GM relaunched the Hummer brand this week with the unveiling of the 2022 Hummer EV, ditching the traditional internal combustion engines of its predecessor for an all-electric motor in the process. Despite the unconventional new powertrain, GM’s new vehicle is unmistakably a Hummer in every other way that matters—most notably in that it is unabashedly big, powerful, and pricey.
Though it won’t be available for purchase until next fall, early buyers can order the Edition 1 version of the new Hummer, which includes a three-motor, 1,000-horsepower engine capable of pumping out up to 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb.-ft. of torque. Have you ever wanted to take a Hummer from 0-60 miles per hour in just three seconds? If so, this is the one for you.
You’ll have to pay a lot for that kind of power, though. The Edition 1 will start at “only” $112,595. That’s about $322 per mile of its 350 miles of range.
GM laid out its blueprint for successive Hummer launches, with the Hummer EV3X coming in fall 2022, Hummer EV2X in Spring 2023, and Hummer EV2 in Spring 2024. Those will start at $99,995, $89,995, and $79,995, respectively. Each churns out between 625-800 hp and offers an estimated 250-300 miles of range, depending on the model.
A Monster of a Ride
It’s been nearly three decades since the Hummer H1 made its debut as a near perfect embodiment of the ostentatious 1990s “bigger is better” American consumer culture it inhabited. It was bold. It was brash. And it certainly was big. Like, really, really big.
The original Hummer H1 was wider than most modern pickup trucks at 86.5 inches, boasted a curb weight of more than four tons in certain trims, and offered gas mileage low enough to make the 760-horsepower 2020 Shelby GT500 blush. Subsequent models got smaller, lighter, and offered (slightly) better fuel economy, but you would never mistake it for a Geo Tracker.
Carrying on the tradition, the new Hummer EV comes in at 86.7 inches wide. As Autoblog pointed out, that’s “just a bit wider than a Ford F-150 Raptor, which is itself 6.4 inches wider than a comparable F-150.” The clearance marker lights on its roof are there not for style, but as a requirement, owing to its width.
The length of the Hummer EV is a more reasonable 216.8 inches, making it shorter than a full-size crew cab truck and roughly on par with a midsize pickup. GM has yet to disclose the vehicle’s curb weight, but we’re guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of “a lot.”
Loaded with Style and Off-Road Technology
The new Hummer lineup offers a wide range of technology aimed at making it a fun and capable off-roader. Autoblog detailed some of the most important ones:
“Although it’s big, the Hummer has plenty of features to make it nimble off road, both traditional and high-tech. One of the primary features is the height-adjustable air suspension, which offers 13 inches of travel and automatically adjusts damping for driving conditions. It has three main levels, a lowered setting for Aero Mode that helps with improving highway energy use, a default height for the normal driving modes, and a higher setting for the off-road Terrain Mode. There’s also going to be an Extract Mode added with a later software update that can raise the truck an additional 6 inches for particularly tall or deep obstacles, though it will likely be speed limited since that height would leave the drive axles at extreme angles and the suspension very stiff to maintain the height. This also means that ground clearance and other clearances vary… Also worth noting is that these numbers only apply to Hummer EVs with air suspension. Base models will have a fixed steel suspension.”
Autoblog.com
According to GM, ground clearance ranges from 10.1 to 15.9 inches, depending on which mode the driver utilizes.
One of the more interesting features available on the new Hummer is GM’s CrabWalk technology, which allows the wheels to turn parallel up to 10 degrees for low-speed diagonal driving. According to GM, this can help the drivers maneuver easier around obstacles during off-road driving or in tight parking space (assuming they make parking spaces for something so wide).
Other features include a four-wheel steering system, included on all models but the base trim; front and rear lockers with an electronically activated locking differential; torque vectoring capabilities on three-motor models; an infotainment system capable of displaying roll and pitch angles; underbody armor; and multiple exterior cameras to help navigate obstacles.
To learn more, check out the links from GM’s newsroom below:
2022 GMC HUMMER EV: Ultimate Capability, Revolutionary Performance
2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1: Experience Just How Loud Quiet Can Be
2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1: Off-Road Beast
2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1’s Outstanding Performance Powered by Ultium
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