X with a $99,995 price tag and a spring 2023 arrival date; there’s also a two-motor EV 2X in the works, as well as a base version priced from $79,995—but not expected to arrive until spring 2024.
The Hummer EV’s chief rivals will include the upcoming electric version of the Ford F-150, as well as the Rivian R1T and R1S; it might also include the Tesla Cybertruck, though that vehicle is expected to be much less expensive, at least at this point in its development cycle.
More details will emerge in the coming months as GM begins building prototypes of the new Hummer EV. Production is said to begin next year in Detroit, at the same plant that formerly built Cadillacs. The battery cells come from a joint project between GM and LG Chem, and will be made in Ohio.