GMC is betting millions on this all electric new-generation Hummer.
by Wallace Wyss –
Remember 30 plus years ago when Arnold Schwarzenegger saw a convoy of military Humvees and thought that would be a fun car to drive? He bought one and then with all the publicity GM bought the Hummer brand for civilian use and the agreement allowed AM General to continue manufacturing the vehicles for the military. Eventually they got to the H2 Hummer which was built on a more useful-in-daily-life truck platform.
But its popularity died. It went out of production and that was all she wrote, right? Wrong. GM is bringing the Hummer back as a sort of electric supertruck. When I say “Super” I’m not exaggerating. Everything about the vehicle is outsize. The top of the line will have three motors, more than 1,000 hp and a 350-mile range plus adjustable air suspension, and a feature off roaders will love called “Crab Mode.”
It’s odd for General Motors, an automobile company who sold 1.26 million trucks in the U.S. in 2020, to introduce a production model two years ahead of availability but because of the pandemic, it’s like the model year 2020 didn’t happen. The electric truck is set to go into production in late 2021, but the key thing is to get it in showrooms.
GM believes in this model so much that they revamped GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck factory and overall, have spent $2.2 billion on gearing up to make electrics. Initially, the Hummer EV will be offered in four versions, the most expensive of which is over $100,000. Each has different features, for instance, the EV Edition 1 which cost $112,595 will include Crab Mode and Extract Mode, which allows the truck’s suspension height to be raised approximately six inches (149 mm) to help negotiate “extreme off-road situations such as clearing boulders or fording water,” GMC says.
GM is counting on pent up demand by the American public to explore the outdoors and the ecologists won’t have much to object to since these are zero emission vehicles. Next up to bat will be the Hummer EV3X, coming in fall 2022, with a three-motor setup, 0-60 mph acceleration in three seconds, and a suggested price of $99,995.
The lower priced (dare we say bargain priced?) Hummer EV2X, comes in spring 2023, with Crab Mode, Extract Mode, and a window sticker of $89,995.
Last will be the Hummer EV2, available spring 2024, with just two motors and a suggested price of $79,995. All four trim levels are expected to have over 350 miles of range on a full battery.
In one respect they are following the Tesla model-bring out the top of the line first, then when that succeeds keep offering successively lower priced models.
GM retired the gas powered Hummer in 2010. It had a bad image as a guzzler. So in a way they are making a huge gamble attaching that name and general style to an EV. But I think they are on the right path.
There’s millions of square miles of open country out there (at least in the USA) but millions of potential customers who previously couldn’t get into owning guzzler off road vehicles. Now they have a way to do it guilt free. The only obstacle, as I see it, is many regulations about traversing open land–I myself was locked out of some park along with hundreds of off roaders by rangers who thought it too damp to let off roaders in. There might have to be huge changes in access before the Hummer EV owners can really get out there to the wilderness.
I have to read up more on what it can do but it sounds like a platform with a lot of innovation, such as he 18-camera “Ultravision” system that will help drivers see all their surroundings. GMC added steel plating to the Hummer’s underbody to better protect the battery, which rests in the floor of the vehicle.
If you order the 18-camera Ultravision system (another Hummer-specific brand name) it even includes front and rear underbody cameras. The cameras will also be equipped with a wash function to clean the lenses. Speaking of the battery, the Hummer EV will come with 1,000 hp and 350 miles of range. One figure I haven’t comes to terms with–an estimated 11,500 pound-feet of torque — which sounds like it could pull a 40-ft trailer. GM said, “Torque is measured at the axle for Hummer EV”.
I’ll add an explanation when I find it. And, for a very wide vehicle, it will be easy to park. An option is rear wheel steering, which only works at parking speeds.
AN ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM CALLED EXTRACT MODE
One of the clever names for this feature is Extract Mode, which can save your behind by raising or lowering the vehicle by six inches. Tesla is also working on an updated dynamic suspension for the Cybertruck electric pickup truck. But in today’s market if you’re late to the party, it might be all over by the time you get there.
GMC claims claims the Hummer EV will have the capability to charge at rates of up to 100 miles in 10 minutes — which translates to a full charge in less than 40 minutes. This charging time is possible by using a 800-volt charger with a peak charging rate of over 300 kW.
A 13.4-inch diagonal infotainment screen sits in the center console. Information will be presented via smartphone-style “widgets,” particularly as it relates to off-roading details like terrain status. The system should be fun to use because GMC partnered with Fortnite creator Epic Games to use the game maker’s Unreal Engine game development platform for the Hummer’s in-car software, an industry first.
It displays photorealistic computer-generated graphics, of the vehicle as well as its various internal and underside parts and mechanical and software mechanisms. So here is GM, in the midst of a pandemic, thinking of selling expensive off road capable vehicles. They could be guessing right. If a Democratic change in administration decides to go Full Green (I made that up…) and restricts internal combustion vehicle from off road use, only the electric ones will be home free.
The Hummer pickup truck could be in showrooms late 2021, with deliveries starting shortly after. The key thing is will it beat the Tesla Cybertruck to the showrooms?
EV startup Rivian will start shipping its own electric pickup and SUV about that time.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Co-host of KUCR FM radios Autotalk, Wyss has been a consultant to five automakers.
Photos by General Motors.
Two updates: Chronology Did GM buy out the company making the HumVee? What year was that? Did GM make the military style HumVee?
If I may amend the record: According to the archived story at CNN below, General Motors purchased the HUMMER brand for use in the civilian market in 1999. The agreement allowed AM General to continue manufacturing the vehicles for military use. See:https://money.cnn.com/1999/06/30/companies/gm/
That astounding 11,000 lbs. of torque?
Torque is measured at the axle for Hummer EV.
Another update:
This appears to be an evolving story, I checked back with Tara Kuhnen of GM
WW: How many Hummer EVs did GM take orders for in that one hour?
WW: was the anticipated production number for one year?
Her answer: For both of these, we can’t share volumes.
WW: How can the deposit for an order only be $100?
GM: It’s a reservation.
WW: Are you allowed to re-sell the car to another prospect once you have your order in (in effect selling your place in line)?
GM: It’s non-transferable.
Suffice to say, my enthusiasm is experiencing a bit of the fading of the bloom on the rose until I find out how many orders were placed. It seem when 2020 Corvette came out they also touted the advance orders but gave numbers
I want a number like “As of May 1,2020 the company had received 20,181 orders for the 2020 Corvette, according to the same source, Jun 17, 2020”