- Powered by newly-developed Ultium battery technology
- Claimed range of 550+ kilometres
Who doesn't recognize the iconic Hummer when they see one? It was the ultimate American truck born as a military combat vehicle which was then adopted for civilians and now could be seen parked on the pavements of Los Angeles or Miami. It was put to rest back in 2010 owing to its gas-guzzling nature in the environmentally cautious time and falling economy for the American carmakers. But it's 2020, and the Hummer is reborn - as an ultimate electric 4x4.
Rumours of the Hummer reincarnation have been going around for quite some time now, but GM finally confirmed their plans of bringing back the icon earlier this year. The new Hummer Electric then is instantly recognizable. It still is massive, and has loads of off-roading hardware as its predecessor, and can still make some style statement wherever it happens to thread upon. It is a modern reincarnation of the original Humvee with new-age touches to its formidable rugged character.
Under the skin, there’s a new 24-module Ultium battery pack with undisclosed capacity. It feeds a three-motor e-4WD set-up with a combined output of 1,000 horsepower and an earth-shattering twisting force of 15,591Nm. There’s a claimed range of more than 550 kilometres. Another mind-boggling figure is the 800-volt DC fast-charging compatibility of up to 350 kilowatts which could charge a range of 150 kilometres in just 10 minutes. What’s more, it can do 0-100kmph in less than three seconds, that’s quicker than some electrified-supercars. It means that the Hummer EV could be the best one yet in the electric SUV race beating the likes of Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T.
And just like the other two, the Hummer also comes with new gimmicks and trickeries up its sleeve. There’s the CrabWalk feature making use of four-wheel steering enabling diagonal manoeuvrability at low speeds. It has an Ultravision underbody camera acting as a ‘virtual spotter’ for off-roading escapades. Moreover, 18 cameras can be had as part of the Ultravision. It also gets a power-operated tonneau and removable ‘Infinity Roof’ for open-top motoring. Also part of the package is adaptive suspension and off-road drive modes. You could spec your electric Hummer with massive 37-inch Goodyear tyres and can wade in water levels of up to two feet.
Meanwhile, the boxy styling in the cabin gets a massive 13.4-inch touchscreen and floating 12.3-inch driver’s display. Appearance-wise, the Hummer Electric retains its high-shoulder line-narrow-window stance from its older model. Upfront the seven-slat grille gets chrome finish and modern LED lighting too with Hummer lettering running across. The simple-yet-functional tailgate at the back and visible underbody round off the styling of the new Hummer.
GMC plans to put the Hummer EV on sale next year in Edition 1 guise with more affordable models ready to join in by 2022-2023. India-debut is unlikely.
