Back in 2010 Ford surprised everyone with the F-150 Raptor, an off road focused super truck. Packed with clever off road tech and hardware included a long travel suspension with superb Fox Racing shocks and all the structural reinforcement to the chassis to handle whatever drivers threw at it, the Raptor became a sales success. Uncontested for 10 years the Raptor, now in last years of its 2nd generation, met its match this year with the new Ram TRX. But how would General Motors(GM) respond? I give you the upcoming 2022 Hummer EV, a convertible 4 door battery powered pickup truck and man is it cool, stupid expense, but cool. Oh, and the top model has 1,000 hp. Can silent electric beat out gasoline combustion furry? Let's dive in.
I go back and forth on whether I prefer the look of this or the TRX but both win over the Ford. I really dig the front and rear lighting. It integrates well with the design and stands out. Up front not only do we find LED head lights but the whole Hummer name/grill is backlit by LED's as well. Out back the rectangular lights pair well with the stamping on the rear tailgate and flared fenders. That tailgate by the way is GMC's Multipro Tailgate which I think is still one of the best innovations in truck engineering the last few years. It is very clever. The rear glass can also retract down adding to the open air feeling. Its a cool feature up until now has mainly only been found on Toyotas.
The interior reminds of the much of the new Ford Bronco but that may just be the direction we are going with all these screens and futuristic design. GM was really using outer space as an influence in the design. Case in point, the speaker grills are actually embossed with an outline of the Sea of Tranquility from the Moon. Yes that Moon. Heck the interior on the Edition 1 pictured here is even called Lunar Horizon. It’s those cool little details I love and help vehicles feel special gimmicky or not. That said I don't know who decided rectangles seem to be the shape of the future on the inside but at least it's in line with some of the exterior elements. GM says the vents are a stylized H, obviously for Hummer, which..yea if you didn't say that I'm betting most people wouldn't notice. Seats and floors have been made easy to cleaning with rubber inserts and flooring. I do hope the seats are more comfortable than those in the Sierra which are about as comfy as a wood bench.
Overall a step up from the Raptor, but if you have spent any kind of time in the new Ram trucks with its impressive materials, finish, and utility I don't think the Hummer's design can supplant the Ram as my current favorite truck interior on the market.
Production is slated to begin in late 2021 on this fully load Edition 1 seen in the accompanying photos. That means the 3 motor drive system (one up front, 2 in the rear), 4-wheel steering, all the off-road kit including a electronic front differential, and underbody armor. GM is quoting power at 1,000 hp and estimating torque at 1,100 lb-ft with the 3 motor drive system. The power this, and basically all the high priced EV's are putting out is ridiculous. 0-60 in the normal "Adrenaline" mode is 4 seconds. Now, for some reason in the high end EV world manufacturers seem to be obsessed with 0-60 times so GM has gone one step further. Similar to Tesla, there is a mode that can pre-condition the batteries for an even faster 0-60 run of 3 seconds. Given this thing has to weigh about as much as the Space Shuttle that is seriously impressive. That mode by the way; it's called "Watts to Freedom" which is just stupid. If you are going with the space theme call it "Primary Booster" mode or something else. The Raptor manages only 5.3 seconds to 60 from the 450 hp eco-boast 3.5 V6 while the Ram TRX gets closer. Car and Driver has tested the TRX at 3.7 seconds to 60 from its glorious Hellcat derived 6.2L supercharged V8. That engine puts out a much more sonorous 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque; 257 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque more than the Raptor. It's hard to beat a V8.
Anyway, from a technical detail standpoint this thing is 800 volt/ 350 kW DC fast charging compatible. I'm sure that means about as much to you as me so for us non-engineers it means on the fastest public chargers due to some wizardry this thing can recharge 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. Range is estimated at 350 plus miles. Lesser 2 motor models coming later in 2023 and 2024 will "only" have 625 hp, 250-300 miles of range, and the 800 volt fast charging will be require stepping up from the very base trim. For those curious, GM has not disclosed towing, payload, or weight numbers as of yet. For comparison the Raptor weighs in at 5,997 lbs and the TRX at 6,866 lbs so expect those heavy batteries to push the Hummer EV higher. Driven with any kind of haste don't expect more than around 10 mpg from either the Raptor or the Ram.
So on paper how does the some of off road hardware measure up? Similar to those aforementioned gas powered competition the Hummer EV has been engineered with a large amount of suspension travel, 13 inches in the Hummer's case, for better articulation in slower off road situations and rebound for fast paced desert running. Ok, so that's the same as the Raptor and TRX. Well yes, expect that this travel is paired with the air suspension allowing for an "Extract" mode. This mode pushes the Hummer EV up to the top of the travel range for a total of 15.9 inches of ground clearance (up from the normal 10.1) with an almost 50 degree approach angle allowing the Hummer to get itself unstuck or surmount a taller obstacle. I figured as heavy as this thing has to be it would just crush obstacles flat vs the need to drive over it but there you go. Second, the 4 wheel steering allows for greater maneuverability on and off road. As with most systems the front and rear wheels can turn the opposite of each other shrinking the turning circle but the Hummer EV has one other trick up it sleeve. Called "Crab Walk" this EV can turn front and rear the same direction allowing the Hummer to drive diagonally. Diagonally! I'm amazed. Are you amazed? The rest is pretty standard across all three, big tires, differential lockers, multiple terrain modes, etc.
Final note for today, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. That would be the price. The Edition 1 comes in at an eye watering $112,595! You can get an almost fully loaded Cadillac Escalade at that price (yes the Escalade can crest $100k) or better yet you could buy an F-150 Raptor and a base Tesla Model 3. Heck the cheapest 2 motor model, the EV 2, won't arrive until early 2024 and will start at $79,995. Standard 3 motor system models will arrive in the Fall of 2022 at $99,995. I'd be remised if I didn't point out a fully loaded Raptor can be had for about $70,000 and Ram TRX at just over $85,000. Trucks are ridiculously expensive nowadays and that trend doesn't seem to be changing given people keep buying them. The F-150 has been the best selling vehicle in the USA for years pushing close to a 900,000 units in 2019. The fact that a 3rd generation Raptor is coming and Ram is bringing the TRX shows there is demand for these super trucks. I just think they are all too darned expensive.
Side Rant: It is just confusing that as governments around the globe look to limit or outright stop the sale of fossil fuel vehicles in the next 10-15 years that the majority of the EV's we see coming to the market are these high end expense models like the Hummer EV. Props to Volkswagen for positioning the ID.4 around $40k with a mid 200 mile range. Batteries are pricey so I understand the challenge. I'd like to see more automakers announcing more affordable options with high range to the general public if this is where we are going powertrain wise.
Anyway back to the US Space Force Humvee..I mean Hummer EV. Simply, I think this rebirth of the Hummer name is a super cool and interesting truck with some remarkable engineering. It's just a shame most people won't be able to experience it, though most have no need for a super off road truck. Not that "need" has every stopped anyone from buying a "cool" car. To that end, I think the Ram TRX is the one to have if you can keep it fed with go go juice. An EV, no matter the speed, just can't replace the theater of a raging V8 as you tear through rock, dirt, and field.
It should be noted that all of these capability and performance figures are estimates from GMC based on, and I quote from General Motors, "Performance targets, estimates and capability specifications based on computer-aided analysis and simulation using virtual engineering tools." Here is to hoping the final product matches these simulations and these claims aren't just hyperbole. I have concerns given it has been implied there are no real test mules available.
Oh, also, Tesla Cyber Truck vs Hummer EV tug-of-war...make it happen.
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