Hummer is back after a ten year hiatus! True, now it is not an independent brand in the structure of the General Motors concern, but only a model under the GMC brand. But the model is quite unusual. With the new Hummer, GM will try to enter the up-and-coming electric pickup segment. And since the rules for this segment have not yet been clearly established, the developers tried to make the GMC Hummer special.
With the previous Hummers, the novelty is related by a deliberately brutal design. Wheels spaced at the corners of the body, rectangular wheel arches, exposed massive towing eyes, an almost vertical windshield … The front bumper with cut corners allows the pickup to drive on a vertical ledge with a height of 460 mm – if only the traction properties of Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT off-road tires with an outer diameter of 35 are enough or 37 inches.
The new Hummer is presented in the format of a four-door pickup with a full five-seater saloon. Like the Jeep Wrangler / Gladiator models, the GMC Hummer can be converted into a convertible by removing the hard roof panels. They hide in a spacious front trunk, a single wide opening is formed above the front riders, and a longitudinal jumper will remain above the second row. In addition, the rear window of the cab can be lowered. And the MultiPro tailgate with folding section has six different positions.
The interior design is made in a square-nest style. In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch screen for instruments, and the media system has a 13.4-inch touchscreen. The lump of the central tunnel between the front seats is artificial – in fact, the floor in the cabin is flat. Equipment can be rich and include leather upholstery, power front seats, a powerful audio system and more.
GMC Hummer is developed on a universal modular platform, it has independent suspension on all wheels. But the main thing is the Ultium traction battery of the new generation, developed in cooperation with LG Chem and having a low content of expensive cobalt. The battery consists of 24 cells, but the capacity has not yet been named. From below it is protected by steel sheets, and the arrangement of the nodes allows storming a ford with a depth of more than 600 mm.
In general, Hammer’s off-road capabilities are briefly described by the developers as “ultimate off-road EV supertruck”. The optional air suspension with adaptive dampers allows the ride height to be adjusted in a range of 149 mm. The default full steering chassis improves maneuverability (the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels), but there is a CrabWalk mode: all four wheels turn in the same direction, and at low speeds the pickup can move “diagonally” like a crab.
GMC Hummer can have up to 18 all-round cameras. Moreover, two of them are installed under the bottom (front and rear) and allow assessing the relief of obstacles to be overcome. These lenses have durable protectors and washers. And for driving on asphalt roads, the Super Cruise autopilot with automatic lane change function is provided.
The coolest and most expensive modification of the GMC Hummer EV Edition One will be the first to enter the market. Such a pickup has three electric motors (one in front and two in the rear) with a total capacity of 1,014 hp, the declared torque on the wheels is 15590 Nm. It takes just three seconds to accelerate to 60 mph (97 km / h), and the range on a single charge is about 560 km. And in addition, the top version has a charger that supports voltage up to 800 volts and a power of 350 kW: in just ten minutes you can charge the battery for a 160-kilometer throw. The Edition One version costs 113 thousand dollars and will be on sale in the fall of 2021.
As usual, the simpler and cheaper the modification, the longer it will have to wait. In the fall of 2022, the debut of the $ 100,000 version of the Hummer EV3X is planned, in which three electric motors produce 811 hp. and 12,880 Nm (on wheels), and the mileage on a single charge is 480 km. The twin-engine Hummer EV2X for $ 90,000 will be released in the spring of 2023. Its characteristics are 634 hp, 10,033 Nm on wheels and the same 480 km of run. Both of these versions have an 800-volt charger, but the capacity is not listed.
Finally, the base Hummer EV2 is only announced for Spring 2024. Its two motors also produce 634 horsepower. and 10,033 Nm on wheels, but the cruising range is only 400 km. In addition, the base pickup lacks a fully steerable chassis, has a spring suspension and a 400-volt charger. The announced price is 80 thousand dollars. General Motors has already opened orders for all four Hammer modifications and is collecting $ 100 returnable deposits.
Hummers will be produced at the American Detroit-Hamtramck plant. This site has already begun to be refurbished after the end of production of the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac CT6 sedans: the modernization will cost $ 2.2 billion and should be completed by the fall of 2021. By the way, the GMC Hummer will enter the market almost simultaneously with its main competitors – the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T electric pickups. Around the same time, an electric version will appear on the Ford F150 pickup. And the Lordstown Endurance model will have almost a year of head start: according to the plan, it will enter the market in early 2021, and it will be produced at the former General Motors plant. Following the pickup will be the Hummer SUV, but the date of the debut has not yet been set.
