After postponing the reveal of the GMC Hummer EV due to the coronavirus pandemic, General Motors confirmed that the electric pickup truck will be revealed in fall 2020. The start of production is still on schedule for 2021, which means the reborn Hummer will likely be a 2022 model.
GMC also released a new teaser video for the Hummer EV, showing brief glimpses of prototypes and clay design models. Based on previous teasers, we know the Hummer EV will have a prominent chrome grille like the 2000s Hummer H2 and H3, as well as a set of removable roof panels, which GMC calls an Infinity Roof.
The Hummer EV is expected to be a four-door pickup aimed more at adventure than work, making it more like a Jeep Gladiator than a Ford F-150. GMC hasn’t discussed the truck’s dimensions, but it will probably be close to the Gladiator in size as well. Under the skin, the Hummer EV will be one of the first models based on GM’s new Ultium battery technology and BEV3 modular platform. GMC previously confirmed a version with 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque, allowing for zero to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, but less powerful (and less expensive) versions will likely be offered.
Super Cruise driver assist will also be on the menu. The latest version of Super Cruise, as seen on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, can automatically steer, brake, and accelerate on highways, as well as execute automated lane changes. Super Cruise is GM’s answer to Tesla Autopilot but, unlike Tesla, GM uses a driver-facing camera to combat misuse, and only allows the system to be used on pre-mapped stretches of highway.
While the Hummer EV will be sold as a single model under the GMC brand, Hummer was previously its own brand. It started out making civilian versions of the military Humvee, before moving on to more mainstream models. With their brash design and thirst for fuel, Hummers became a symbol of the 2000s excess. As buyer tastes shifted to cheaper, more fuel-efficient vehicles in the wake of the 2008 recession, Hummer became one of several GM brands to get the ax. The Hummer name has remained dormant since 2010 when a plan to sell it to a Chinese firm fell through.
The GMC Hummer EV will be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which last built the Chevrolet Impala. After Impala production ended in February 2020, GM announced plans to convert Detroit-Hamtramck into an all-EV factory. The automaker has several other electric models in the works, including the Cadillac Lyriq SUV, an updated version of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and even a self-driving car.
