2022 GMC Hummer Electric Pickup First Look: Rebirth of an Off-Road Icon

  • 2022 GMC Hummer EV truck offered exclusively in Edition 1 trim.

  • Lesser Hummer EV trims arrive for the 2023 and 2024 model years.

  • Edition 1 starts at $112,005 and goes on sale before the end of 2021.

General Motors has pulled the wraps off the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, an electric full-size pickup with crazy power, a removable top, moonscape-themed details, and a price of $112,005 for the high-end Edition 1 trim that’s set to go on sale before the end of 2021.

We know, it’s a lot to unpack.

Let’s start with this: it is real. Sure, the Hummer EV Edition 1 in these photos is more of a show car, but it still shows off the forthcoming production pickups that are due to roll off the line at GM’s retooled Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

Despite pulling the chord on the Hummer brand approximately a decade ago, GM is revitalizing the name as a model under its GMC brand. It seems the company hopes to cash in on Hummer’s brand cachet while also attempting to exorcise it from the negative environmental reputation of the old gas- and diesel-drinking models.

While GMC will offer the Hummer EV in a number of different trims, the brand will initially sell the vehicle solely in Edition 1 guise. As such, all 2022 Hummer EVs are painted white and black, the former of which is limited to the area above the beltline. As the highest performing variant of the Hummer EV, the Edition 1 comes standard with three electric motors, two of which power the rear axle (the third provides grunt to the front). As such, the truck features standard four-wheel-drive and a torque-vectoring rear end—a setup GMC dubs e-4WD.

The brand claims the truck’s powertrain generates more than 1,000 hp. All that grunt means this big EV is capable of sprinting to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, per the company.

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2022 GMC Hummer EV: The Price of Excess

The Hummer EV Edition 1 will continue into the 2023 model year, at which point it will be joined by the 3X trim, which is due to go on sale before the end of 2022. Like the six-figure Edition 1, the Hummer EV3X has three motors and torque vectoring, however, it starts at a more reasonable (well, relatively speaking) price of $99,995. In 2023, GMC plans to add the two-motor 2X trim to the line, which starts at $89,995. The base Hummer EV2 goes on sale in 2024 with a starting price of $79,995. All subsequent variants will offer a full rainbow of available colors, however, all Hummer EV trims sport black-paint above the beltline as part of the model’s signature look.

Predictably, the Hummer EV Edition 1 comes very well equipped and includes off-road-oriented kit such as 18-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires (the truck, however, can accommodate 37-inch rubber), rock rails, an adaptive air suspension, four-wheel steering, and special badging on the dash and startup screen.

The word “Hummer” is emblazoned across the front of the vehicle in a clear lens and there are two exterior lights up top. The lamps both provide additional lighting and show the vehicle’s state of charge, per Hummer EV chief engineer Al Oppenheiser, a man who spent most of his career at GM developing the Chevrolet Camaro. Oppenheiser was asked to inject some of the Camaro’s pizzazz into the Hummer EV, a vehicle that will serve as the halo for GM’s electric truck program.

“Mr. Camaro” as he is known, also serves as a canary in the coalmine. “I’ve got petrol in my veins,” he said. He knows if GM could convince him that EVs can be exhilarating, then the company’s battery-electric models ought to win over any skeptic.

2022 GMC Hummer EV: Charging and Driving Range

The Hummer EV has a projected driving range of more than 350 miles on a full charge, per GM. It works with either 400-volt or 800-volt DC fast chargers and is reportedly able to add 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. The exact charge time from depletion is not known, in part because GM has yet to build vehicles for real-world testing.

Strapping batteries to GM’s existing truck platform would have limited the Hummer EV’s potential, according to Oppenheiser, as GM needed an architecture that both allowed his team to fit battery packs with enough capacity to meet the company’s targeted driving range while also ensuring the pack was properly protected from potential damage during off-road excursions. With its adaptive air suspension, the Hummer EV offers an Extract mode that lifts the suspension height by approximately six inches, which allows the truck to clear hurdles such as boulders or ford up to two-and-a-half feet of water. Don’t get too excited, though, as Extract mode will not be available until sometime after launch. Additionally, the Hummer EV will offer the latest version of GM’s Super Cruise driving assistance system.

