2022 GMC Hummer EV Debuts as $113,000 Super-Truck

After nearly a year of teasing, GMC took the wraps off the Hummer EV tonight. The humongous pickup truck revives a name last seen on a profligate fuel-burner, and it’s even more powerful than before. This time it runs on batteries though—lots of ’em.

GMC made an unexpected move by debuting the truck ahead of the SUV version of the Hummer EV. The look itself isn’t surprising: it’s the same squat, hyper-wide Hummer stance, updated to fit in with this decade. The chunky lower front bumper makes it clear what the Hummer’s intentions are, with two integrated tow hooks. The headlights and light-up grille are pretty blingy, but we appreciate the letter H in the headlights enough to overlook it. A shallow daylight opening (DLO) is also Hummer tradition. The short windows and tall shoulder line should give the Hummer EV driver a real parapet feeling. Which is good, because this chunker packs a whole lot of firepower.

The Hummer EV uses GM’s Ultium battery tech, which will also show up in upcoming Cadillacs, Chevrolets, and Buicks. Here, it’s a 24-module, double-stacked layout, sending power to three electric motors. Total output is a nice, round 1,000 horsepower, while GM quotes a mountainous 11,500 lb-ft of torque. That figure is the wheel torque however, not the crank value. Either way, we expect a four-figure number for the twist.

Despite the gargantuan dimensions and mega power, the Hummer EV is also estimated to do 350 miles on a single charge. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture—the same figure as the Porsche Taycan—it shouldn’t take long to recharge the Hummer EV either, if you find a 350 kW charger. GMC quotes just 10 minutes for an additional 100 miles of range.

The EV approach affords the reborn Hummer some other cool tricks as well. There’s CrabWalk for starters: the front and rear wheels can point in the same direction, moving the Hummer diagonally at low speeds. GM has also included what it’s calling Watts to Freedom—yep, WTF—which is essentially launch control, hurling the Hummer to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.0 seconds. The Ultium battery pack provides enough structural stiffness that GM has been able to give the electric pickup removable roof panels. The quartet of transparent panels store safely in the frunk, yet another benefit of not having a big gas-swilling engine up front.

Hummer has traditionally stood for off-road prowess, and GMC is throwing all the tech it has at this new model to continue that. It starts with an adaptive air suspension. This allows the driver to raise and lower the Hummer EV. A dedicated “Extract Mode” raises the truck 6 inches (149 mm). Combined with standard 35-inch off-road tires, this allows the Hummer to roll up 18-inch walls, or ford water 24 inches deep. When crawling over rocks, drivers can activate UltraVision, which uses underbody cameras to give them a better idea of the terrain.

GM’s Super Cruise is also part of the Hummer EV’s lengthy list of standard equipment. The hands-free driving system works on over 200,000 miles (322,000 km) of mapped roads.

Rounding out the tech suite is a pair of interior screens. The main infotainment system runs a large, 13.4-inch screen, while the instrument panel is 12.3 inches. Drivers can cycle through off-road widgets in both, which showcase things like torque vectoring and a drift gauge. Yes, we’re picturing it drifting now too.

GMC isn’t completely forgetting about pickup truck practicality with all this power on offer, either. The Hummer borrows the six-way configurable MultiPro Tailgate from the current Sierra. It also includes a power tonneau cover, and powered rear drop glass.

All that power and glitzy tech doesn’t come cheap. The GMC Hummer EV will initially go on sale late next year, with construction happening at GM’s renamed Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck plant. Pricing will start at a substantial $112,595 before destination, at least initially. This will be for the special Edition 1 model, which comes with all the fancy bells and whistles listed here. More affordable models will begin coming online late 2022, starting with an 800-horsepower, 300-mile EV3x variant from $99,995. The “entry level” Hummer EV, if you can call it that, will show up in Spring 2024 with an estimated 625 horsepower and $79,995 asking price. Canadians will have to wait: GMC won’t offer the Edition 1 model in the land of Tim Hortons, so the EV3x will be that market’s top trim (for now).

Discuss this story at our GMC Hummer forum.

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