GMC Hummer EV: Thor's hammer is back

Pickup trucks are the next frontier for electric vehicles. Not only new players such as Rivian and Tesla, but also traditional automakers such as Ford are launching their own projects in this growing segment. In a surprising twist of fate, General Motors' main gasoline consumer of the last quarter of a century, the Hummer brand, which was discontinued in 2010, returned in 2022 as ... an electric car manufacturer!


The resurrected brand of the General Motors concern will first release a pickup truck, and then an SUV. The first-born Hummer is a monster that produces 1000 horsepower in the top version, divided into three electric motors. With such a power-to-weight ratio, this, without exaggeration, "Mjollnir" accelerates to the first "hundred" in 3,4 seconds. At the same time, the estimated cruising range is 530 kilometers. But, for now, even on US roads, the Hummer EV is exotic, just like McLaren or Ferrari. And GM's pickup has an equally exotic price tag: $118.

Features of the new Hummer EV

An interesting feature of the four-wheel steering allows the car to "go sideways", more precisely - to move diagonally. Such a “trick” will make the electric Hummer convenient in the city, for example, in parking lots, and at the same time extremely interesting off-road. Another interesting feature of the Hummer EV is the adjustable air suspension of the wheels.


And Hummer EV can be turned into a convertible! Thanks to removable roof elements, the pickup cab turns into something reminiscent of a T-top targa body, here the Hummer repeats the design of the popular sports American muscle cars of the seventies and eighties of the last century. 

Electric vehicle engine and performance

As mentioned above, at the moment the only transmission available for the Hummer electric car is a three-motor unit with a total capacity of 1000 horsepower. In WTF mode, the Hummer EV is able to accelerate to 100 kilometers in less than 3.5 seconds, and such acceleration characteristics for a "truck" are really amazing, but here are the brakes ... The braking distance of the Hummer EV at a speed of 115 kilometers per hour is 63 meters, which is too much, even by the standards of a heavy pickup truck. Moreover, to stop from a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, the Hummer EV already needs 154 meters - a braking distance worthy of the Titanic!


In terms of dynamic characteristics, they are redundant for a utilitarian type of car, and rather correspond to a hypercar. Perhaps creating an electric Hummer, the designers of General Motors were inspired by Top Fuel dragsters, Thor's hammer "Mjolnir" and actor Dwayne Johnson, nicknamed "The Rock". The Hummer EV's performance figures are as absurd as two spare tires that take up almost the entire space in the back, and with a quick glance back through the rearview mirror, can scare the owner: - wow, a plane landed on me! Each of these wheels as an assembly weighs 45 kilograms, so if a fragile girl manages to pierce it, then she will have only one way out - to call the strongest man on the planet - Tom Stoltman.

What is WTF

The GM Hummer EV weighs 4400 kilograms and is the heaviest electric pickup truck in the world. But it's also one of the fastest, reaching 100 kilometers per hour in 3,4 seconds and covering the quarter mile in 11,9 seconds, while reaching speeds of 170 km/h. 

This XNUMX-XNUMX mph time is achieved using "launch control," which General Motors called WTF, which is short for "Watts to Freedom" (a play on the slang expression "What the Fuck"). To turn on the WTF mode, you need to double-click the “stabilization system” off button on the steering wheel, after which the pickup truck will “lower” and put the cooling system of the electric motors and the inverter into extreme mode. After the end of the preparatory procedure, you can "bullet"!


It is curious that in the standard mode, the acceleration time to 100 kilometers per hour is “modest” 4,9 seconds. Probably, such parameters are typical for everyday driving, when the Hummer EV does not release the entire herd of 1000 horses and 1626 Nm of torque. Drag experts will also notice that with a time of 11.9 seconds on the quarter, the speed on the speed trap should be higher. The fact is that already at a distance of 300 meters, the Hummer reaches the speed limiter, and the rest of the distance goes “at anchor”.

Power reserve and charging

The Hummer EV uses GM's new Ultium battery technology and boasts a range of 530 kilometers on a single charge. Judging by the first reviews, when driving on the highway, the Hummer EV travels 470 kilometers, at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour. 

The Hummer EV uses an 800-volt electrical architecture with 350 kilowatts of DC fast charging capability. This, according to GMC, will add 160 miles in just 10 minutes! For customers who do not have fast charging stations nearby, the Hummer EV can also be charged at public charging terminals or at home using the included adapter. True, in this case, it will take an order of magnitude more time to charge.

Interior, comfort and cargo capabilities

Although the Hummers of yesteryear were mostly SUVs, the revived Hummer EV features a double-cab pickup truck that isn't as spacious as the GMC Sierra Double Cab petrol pickup. 


Inside the cabin, there are a few curious Moon-inspired touches, such as a moon boot print on the left foot rest area and speaker grilles that feature the Sea of ​​Tranquility. All of this serves as a reminder of General Motors' connection to NASA and the Apollo project, powered by the Lunar Rover, the Apollo electric lunar rover that GM helped design.

Maneuverability 

As for the actual driving, it requires some acclimatization. Hummer EV is most agile at low speeds, when the rear steering axle, working out of phase with the front axle, provides the pickup truck with incredible maneuverability! The turning radius of 11,3 meters is a blessing in parking lots, taking into account the dimensions of the car. However, at highway speeds, the four-wheel steering mode again gives the driver the sensation of the Titanic wrapping around an iceberg! Luckily, this mode can be turned off by choosing traditional front-wheel steering only.

Safety and driver assistance features

The GM Super Cruise's "autopilot" mode for "hands-free" driving is a standard feature, and judging by the first reviews, it works quite adequately. 
Also included as standard are features such as:

✅ Lane keeping assistance
✅ Blind spot monitoring
✅ Automatic emergency braking when a pedestrian is detected
✅ Lane departure warning with lane keeping system
✅ Adaptive cruise control

The Hummer EV features a 12,3-inch digital instrument cluster and a large 13,4-inch display for infotainment purposes. GMC has contracted with Epic Games - the maker of the popular video game Fortnite - to create interface graphics. Of course, the electric pickup truck supports all possible connectivity features, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto. Provides a Wi-Fi hotspot as well as a GM OnStar telematics system.


Of course, over time, General Motors will find time to create utility electric pickups suitable for everyday use. But for now, the GM Hummer EV is a rambling ball aimed directly at the future-doubting crowd of electric vehicles, inviting everyone to join the revolution as soon as possible.