My, how the times have changed. The last time a Hummer-branded vehicle was on sale was ten years ago. It was the era of GM-ified Hummer vehicles, those which sold on-brand cache and supposed off-road ability. The general public frowned heavily upon the brand. And while the trucks performed well off-tarmac, public perception finally won out. As did decreasing sales figures. GM shut the brand in 2010.

A decade later, Hummer is reborn.

Meet the new GMC HUMMER EV. Back when we last saw a Hummer on sale, the automotive industry had hardly grazed the surface of electrification. And it’s with this that GM takes its stance. Stepping away from its gas-powered roots, the Hummer brand has a new life as an all-electric pickup. It’s not just the latest addition to GM’s ever-expanding lineup, it’s another entry into the rapidly-expanding electrified pickup market. And a strong one, at that.

GM has come out swinging. With the Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck in its crosshairs, GMC’s newest show-stopper packs a serious punch. It’s GMC’s first all-electric vehicle and comes in with quite a lot of power: Ultium Drive in the “EV EDITION 1” delivers an estimated 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque by way of three motors and GM’s own electric tech. Expect to see it in the fall of 2021 with 350+ miles of range. This launch edition also carries an MSRP of $112,595 but that shocker of a number doesn’t matter because they’re already sold out. The base model one hits dealers in the spring of 2024 and starts at $79,995 which gets buyers a “lowly” 2 motors, 625 hp / 7,400 lb-ft. and 250+ miles on a charge. Two mid-range models will land in spring 2023 and fall 2022 and boast 2 motors / 300+ miles / 625 hp / 7,400 lb-ft. / $89,995 MSRP and 3 motors / 300+ miles / 800 hp / 9,500 lb-ft / $99,995 MSRP, respectively.

Impressive, yes. But the numbers only tell part of the story. The other part here is the tech suite and the looks. The HUMMER EV boasts H3T-meets-Halo-Warthog looks (kudos to my podcast co-host Chris Tracy for the latter comparison). HUMMER-lettered light-up panels adorn and serve as the grille. Heavy Duty-style marker lights sit atop the roof. Speaking of which, the panels come off, a la Jeep’s Freedom panels, and store in the frunk.

On the front of technology, Crabwalk mode allows the HUMMER to pivot its tires to allow it to travel in a diagonal trajectory. “Watts to Freedom” gives the truck a lower suspension setting and optimized performance and 0-60 MPH in ~3 seconds. The latest-and-greatest iteration of Super Cruise is available. A 12.3” touchscreen is the hub for all controls. GM’s Multipro tailgate is included. 350 kW charging is possible and can provide 100+ miles of range in 10 minutes.

The HUMMER EV also has full-on off-road equipment. Extract Mode uses the air suspension to lift the vehicle six full inches, for use when stuck or trying to overcome a large obstacle. Ultravision points cameras at the underside for views of obstacles below. 35” tires are standard but there’s ample room for 37”s. Full-body skid plates line the undercarriage.

Needless to say, this is a fairly massive release for GM and GMC alike. And they’ve done well: The HUMMER EV has all the specs it needs to grab headlines away from the Tesla and Rivian, and has, at least on paper, the chops to back up its futuristic looks. With an SUV based on this pickup on the horizon, GM is really ramping up its competitive electric vehicle suite. Things look promising as does the ever-developing electric 4WD market. Stay tuned: This is one of the most exciting segments in recent memory.

But, as we all know, looks and stats can be deceiving. What do our resident Hoons think of the all-new HUMMER? It’s time for another round of Hooniversal Opinion. 

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I love some things and hate some things. The off-road abilities are promising. And the specs are truly astounding. (So is the price). It looks like an H1 pickup mated to an H3T with a little (as Chris pointed out) Halo Warthog thrown in. Right on time for the next Halo release. But somehow I think it already looks dated. It’s “cool” and “exciting” now, but in 5 years when the base models are out and about, I think the truck will garner the same “yuck” looks from everyone who doesn’t get that it’s electric. The interior isn’t going to age well, either, but it needs all those screens to keep up with the competitors and make waves on the internet.

I don’t mean to poo-poo this too much. T-tops and the addition of another electric vehicle designed for more than just A-to-B commuting is a fantastic and needed addition to the automotive world. It’s over-styled for my taste and flaunts its intention too flamboyantly for the word “restraint” to be used, but that’s what will get it clicks and likes and, yes, ultimately sales.

I wanted to hate the HUMMER EV pickup. But the more I look at it and the more I consider its merits, the more I don’t. I won’t go so far as to say I like it, but I don’t hate it. And that’s saying something. At the end of the day, more electric = more good, more roofless pickups = more good, and more capable off-roaders = more good. Thank you, GM/GMC.

-Ross Ballot

I have been awaiting the coming of large-family-sized EVs. The Mercedes Sprinter vans are too expensive. The Rivian R1S is fairly expensive as well. As much as I would like to have an EV to tote the family around, it won’t be in a Hummer. Maybe GM will use this platform to give the world the affordable van EV that only a couple of us are really desiring. VW is never going to actually bring back the microbus as an EV in the US, either. I’ll probably end up doing an electric crate engine before I can afford a new EV large enough for the whole family.

