2022 GMC Hummer EV Review: Is it Silly To Like an Electric Truck This Much?
Nah. This is really cool— and it hints at what’s ahead.
Not long ago a friend got to spend a day driving the newly introduced GMC Hummer, the all electric pickup from General Motors. I asked what he thought, and who he thought would buy it—with a price tag of about $100,000. He liked it, he said, though he saw it as a plaything for wealthy buyers who simply want the latest, most novel thing.
After driving the Hummer EV, I have to disagree. Yes, it’s pricey. Yes, pickup trucks aren’t practical for everyone. And yes, its novelty is that it’s unlike any other truck on the road. But it surprised me in its practicality, innovation and efficiency. And when it hits the market in SUV form in 2024, it’ll be the must have SUV for many drivers, especially those who would consider other $100,000 full size SUVs (which is a lot of them).
Who this Truck is For
- Drivers who want an electric car or pickup truck
- Early adopters who value being the first to own something really cool
- Pickup truck drivers who value the unique features and functions in a truck
- Off-roaders who will delight in the removable sunroof panels and silent ride
- Drivers who will appreciate the substantial off road capabilities
- Drivers who can charge at home and/or are able to charge at a DC fast charge station
- Buyers who are not deterred by the hefty price tag
Related: The Ford F-150 Lightning is Finally Here and It’s All It’s Said to Be
What You Need to Know
- All electric pickup truck from GMC
- Range estimated at 329 miles per charge
- 3 electric motors provide 1,000 horsepower and all wheel drive
- A lower priced version, starting at $79K is expected in 2023
- Tows 7,500 lbs
- Charges to 80% in about 30 minutes at a DC fast charge station
- Charges 16 miles per hour at a 240 V level 2 charger (the type used by a household clothes dryer)
- 8 year/100,000 warranty on the electric power system
- 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty
- Built in Detroit and may qualify for federal and state tax incentives
Related: Chevrolet Reveals Three New Electric Cars and a Performance Gas-Powered SUV
Hummer is Back — and It’s Awesome
Playing on the reputation for this oversized and military-inspired truck, GM has undertaken a mammoth task: resurrect the Hummer for the modern era. Gone is the gas-fueled engine that generated single digit MPG. Like 7 MPG, perhaps 10 MPG on a good day. Now, Hummer is powered by General Motor’s Ultium battery technology, which is designed to go far and charge fast. During my test drive it charged with decent speed and a single charge covered most of the ground I had planned in a day (just to be sure I didn’t let the charge run out I charged pro-actively during my test drive).
Hummer is as powerful and muscular as its reputation. It has incredible off road capability — it wouldn’t be Hummer without that — and can generate up to 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb.-ft of torque. Weighing in at 9,500 lbs. it needs all that power to get moving. But, it does so effortlessly, another detail I loved. I never felt the weight of the truck under me; unlike some trucks, I didn’t feel the need to engage all my upper body strength to make a tight turn, merge onto the highway or back into a parking spot. It reminded me of the Saint Bernard that thinks its the same size as a Jack Russell and can do everything the other dog can do, equally as effortlessly.
Related: Rivian R1S First Drive: The First True 3-Row Electric SUV is Here. This is What it’s Like to Drive, and What You’ll Find Inside
This is GM’s Moonshot Vehicle and … The Moon Looks in Range
This is so cool: throughout the Hummer you’ll see Moon iconography: tray liners, floor mats and speaker covers imprinted with surface of the moon, and a multimedia screen animation of the Hummer towing the Space Shuttle. This is a tribute to the Hummer as GM’s “Moonshot” vehicle, designed to showcase everything that the company’s electric vehicle technology can do, from crab walking to drag racing and more (though in its current state it can’t actually tow the Space Shuttle; the Hummer has 7,500 lbs. of tow capacity).
The idea was to think of every possible thing this truck can do and design it to do that.
This is possible because about the time that GM announced the return of the Hummer it was clear that electric car technology was progressing quickly. Not just the holy grails of longer distance driving and faster charging, but things like off road capability, increased passenger space (which is created by the batteries residing in undercarriage), more power than we’ve ever seen in a typical passenger car or truck.
And, then, it’s a truck so it naturally just does a lot of cool things. Here are just some of the features that GM packed into the Hummer:
- “Hey Google” voice activated controls
- Unique and custom designed multimedia system
- Removable tinted roof panels
- A retracting rear window
- Camera views for all angles around the Hummer, even underneath
- Under carriage camera wash
- 3 windshield wipers
- Retractable running boards for easy in and out of this tall truck
- Adjustable suspension for up to 11.9” of ground clearance
- Multifunction tail gate that turns into a bed step
- Tail gate with speakers and controls built in
- Regenerative braking mode
- Multiple drive modes
- Crab Walk mode (keep reading for more on this!)
- WTF mode (more on this is below, too!)
