2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup will be a hit for these 4 reasons

Mark Phelan
 
| Detroit Free Press
GMC unveils the Hummer electric truckThe Hummer is back. GMC unveiled its 1,000 horsepower Hummer EV, which is set for release in 2022.Months before the first one rolls off the assembly line in Detroit, the 2022 GMC Hummer electric sport truck seems destined to be a hit.Developed at warp speed by a team that included the take-no-prisoners 2020 Corvette team, the five-seat pickup is an unprecedented combination of bravado, technology and social responsibility.The Hummer EV pickup is about flaunting. Your money – prices start at $112,595 for the Edition 1 model next fall. Your style: The crew cab pickup is as in-your-face as the old Hummer gas hogs were but unmistakably modern. Your power: 0-60 mph in about 3 seconds, supercar territory. Your tech: everything from wheels that turn diagonally to get you out of tight spots to hands-free driving, plus the fastest charging system on the market. Your responsibility: In EV mode, the Hummer promises near-silent off-roading, taking you to remote spots without shattering their serenity.Forget restraint. Money ain’t modest and neither is the Hummer EV.Hummer goes electric: But are you willing to pay over $100,000 for the pickup?Holiday shopping: Target bolsters coronavirus protectionsDeliveries will begin in fall 2022, but keep in mind: Automakers are Wiccans. When they say fall, they mean the solar calendar – Sept. 22-Dec. 21. In addition to the Edition 1, a $99,995 3X model arrives next fall, followed by the 2X $89,995 in spring 2023 and $79,995 EV2 in spring 2024.Don’t make me consult a shaman to tell you when spring is.A closer look at some of what makes the Hummer EV sport truck special:1. Unmatched power and capabilityA thousand horsepower. Savor the words. Think of it as nearly 1½ Dodge Hellcats, without the fuel bills and with more than a foot of ground clearance and off-road ability. The Hummer EV will nearly never use all that power, but the top model will have it, generated by three electric motors: one on the front axle, two on the rear. The base model will have one motor on each axle and still have the ability to lock any wheel for maximum traction when off-roading. Even the base model will ford 26 inches, speaking well of how GMC protects the batteries that are part of the Hummer EV’s floor and basic structure.  GMC promises the ability to scale a 60-degree hill, scale 18-inch vertical obstacles and ford 32 inches of water with an optional air suspension that raises the Hummer’s body 5.9 inches.Electric motors also allow pinpoint accuracy directing torque to each wheel, promising off-road ability unlike anything that preceded it.In addition to power, four-wheel steering delivers benefits owners will come to love on- and off-road. On-road, it reduces the Hummer’s turning radius drastically, allowing tight U-turns in a vehicle 4.4 inches longer than a GMC Canyon midsize pickup. That ability will also allow the Hummer to “crab walk” around obstacles on tight off-road trails that would stymie a conventional vehicle. The system also improves stability and maneuverability at highway speeds.2. Three little letters: WTFThe ultimate lesson of Elon Musk’s success with Tesla may be that wealthy, educated tech buyers reward bold talk – as long as your product lives up to it. Tesla coined “Ludicrous mode” for its high-performance setting. The name was perfectly suited to Tesla’s image and owner profile. It distills everything the brand and its owners aspire to. It belongs on tattoos in skate parks.GMC initially appeared to utterly miss the moment naming its more powerful Hummer EV’s performance mode “Watts to Freedom.” What finished second, “Dumpster Fire?”Nobody outside a GM marketing presentation will ever say “Watts to Freedom,” and that’s its secret. The name was born to be abbreviated, an in-the-know shorthand for the Hummer EV’s essence.“You got a Hummer EV? WTF, man!”3. Fastest charging on four wheelsIt doesn’t matter if you don’t know the difference between an amp and a lamp, we’ll all soon learn new terms to describe much power electric vehicles have and how quickly we can recharge them. Today’s lesson is 800-volt DC charging. Porsche already committed to 800v charging with its Taycan sports car because it slashes how long it takes to recharge a battery and get back on the road. It’s twice as fast as the most powerful public chargers today.Hummer promises the EV will be able to get a 100-mile charge in just 10 minutes at 800v. There are a couple of caveats: 800v stations aren’t publicly available today, and that fast-charge probably applies to a nearly depleted battery but doesn’t mean you can charge the full 350-mile range in 35 minutes. Charging a battery isn’t like pouring a glass of water. A battery doesn’t fill evenly from bottom to top. The process slows as the battery nears capacity because the controller has to search for the few remaining empty cells.GMC won’t reveal charging time on the 240v level 2 chargers most EV owners have today.4. These top Hummer EV features• Two or three electric motors• Removable clear roof panels and retractable rear window for open driving• Underbody cameras shielded from debris and with washers• Multi-Pro six-way tailgate• Four-wheel steering• Adaptive air suspension• 800v charging compatibility• 13.4-in touch screen• Super Cruise hands-free driving system• Off-road displays including e-locker engagement, torque output and vectoring, pitch and roll angles• “One-pedal driving” with driver-controlled regenerative braking• Up to 18 camera views for off-roading, trailering and everyday parking• Neary 200 accessories available from launch


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