American brand GMC has teased their vision of the future of work-trucks with the Hummer EV, the brand labelling it as “the world’s first super-truck”, with the full reveal to take place before the end of 2020.
It’s a pretty clear shot at Tesla’s coming Cybertruck, though that vehicle’s design language makes what we’ve seen of the Hummer EV look rather tame in comparison.
While the prospect of an electric Hummer is exciting to some, it’s doubtful the big American brute will make it to our shores, though GMC expects vehicles to be rolling off the production line in a little over a year.
A Hummer EV mock-up at GMC HQ.
While the super-truck label is out there, it’s not the most out-there figure about the Hummer EV, with GMC claiming 745kW (1,000hp) and a 0-100km/h sprint of around 3 seconds.
Rounding out the insanity is the torque figure, with the spec sheet claiming a gargantuan 11,500ft lb of twisting force, or 16,000Nm to us Australians.
That number does seem insane, equal to more than ten Bugatti Veyrons, or about 96 times what a Kia Picanto GT puts out. It seems unlikely, that the Hummer’s torque figure is measured from the engine.
It’s a familiar silhouette.
Instead, the quoted torque figure was probably measured at the wheel. That is after the twisting force has been through the transmission and multiplied. But if it really can produce that much torque, GMC has got some weapons-grade technology on their hands.
While the original Hummer H1 was a decidedly military vehicle, the civilian H2 wasn’t much cop. It was thirsty, heavy, and by all accounts acted better as a fashion accessory than as transport.
However, the new electric Hummer is very much shaping up as a lifestyle vehicle, adopting the ability to shed the roof with modular sky panels – like the Jeep Gladiator – with ‘ultra-vision cameras’ to assist in technical off-road driving.
As a lifestyle vehicle, the Hummer EV will be jam-packed with tech.
Further helping owners into the wilderness will be a crab mode, details are again, sparse, though the Hummer might utilise a low-range gear for deft manoeuvring. For scaring passengers, there will be adrenaline mode, while GMC is touting updated super-cruise capabilities with some amount of autonomy.
If those power claims are correct, then the new Hummer EV will be a step in the right direction for the nameplate.
The teaser images GMC has released so far show the Hummer is shaping up to be a very desirable vehicle, we assume there will be plenty of road-presence courtesy of the full-width LED light signature. There appear to be the ability to choose between tray or wagon-body, too.
Also available as a ute.
GMC hasn’t made claims about range, but GM’s “Ultium” Lithium-Ion battery technology is touted. The brand says this new battery system has 200kWh of capacity, and that it is good for about 650km between charges.
Super-fast charging capability will be part-and-parcel for the Hummer with GM’s battery capable of 350kW inputs.
While the range isn’t hugely impressive – cars like the Kona Electric tout 400km of range from just 64kWh capacity – though the 350kW fast-charging is right up there with the speed of Tesla’s Super Charger system.
As a more direct range comparison, Tesla’s Model S Performance achieves a standard sprint of 2.6-seconds and 670km of range from the 100kWh capacity battery. though it is lighter and almost certainly more aerodynamic than the Hummer
GMC says the preorders for the Hummer EV will start this spring (Autumn in the US) before vehicles begin rolling off the production line later in 2021.
