HUMMER is coming back … and it’s a shocker in more ways than one.
General Motors has confirmed that it is dusting off the decade-dormant brand name for a battery-powered monster truck called the GMC HUMMER EV. The all-electric vehicle will be sold through GMC, rather than a rebooted standalone HUMMER division, and is set to be the most powerful vehicle GM has ever produced.
(The full-size HUMMER H2 was the brand's signature model.)
GMC says the truck features an all-wheel-drive electric powertrain with 1,000 hp and 11,500 lb-ft of torque that can accelerate it to 60 mph in just 3 seconds, which would rival the performance of Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck.
The torque figure quoted is likely measured at the wheels rather than directly from the motors, which accounts for the unusually high number compared to typical trucks. While an exact conversion can’t be calculated without additional technical information, it could equate to roughly 1,000 lb-ft using conventional methodology, which is more than the strongest 2020 GMC Sierra HD offers today.
The HUMMER EV will be featured in a Super Bowl advertisement starting LeBron James that GMC is teasing with the release of three short clips with a "Quiet Revolution" theme.
James' mother bought him a new HUMMER H2 when he was a senior in high school, so he has a connection to the brand.
(AP)
GMC hasn’t said if the truck is a pickup or an SUV but has confirmed it will be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck factory that GM has earmarked for electric vehicle production starting in Fall 2021. The single, shadowy image released of the front of the vehicle shows that it features a stylized take on HUMMER's familiar seven-slot grille design with a full-width light bar embedded in it. Three amber marker lights can be seen on the roof that are similar to those on the HUMMER H2, which suggests the EV will be a huge and possibly medium-duty class truck.
(GMC)
HUMMER was mothballed in 2010 following a short-lived, but widespread anti-SUV movement fueled by a spike in gas prices, the Obama administration’s "Cash for Clunkers" program and GM’s bankruptcy. However, a buyer couldn’t be found so the automaker retained ownership of the brand name. A full reveal of the new vehicle is scheduled for May 20, but it won't be the first all-electric HUMMER that's ever been made.
(BG004/Bauer-Griffin/GC Image)
Arnold Schwarzenegger had a HUMMER H1 converted to battery-power several years ago and is often seen driving around Los Angeles in it.