A Long back, GMC announced details on its much anticipated full EV pickup, the Hummer EV is set to arrive soon but, What is it and how does it compare to other rivals in the EV pickup segment. Let's take a look into all that we know so far.
Before playing a game of top trumps with the Hummer EV, Elon Musk's Tesla cyber truck and the Rivian R1T, GM president Mark Royce positions the new Hummer EV as a step closer to an all-electric future for the company, a company which to date has relied on gas guzzling v8 for its success in the automotive industry. He says “the latest electric Hummer is the perfect car for people who want the perfect combination of capability, efficiency and performance.”
The first generation of this brand new Hummer will launch with the flagship edition one. This involves a three motor setup with a unique e4-wheel drive powertrain but these wheels do more than you may think. A segment exclusive four-wheel steering setup takes what we've seen from some performance cars and improves on it rather than allowing the back wheels to turn by just one or two degrees in aid of stability. The Hummer's four-wheel steering allows all four wheels to turn at the same angle at low speeds a feature the company calls Crab walk.
Crab walk allows for diagonal movement demonstrated by the huge pickup maneuvering easily between narrow obstacles on an off-road course. We imagine this will make in-town parking a breeze too! GMC is pioneering a whole bunch of new terms this time round as well as crab walk we see the launch of extract mode. Less impressive but still a crucial ability for a true off-roader, the air suspension can raise the car by six inches helping to clear obstacles like rocks, boulders and fallen trees. This is further raided by the tractor-sized 35-inch Goodyear wrangler territory tires which can be upgraded to a whopping 37 inches.
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Of course looking after an electric vehicle is different to a conventional car and whereas the petrol tank housing can be moved to a more protected area for pickups this isn't as easy for the battery pack which takes up a lot more space. This remains low in the vehicle which is good for center of gravity but not so good if a sharp rock were to pierce the bottom of the vehicle that's where the under body Armour comes in.
A bunch of steel that protects the car's vital organs combine this with ultravision and you should have a stress-free off-road session. Cameras positioned beneath the car provide the driver with a view of any obstacles that should be avoided which are positioned to avoid damage and feature a wash function to keep vision as clean as possible.
The Hummer EV has the best in class 18 views through a range of cameras dotted across the car's body. Inside the Hummer puts the driver at ease with a whole host of smartphone-like widgets that show information such as the torque output, differential engagement, tyre pressure, pitch and roll angles and so much more all of which are displayed on the Tesla rivaling 13.4 inch infotainment display the driver has no excuse of getting stranded then addition one ships with a three motor powertrain equipped with 1000 horsepower and 1600 newton meters of torque as well as an estimated range of more than 350 miles.
They say with an 800 volt 350 kilowatt charger almost 100 miles can be added in just 10 minutes. As with any EV the range depends entirely on how you drive the car and if you use GMC's version of Tesla's ludicrous mode you certainly won't get anywhere near the estimated range. Watts to freedom launches the car to 60 miles per hour in about three seconds. Driver assistance includes the latest generation of supercruise which allows for hands-free driving and auto lane changing on 200000 miles of American and Canadian roads and a drive mode selector to control the four-wheel drive by a four-wheel drive steering and suspension.
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Finally worth mentioning is the infinity roof which consists of removable transparent sky panels which can be stored in the front when not in use. The Hummer gets away with this open roof design thanks to the extra rigidity provided by the battery pack.
What is the Price of new Hummer EV and when will it Launch?
The Edition One expected to land next autumn should cost around 112000 US dollars from there each year we'll see the introduction of a slightly inferior model.
2022 will see the 100000 EV3x model followed by the EV2x in 2023 priced at 90000 and the 80000 EV2 in 2024. Pre-orders opened earlier this week for all variants starting at just 100 and although the EV2 ,EV2x and EV3x are still available for pre-order. The Edition One sold out in just 10 minutes still the prospective buyers still have a year or so to conjure up more than one hundred thousand dollars.
How does the Price of Hummer EV as compare to its other rivals?
The entry level EV2 model will still cost more than Tesla's most expensive $70000 cyber truck however it's more in line with the Rivian r1t you may be familiar with thanks to Apple tvs long way up which is estimated to cost between seventy thousand dollars and a hundred thousand dollars depending on model variant nevertheless Tesla promises a starting price for the rear wheel drive cyber truck of some 40000.
They say you get what you pay for and this is the case with the Hummer EV if you need a true off-roader this is the car for you. Its 38.4 degree departure angle is about 10 degrees more than the Tesla and 8 degrees more than the Rivian. While the 49.7 degree approach angle is almost 15 degrees better than the Tesla and 10 degrees better than the Rivian.
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This is achieved thanks to the Hummer's short front overhang combined with the 35 inch tires it can perform a vertical climb of more than 18 inches. Both the Tesla and the Hummer have a 16 inch ground clearance with the Rivian falling short of an inch and a half.
Let's talk about weight, specifically towing capacities and payloads
The weights that these pickups can carry on the vehicle itself no official specifications have been launched by Hummer but we know that the Tesla's payload sits at three and a half thousand pounds while the Rivian claims around eighteen hundred pounds. The Hummer is expected to be at the upper end of this scale simply due to the sheer size of the vehicle.
Towing capacity on the other hand is a hefty eleven thousand pounds for the Rivian, Tesla claimed seven and a half thousand, ten thousand and fourteen thousand pounds for its single dual and tri-motor setups respectively again we expect the Hummer to sit somewhere above ten thousand pounds in this department.
GMC's mile range is somewhat competitive but not revolutionary. Tesla expects 250, 300 and 500 miles for its three models while Rivian is estimating about 400 miles.
All three have versions that will sprint to 60 miles per hour in around three seconds while Tesla specifies 4.5 and 6.5 seconds for its dual and single motor variants.
They will undoubtedly be slower models on offer from Rivian and Hummer too.
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So far we've ascertained that the Hummer has the best off-road abilities of these three cars or at least on paper while Tesla and Rivian combine EV performance and affordability we will also be seeing introductions from all three models over the next three to five years.
Starting with more expensive flagship models and gradually introducing cheaper models in due course but what's more important Tesla's affordability and ridiculous design and specs thanks to the company's outrageously fun CEO.
Rivian's sensible but not boring technological offering or the tried and tested Hummer with true off-road accolades which offering makes the most sense to you and why maybe you disagree with the concept of an electric off-roader maybe diesel offers the sweet spot for talk or maybe petrol offers the best convenience.
Are we ready for EVs? and more importantly are we ready for EVs in remote places where we need reassurance from a strong off-roader?
Do comment down your thoughts below and yes don’t forget to share this post with your friends who may be as interested in the auto tech as you are!
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