Looks are always subjective when it comes to vehicle design. The Hummer is not for me. It’s like an FJ Cruiser and a Halo Warthog were combined to make this EV as their offspring. The removable roof panels are very cool. The interior will be different in the production versions. There seems to be so much unused space. I’m not lining up to get a Hummer, but the Hummer will be a retail reality before Cybertruck. How soon before we see that tug-of-war, Cybertruck vs. Hummer EV?

-Chris Tracy

Ok to start with the PRICE, it’s not cheap, but as Ross says in his opener it’s already a sell-out. What does that tell you? People who probably were going to order a Cybertruck have switched their orders to the Hummer. Not really a bad idea, who knows when the production Cybertruck will appear on our roads, I’ll take a bet we will see the Hummer hitting the roads before the Tesla ever will. But it goes to show that are people willing to pay big dollars for an electric SUV. I’m sure once Rivian ramps up its production we see them everywhere as well.

Now to the truck, or as we say in Australia, the Hummer Ute. I wasn’t sold on first looks early yesterday morning when it appeared, but that was the first glance. But now having spent some time delving through all the different shots, I really like it. The design is cool, it’s so American, but I like the Jeep Grand Wagoneer so I think I am just a sucker for American truck design. It’s good to see that GM keep some family history design to the Hummer EV, you can tell it a Hummer at first glance. Love that it has the removable roof panels, its looks awesome with them removed. The three lights in the roofline above the windscreen make it look like an actual truck. The power and torque numbers are just insane and hard to comprehend but so impressive. 

The technology behind the driveline and battery system is very clever and I’m very keen to see what the one-pedal drive system is like off road.

The interior design is out there, I actually like the flick switches in the center console. I’m not sold on the gold trim everywhere inside. Those interior screens are massive, maybe too big?

I’m excited to hear what all our American Writers think of it when they see it and drive it in person. I don’t see GMC making it in RHD, so I doubt it will ever make it to Australia, but maybe they will as it would be cool to drive on some of our Aussie trails…..

-Joel Strickland

Why is it called Hummer EV and not HMMEV? Way to drop the ball

-Antti Kautonen

Wow, that is a pretty amazing machi…wait, it costs how much!? 

There is no question that this will initially sell pretty well, much like the original H’s 1-3 did. It sounds like GM has already gotten a ton of deposits, which isn’t surprising. The question is, how long will it sell long term? Regardless, there is a lot to like about the new Hummer EV. Like, a lot. The damn thing has t-tops! The list of features is extensive, I won’t get into all of them here, you’ve read the specs. I find the crabwalk thing to be pretty gimmicky personally, but it’s a good attention-getter. 

From a design perspective, it’s pretty good looking, they did an impressive job updating the OG Hummer look with something much more modern. And it doesn’t look like something I made in middle school shop class like the Cybertruck. I’m surprised to see the truck-bed. It’s like GM watched the latest releases from Jeep and Ford and said “OK, let’s make an electric Bronco Gladiator Hummer”. I’m quite happy to see the open-air motoring experience option, as a JK Jeep owner, I can say that will make you overlook a lot of fallacies. 

In the end, none of us automotive-types ever expected that a pioneer in the electric truck/SUV world would come from…Hummer. How this plays out over time will be interesting. Let’s hope that the price comes down at some point because a six-figure Hummer is something I only expected to see at West Coast Customs.

– William Byrd

The specs are amazing. You cannot deny that. This is a heavy machine that can rip from 0-60 in 3 seconds, boost its approach angle to 50 degrees, and has a driving range of 350 miles?! That’s wild. This is the sort of thing we would’ve seen in a GI Joe episode as a kid and laughed at how crazy such a vehicle sounds. But now it’s real.

The price is bonkers, but so is what this thing can do. I love that 35-inch tires come standard too.

I like the styling as it’s clearly a nod to Hummers of old, but that light bar in the nose matches our current definition of “Ohh, this is from the future!” And the interior looks good in photos, I just hope it doesn’t feel GM cheap. Though to be fair to GM, their cabin spaces have gotten a hell of a lot better in the last few years.

I hope the potential performance backs up the price. And I do think it’s odd to roll out the fancy AF one first, then slowly release less expensive versions. And I still think the Rivian R1T is a better looking machine, but this is a segment that could finally have some competitors rolling in and I think that’s exciting.

Who knew the first real salvo would be fired by a vehicle wearing a HUMMER badge though, right? Crazy times call for a crazy truck.

-Jeff Glucker

This thing seems very well designed. It looks cool, it’s got freakin’ t-tops AND a targa roof. Yes, it’s a pickup but it would be silly not to turn into in an SUV. It is a very cool execution of an EV Jeep Gladiator.

It’s got some things going against it:

• Price. It’s clearly going after the non-existing Tesla truck. While there are $90,000 pickup trucks, one can get a decent pickup for $35,000
• Towing. EVs do not make great tow vehicles. And people love to tow stuff with their pickups.
• GM. This is a company that has always shown awesome concepts and provided spiced-up versions of the same old cars. They have a history of not producing what they say they would or producing cool vehicles and failing at marketing them.

-Kamil Kaluski