First Drive of the Hummer EV Edition
in the driver’s seat of GMC’s fully electric supertruck.
The GMC Hummer EV is an excellent vehicle. It is also the personification of showy consumption.
It is large, striking, well-built, loaded with features (more technology than the majority of its owners will ever need), and pricey—but not excessive given the power it offers.
Driving on the highway is an absolute delight. Off-road, it’s even more amazing, but hard-core aficionados who prefer constructing their own rigs might find it a little too gentrified. Not to mention that it weighs over 9,000 pounds and is 18 feet long by 7 feet 3 inches wide, it will be too enormous and cumbersome for some.
In addition, it consumes kilowatts at a rate that would make the original Hummer H1 with its 10-mpg proud. Although it is still more efficient than any internal combustion truck on the road, it is the least efficient EV overall.
With a range of 329 miles based on GMC estimates and 212 kWh of usable battery capacity, the Hummer EV consumes 64.5 kWh every 100 miles. That’s about 90% more than the average EV’s 34.6 kWh per 100 miles, and more than half times that of the previous inefficiency champion, the Audi e-tron GT performance sedan.
It might also be guilty of having too much information.
Numerous dials, widgets, and icons can be found on its 13.4-inch central touchscreen, which allows users to check or adjust multiple drive modes and ride heights, navigate maps, view 18 camera views—some of which are from underbody cameras with their own lens washers—wheel-lock engagement in both front and rear, pitch and roll angles, compass headings, suspension travel, tire pressures, torque allotment, energy consumption, and a plethora of other features.
Later this year, the five-seat, four-door Hummer EV will make its premiere in Edition 1 trim, costing $110,295 in total. Three (slightly) less costly versions will be released until 2024, when the $81,590 base trim will be available.
Hauling and Towing
GMC would have you believe that there is no true competition for the heavyweight Hummer EV. Even while some electric pickups are lighter and smaller than this one, some—like the Rivian R1T—can outhaul and outtow it, and they’re also fairly good off-roaders. On steep ascents, the Hummer can climb over boulders and other barriers that most competitors shouldn’t attempt, giving it mountain goat skills.
The upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning, which weighs just 6,171 pounds, can tow up to 7,700 pounds with its standard-range battery pack and 10,000 pounds with the extended-range pack. These examples demonstrate that size isn’t everything. The Hummer EV can only tow about 7,500 pounds. In contrast, the 7,148-pound Rivian R1T has an 11,000-pound tow rating.
In terms of payload capacity, the Hummer EV lags below the majority of other mentioned electric pickups. Its 1,487-pound rating is insignificant compared to the 2,079-pound capability of the Ford F-150 Lightning. However, payload isn’t an electric pickup’s strongest suit. They need to carry bulky, energy- and space-hungry battery packs in order to have any range at all. The 2,923-pound Hummer EV Edition 1 battery is heavy. It would be analogous to towing a Honda Civic.
Extended Range on Asphalt
However, such batteries have a respectable on-road range.
On asphalt, the Hummer EV Edition 1 can go up to 329 miles between charges. The maximum range of the F-150 Lightning is 320 miles, while the Rivian is 314 miles. According to Chevrolet, at least one Silverado EV model will have sufficient batteries for 400-mile drives.
However, those range estimates apply to empty trucks that are not being towed. According to a recent statement made by Rivian, the R1T pickup’s range would be halved when towing an 11,000-pound trailer. Although we were unable to tow the Hummer, we believe it will experience the same problem.
Off-Roading Battery Drains
Off-roading also doesn’t help.
During a recent 18.6-mile, 2-hour hike on rutted mud and gravel trails that included multiple challenging climbs and descents, the range of our Hummer EV Edition 1 drastically decreased from its stated 1.5 miles per kWh to a mere 0.5 miles per kWh. The truck was empty save for the two people inside, save for a set of spare tires that were put on eighteen-inch alloy wheels.
We did have the air conditioning on, which used some battery power. But on a sunny day in the Arizona desert, air conditioning is a must for an off-road run.
An Edition 1 would travel roughly 100 miles on the trail at the energy consumption rate we calculated; that distance would drop if it were towing the normal off-roader’s load of food, water, camping equipment, and spare components. And that’s presuming it had a fully charged battery when it got to the trailhead and had time to recharge again before returning home.