- “Frunk” front trunk with 11 cubic feet of storage
- A retractable bed cover that works with the push of a button
- Super Cruise semi-automated drive system
Lightweight Materials Feel Space Age, Too
Getting into the Hummer EV you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s a lot of metal in this car: Metal buttons and controls, metal dash details, a metal cup holder cover, metal surrounding the two screens on the front dash. But no, upon touching and using these things you realize they are not metal at all, but a plastic-like material. Lightweight but solid-feeling plastic. That’s to keep the weight of this electric truck as light as possible since the Ultium battery weighs nearly 3,000 pounds.
But the space age feel doesn’t stop there. You’ll notice tinted sunroof panels that are not glass, but a lightweight plastic. And woven vinyl seat upholstery that looks like… woven vinyl, though in elegant two-tone black and white. Every surface you see and touch looks and feels reinvented, because it is.
Regenerative Braking for One-Pedal Driving
This is awesome: Driving a pickup truck only using the accelerator. That’s the magic of one-pedal driving and here’s how it works: You can choose to drive the Hummer in “D” for a normal drive feel, or pop it back twice to L for max regeneration. Then, as you drive, pull the paddle on the left side of the steering wheel to increase your regenerative braking, channeling any unused energy created, including that created by slowing the truck, back into the battery.
I was able to use regenerative braking driving downhill for about 4 miles and the battery range didn’t change; it’s also great to use for general driving and on the highway, though I found using adaptive cruise control or Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free adaptive cruise technology, tended to operate in a more “normal manner;” I was able to use less energy in L and pulling the paddle in traffic than using the automated settings.
This Truck Can Even Drive Itself with Super Cruise Semi-Automated Drive System
This was simply great for highway driving; Super Cruise is GM’s hands-free semi-automated driving system that operates on limited access highways. Just set the system by tapping the lower right button on the left side of the steering wheel and it’s on; you’ll see a blue light then a green light on the top of the steering wheel to let you know it’s in action; you’ll also see an indicator on the driver’s information screen.
Once the system is on, you can take your hands off the wheel, though not your eyes off the road. A monitor watches the driver’s face and if you look away for too long or something obscures your face, warnings pop up that you need to take control of the truck.
Another benefit is automated lane change. You can simply tap the turn signal and the truck will change lanes when it’s safe. Super Cruise was a wonderful companion for my 350 mile road trip through Texas.
And the Fun Stuff: Crab Walk, WTF Mode and Multifunction Tail Gate
You may have seen videos of people trying out Crab Walk, the four-wheel steering system that allows the Hummer to “walk” side to side. This is because the rear wheels, when Crab Walk is engaged, can turn in the same direction as the front wheels, so with a small amount of steering it looks as if the Hummer EV is moving sideways rather than simply forward. It’s pretty cool.
Then, there’s WTF mode: Watts to Freedom. This is essentially “launch” mode, a feature found in many performance cars. It allows them to ramp up and then release a maximum amount power all at once, as you might on a drag strip. There’s a process to WTF, which you can imagine, demands a precise execution so as not to launch yourself into the nearest wall. Or worse. I set it up and showed how to do this in my video, but I didn’t actually launch since I didn’t have a closed road to do this on.
I also really loved the multifunction tail gate—a feature also found on GMC pickup trucks. I love it because it allows you to climb in and out of the tail gate gracefully. And, it has speakers. And, you can fold down just the inner part of the gate to grab something out of the bed. And, there’s a retractable bed cover so you can lock things away. There’s even a handy grab bar to help you climb in and out. In all, this is such a thoughtful, well done tail gate/bed set up.
What This Truck Costs
2022 GMC Hummer Pricing: (prices have increased for future model years):
- Entry level EV2 with a 250 mile range: $79,995 (estimated to be available Spring 2024)
- EV2X with 300 miles of range: $89,995
- EV3X adds additional off road features for $99,995
- Edition 1: $108,700
- Destination $1595
- Price of our test model, $110,295
Long Drives, and Charging, Are Easy
I took the GMC Hummer on a road trip through Texas during my week with it— yes, I drove an electric truck through Texas! Charging was easy (and easy to find) though I do wish I’d been able to find a 350 kWh DC fast charger rather than the 125 fast chargers I came across. At a 350 kWh charger you can add 100 miles per 10-15 minutes of charging; it took me about an hour to add 125 miles of range at the 125 kWh fast charger. Still, I’m not complaining. I opened my laptop, plugged it in and got some work done. And, it only cost $12 for those miles; in the average pickup truck that would have cost about $27. In the prior Hummer that would have been $70. If I owned this truck and plugged it in over night at home I could replenish most of the day’s miles over night.
I was surprised at how much I really like this truck. It was easy to drive, relatively easy to park and fun to discover all its delights. Its high ground clearance gives it good visibility, and with the sun roof panels off and the rear window down, it offers a delightful and quiet close-to-nature feel—one that you don’t expect from a pickup truck.
What would make this truck better? One thing: An SUV version. Luckily, GMC agrees; the SUV it is expected in late 2023 or early 2024. Reservations are full but you can sign up to be notified when they are open again, and I expect that round 2 will sell out quickly too. This truck is really good, and it’ll be even better as an SUV.
Disclosure: GMC provided the Hummer for this review; all opinions are my own.
Categorized:Car Reviews