The Hummer brand is celebrating its comeback, with a 100% electric all-terrain juggernaut.
GMC
PublishedAugust 6, 2022, 3:00 p.m.
Pick-up GMC Hummer EVThe Hummer goes from fuel abyss to a priori irreproachable
With the third generation of the GMC Hummer, General Motors is pushing electric to the extreme.
General Motors revived Hummer as an electric vehicle brand. The first model is a huge pick-up, full of innovations and boasting a whole host of superlatives. Indeed, no other model is equipped with larger batteries, none offers greater autonomy and power and none moves better than it off the beaten track. The one that was once considered a fuel sink has now become a priori irreproachable, at least if we disregard the manufacture of the battery.
crab walk
The “Crabwalk” function allows the electric Hummer to move off the beaten path and to extricate itself from delicate situations, if necessary, by moving in crab, at the simple press of a button. The perception of maneuver is as stunning as it is unique and you suddenly have the impression of no longer being connected to the wheels. A slight turn of the steering wheel is enough to make the Hummer move sideways.
This is made possible thanks to the rear steering wheels. The “Crabwalk” even allowed the Hummer EV to traverse the Rubicon Trail, the narrowest and most strenuous off-road course in the world. The eight cameras that send 18 different images to the screen are a big help. The driver is therefore always informed of what is happening in front, behind and under the vehicle. If the stones are too large, the air suspension lifts the body by 15 centimeters. Both axles can also be blocked.
The electric juggernaut weighs 4.5 tons. In Switzerland, it requires a category C1 truck driving licence.
GMC
Like other electric vehicles, the Hummer EV also features a digital cockpit with huge displays.
GMC
Initially, the electric Hummer will be offered as a pick-up and will be followed, in 2023, by a more compact SUV version.
GMC
In the case of the Hummer, GM engineers designed the Ultium platform to get the most out of it. Three electric motors (one at the front and two at the rear) develop up to 735 kW (1000 hp). The vehicle’s floor also houses a 1.5 tonne battery with a capacity of over 200 kWh and allowing a range of 560 kilometres. This corresponds to a consumption of 36 kWh/100 km, which remains slightly greedy, but at least the giant consumes electricity and not gasoline. It is possible to recharge the Hummer on a charging station at 350 kW direct current, which is currently a record value. The manufacturer promises a recharge in ten minutes for a range of 160 kilometers.
Truck license
On the road, the electric pickup is extremely manoeuvrable, despite its 4.5 tons. In Switzerland, a vehicle of this weight nevertheless requires a category C1 truck license. The Hummer should therefore not have an easy task to win here, unlike the United States, where people are all fired up for the juggernaut. Just before the delivery of the first models, more than 70,000 reservations had been made with GM. You still have to count at least 112,000 dollars for the “Edition 1”, with its partially retractable roof, whose panels find their place under the hood, a price never reached by any other pickup in the group. Again, the Hummer EV is the worthy representative of all superlatives.