2022 GMC Hummer EV: Off-Road-Ready Performance

With approximately 13 inches of suspension travel front and rear and approach and departure angles of 44 and 34 degrees, respectively, in its Terrain mode (Extract mode increases the approach angle to 50 degrees), the 2022 GMC Hummer EV promises to live up to the off-tarmac performance expectations associated with the Hummer nameplate.

Like the Chevrolet Bolt, the Hummer EV offers one-pedal driving. Additionally, the person in the Hummer EV’s driver’s seat can use the truck’s steering wheel paddle to increase the force of its regenerative braking system—a boon for those looking to slowly inch the GMC electric truck through tough trails.

Four of the Hummer EV’s 18 cameras are positioned underneath it and essentially act as virtual spotters. Furthermore, the live feed to the dash-mounted screen also shows the position of the truck’s wheels. A “wash” function ensures the cameras remain clear of dirt and mud, while each is packaged in such a way so as to avoid getting damaged by tough terrain.

And yes, Oppenheiser assured us the Hummer can catch air and land deftly. The first prototype to roll off the line is heading north for winter testing, but according to Oppenheiser, the next two Hummer EV prototypes are set to hit the trails and deserts.

Additional off-road-friendly items include a four-wheel steering function, which allows the rear wheels to turn by up to 10 degrees. The rear wheels can even steer at the same angle as the fronts at low speeds, enabling a “CrabWalk” function that GMC thinks will help Hummer EV drivers scuttle over off-road obstacles.

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2022 GMC Hummer EV: WTF Drive Modes

Alongside the aforementioned Terrian and Extract drive mode, the Hummer EV also offers more typical Tour, Off-Road, and Tow-Haul settings. There’s also an Adrenaline sub-mode, otherwise known as launch control, which includes a theatrical Watts to Freedom (WTF) experience. It primes the driver and passengers for the Hummer EV’s epic acceleration as the truck’s air suspension lowers its body and the electronics condition the powertrain and battery pack for optimal performance.

Like the pre-ride buildup on a roller coaster, the Hummer EV’s WTF function includes kitschy details such as special graphics on the gauge cluster and infotainment screen, as well as sounds from the speakers, as well as seats that vibrate in anticipation of the truck’s launch. Once the signal is given that the truck is armed and ready, the driver loads the accelerator pedal, dumps the brake pedal, and…take off! A graphic of the truck from behind displays on the center infotainment screen to complete the experience.

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2022 GMC Hummer EV: The Inside Story

Inside, the Hummer EV includes a large 12.3-in digital gauge cluster and an even bigger 13.4-inch dash-mounted touchscreen infotainment display. The latter system offers three partitions of customizable information, while its navigation application includes tools to help drivers get to and from trails and locate charging stations en route.

Faux leather covers the seats and steering wheel—a decision made to promote sustainability and avoid the use of animal hides. Additionally, a number of space-themed Easter eggs dot the Hummer EV Edition 1’s cabin and include the likes of floors grained to look like the surface of the moon, the moon’s Sea of Tranquility etched into the speaker grilles, and more. Each is a nod to the fact the Hummer EV was deemed a “moonshot” given the short development time of the vehicle—half the usual time of a typical GM product.

2022 GMC Hummer EV: Raising the Roof

Arguably one of the Hummer EV’s coolest features is its Infinity roof, which is comprised of four removable transparent roof panels, as well as associated bars that connect the panels together. With both the panels and bars removed, the Hummer EV offers a convertible-like open-air experience. Further adding to the vibe is the truck’s power-operated rear window that drops into the body to bring even more fresh air into the Hummer EV’s cabin.

Each roof panel weighs about 25 pounds and all four can be stored in the frunk, or front trunk, in a set of standard vinyl storage bags. While the Edition 1 also comes standard with a power rear tonneau cover, lesser Hummer EV models will feature a cheaper vinyl unit. As expected of a GMC truck, the Hummer EV includes the brand’s innovative MultiPro tailgate.

Unfortunately, GMC has yet to release payload or towing figures for the Hummer EV. That said, we expect the brand to share this information in the coming months, possibly before it pulls the wraps off of the forthcoming Hummer EV SUV.

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