2022 GMC Hummer EV reboots legendary controversial brand

If we were to curate the names of cars that are instantly recognized by most people, the Hummer would certainly be in the top rung. It had gone out of the door back in 2010, following the global recession. Through its years, Hummer bore the brunt of many environment protection agencies for being the gas guzzler it was. Now though, it had made quite a comeback in the form of an electric vehicle, as the 2022 GMC Hummer EV.

The Hummer brand was born as the civilian version of the military-grade AM General HMMWW. But since its formation in 1992, the Hummer brand had been making hefty, masculine SUVs and trucks and with the brand new 2022 GMC Hummer EV, they haven’t strayed far from the path.

The design draws from the lines of the old Hummers but GMC has given it the retro-modern charm anyone would want in a Hummer resurrection. The round headlights are gone now, making way for the H-shaped headlights, connected by a long light bar. The light bar gets vertical inserts with the letters of the Hummer moniker proudly pasted between them as a homage to the IC engine gas guzzler Hummers of the past. Just like the Hummer H2, the windshield is almost upright, the beltline is high and the side glasses are narrow. The fenders are flared substantially to accommodate the standard 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory tyres or the optional 37-inch units.

The Hummer EV is a truck, like the original H1, the H2 SUT, or the H3T. The cargo box of the Hummer EV is more like that of the H1 or H2 SUT, with a rather small box. It provides more visual appeal than practicality. The Hummer EV also gets an “Infinity Roof”, thanks to the large transparent roof panels that can be removed and stored in the frunk or front trunk.

Opening the roof gives the passengers an airy cabin, The GMC Hummer EV’s cabin is quite plush, an important factor in living up to its premium positioning. There is a large 13.4-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. There is an Ultravision system feeding 18 different camera views to the driver who will appreciate it while maneuvering this behemoth over tough off-road terrain, or while parking at the mall. Hummer EV’s rear-wheel steering will also be of great help by reducing the turning radius. Also, it has quite a nifty “Crabwalk” feature that utilizes the rear-wheel steering to move the truck diagonally, out of tricky situations.

Powering the Hummer EV is a non-Hummer friendly, electric powertrain that utilizes GM’s proprietary Ultium battery technology. There are three electric motors, producing a combined output of 1000 hp. GMC also promises a torque output of 15,592 Nm but this will most certainly be the torque at the wheels, which is significantly higher than what the motor produces. With all this grunt, the Hummer EV can charge from 0 to 100 kph in just over 3.2 seconds. The EV can run more than 560 km on a single charge.

The GMC Hummer EV also boasts 800V DC fast-charging capability. This, as per GMC’s claims, can help add up to 160 km of range within 10 minutes of charging. This is quite impressive if the network of 800V chargers become quite substantial.

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is a premium truck and the price shows that. The very first Hummer EV variant to hit the showrooms will be the Edition 1, selling at $112,591 (Dhs 413,561) apiece in the United States. The Edition 1 will be available post-mid-2021. This will be the fully loaded model with all the bells and whistles. The second trim, called the EV3X, will reach a year later with a price tag of $99,995 (Dhs 367,281). Another year later, the less expensive EV2X will arrive and buyers will have to wait for a full three and a half years to buy the two-motor EV2 base model that will sell at $79,995 (Dhs 293,821). That is a lot of money and a lot of time to wait, especially when the closest competitor, the Tesla Cybertruck will be quite cheaper at $39,900 (Dhs 146,552) for its base model. But it will be interesting to see if EV truck buyers prefer the neo-retro charm of the Hummer EV over the futuristic, maybe a bit too out of the world, Cybertruck.

Hummer has been a bedroom poster car for many millennials. The arrival of the Hummer EV is a nostalgic event yet, as an EV, it is absolutely ready for the next generation. The Hummer EV Truck will also spawn an SUV variant, which should prove to be even more popular. The model will likely make it to the UAE and GCC market eventually, although it’s firmly in the premium category now.