Time of Charging
Level 2 charging has been installed by a number of businesses close to well-known trailheads. We were shown a transportable hydrogen fuel-cell generator that could be modified for usage in remote locations and was utilized to charge the Hummers for our event. However, off-roading in a Hummer EV is probably best suited for quick day trips until trailhead charging is widely available.
The Hummer’s 800-volt system enables it to quickly add up to 100 miles of energy on road excursions with a 350-kW DC fast charger in only 10 minutes. It has a 7.4 kW portable Level 2 charging wire that may be used at home or at opportunities for charging. A more potent home station can increase the charging speed to 11.5 kW, which will add 16 miles of range per hour.
Along the Path
35-inch all-terrain tires are standard on the Hummer EV, however mud tires are an option. If the standard 10.1 inches (11.9 inches in terrain mode) of ground clearance is insufficient, tires can be upgraded to 37-inchers without requiring any modifications.
The majority of craters, humps, potholes, and washboard surfaces are smoothed out and a wonderfully smooth ride is produced by the combination of independent front and rear suspension and an air suspension system. The Hummer’s Extract mode may elevate the body even more in an emergency, providing 15.9 inches of ground clearance overall.
With three motors—two on the front and two on the rear axle—the Edition 1 trim produces 1,200 pound-feet of torque and 1,000 horsepower, which may be distributed in different ways to the wheels.
With 13 inches of suspension travel, most difficulties can be overcome, and the lack of a sway bar disconnect system by GM may be forgiven. The Hummer EV has five skid plates to completely protect the undercarriage and can ford a creek that is nearly three feet deep. It can climb and cross a wall that is eighteen inches high.
In addition, there is an off-road mode and an intricate, computer-supervised control scheme that combines differential locking, torque vectoring, mechanical braking, and regenerative braking.
With rear-wheel steering that can transition from a mild 0.3:1 ratio on the highway to a rather aggressive 0.6:1 ratio off-road, all trim levels save the base model give the 18-foot Hummer the agility of a Jeep. Compared to a four-door Wrangler, its turning radius is really four feet shorter.
Of course, there is also the renowned CrabWalk mode, which allows the Hummer to drive diagonally away from impediments by gently turning all four wheels in the same direction, provided that the track is broad enough to handle the vehicle’s 7-foot 3-inch width.
Pleasant Cabin
Not much of our scheduled time in the Hummer was spent on routine roadwork. We drove from our base to the trailhead and back in an hour on nice, level highways. No winding country roads, no curbside or mall parking, and no driving in the city.
We can say that it rides exceptionally nicely on the interstate. There is lots of leg, shoulder, hip, and head room in addition to its excellent sound system, silent operation, and really comfy seats. It also had an excellent climate control system, yet it used up to a third of the energy in our Hummer.
Several automobiles include a larger main infotainment panel than the 12.3-inch driver information screen, which may be set up with three different sections for information and graphic displays.
At freeway speeds, it handled like a well-balanced vehicle, and on the few turns and curves in our route, it rode smoothly with minimal body roll.
In its unrestrained Watts to Freedom mode, it will achieve the promised 0-to-60 mph sprint in a heart-stopping 3 seconds.
The 13.4-inch touchscreen that was centrally located had the drawback of not being oriented toward the driver and of being too near to the seats, which occasionally required looking away from the road. There isn’t a spare tire included, and the bed-mounted spare that is an option takes up a lot of cargo room.
Is the Hummer Going to Work?
Think again if you believe there isn’t much of a market for a vehicle this size with such poor carrying and hauling capacities and an insatiable thirst for gasoline.
Although the Hummer EV isn’t meant for everyone, GMC reports that the Edition 1 truck is sold out and that it has more than 66,000 refundable advance orders for different Hummer models (a Hummer SUV is scheduled to launch in 2024). Orders between the SUV and the truck are currently divided evenly, but as 2024 approaches, the manufacturer anticipates a shift in favor of the SUV, with a final 60/40 split.
Three states account for the majority of reservations (33%), which are California, Texas, and Florida. Requests for the truck are overwhelmingly leaning toward the Edition 1 and the Hummer EV 3X, which is expected to arrive late this year or early next year and is priced at $101,590.
The Hummer SUV is probably the main rival of the Hummer EV pickup for the time being.
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