I was one of those kids who loved his Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. I had hundreds of them and spent days playing with them in my bedroom…or on the patio…or a pool table…or in the back of my parents’ Chevy Blazer. I’ll admit to still going down the toy aisle when shopping to pick up special new models I might want. After buying a teeny little Hummer EV Pickup, I decided to ask for it in a slightly larger package.
Next to it and its 22-inch wheels, a Suburban seems quaint. If you’ve ever seen a Hummer, you’ll know this is a hummer from its bulging fenders, massive bumpers, and six-slot “grille”. As a Hummer pickup, it adopts GMC’s MultiPro tailgate that transforms into a bed step. Spray-in bedliner and cargo tie-downs prompt real work. Front tow hooks aren’t just for looks.
It’s a luxury truck with a luxury price so it brings a cabin full of treats that start with large screens for gauges and infotainment. Bose audio, wireless phone charging, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated/ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats report for duty – as do a heated steering wheel and full battalion of crash avoidance systems. The safety alert seat buzzes in the direction of danger. It only lacks a head-up display to join the ranks.
Click off roof panels above both rows of seats to sniff nature in its fullest.
It weights enough to create its own gravity – over 8,000 lbs., in fact. If you’re counting, that’s nearly a ton more than the last Military-based H1. The battery pack weighs a thousand pounds more than my entire Smart car. But none of that is evident when you hit the accelerator.
The 3-motor all-wheel-drive system puts down 830 horsepower and 11,500 ft-lbs. of torque to rip 0-60 mph in 3 seconds…or two over 10,000 lbs. Yeah, over four tons of truck that accelerates like a hypercar. Super capable regenerative brakes cinch it. You’re going to need those cargo tie-downs. Driven more sensibly, expect 312 miles of range and the ability to charge 100 miles in 10 minutes through the NACS adapter (Tesla Supercharger compatible).
It’s big, but doesn’t drive big. I dropped my daughter at school, parked on tight city streets, and popped into our favorite restaurants. Beyond power that makes babies cry, four-wheel steering gives it the maneuverability of a mid-size pickup. Parallel parking is easy with the crabwalk feature that turns all four wheels towards the curb. GM’s Super Cruise allows hands-off driving on pre-approved roads like Interstates and divided highways. One-pedal driving maximizes power regeneration and minimizes driver intervention. It’s complicated, but intuitive.
It packs a pretty sophisticated suspension too. The Air Ride Adaptive Suspension can be configured for a softer highway ride or for tighter handling in the twisties, keeping the big truck from leaning like a dumbo. Being a proper Hummer, it’s also very capable. Front and rear e-lockers keep the wheels turning, underbody armor protects delicate bits and the suspension can lift an additional 6-inches to clear obstacles. Yeah, it’s a bit cracked.
So is its price. The GMC Hummer EV Pickup starts at a robust $96,600 and rises to a more substantial $118,935 as-tested. If you like the Hummer’s features, but aren’t so financially endowed, the GMC Sierra EV starts at a more palatable $62,400. Competitors include the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Rivian R1T.
Storm Forward!
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