2023 GMC Hummer EV Pickup

If you look up the term "gas guzzler" in the dictionary, there's likely a picture of a Hummer printed on the page. Anyone familiar with the auto industry remembers the Hummer brand died out right around the last time gas prices skyrocketed, so it seems odd for General Motors to trot the name back out just as oil shoots up like it did in 2009. But this time is different. The 2022 GMC Hummer Pickup, the first vehicle in a newly launched GMC sub-brand, arrives without a single gas-guzzling V8 engine available under the hood. In fact, there's nothing under the hood; it's all-electric.

Relaunching Hummer as an EV brand seems like a perplexing move, seeing as the old H2 and H3 induced rage from Toyota Prius owners every time they drove past. Now, it's the Hummer owners who can claim moral superiority as they zoom past those pesky fuel-burning hybrids in their zero-emissions pickup. There may not be a gas-guzzling engine under the hood, but after spending some time in the new EV Pickup, we found it brash, imposing, excessive, and hilarious: everything a Hummer should be.

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Fans of the old H2 and H3 will be happy to know that being grouped under the GMC brand hasn't diluted Hummer's iconic style. The EV Pickup retains the traditional slotted front fascia but modernizes it with a connected light bar that creates a one-of-a-kind front profile. Other classic Hummer design elements like chunky tow hooks, black accents, and American flag trim complete the butch exterior styling. All Edition 1 EV Pickups only come in white, which can be dazzled up with red, black, or bronze accenting with matching bronze wheels. Every unit at the first drive event was fitted with 18-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler off-road tires, but larger 22-inch wheels are available.

As you'd expect from a Hummer, the proportions are massive. It stretches 216.8 inches long (with a 135.6-inch wheelbase) and 93.7 inches wide. Despite this, it boasts a tiny 37.1 inch turning circle thanks to the impressive four-wheel-steering system. It's off-road capabilities are impressive too, with the air suspension offering an Extract Mode with up to 15.9 inches of ground clearance. The approach, departure, and breakover angles are 49.7, 38.4, and 32.2 inches, respectively with up to 32 inches of water fording ability.

GMC will offer two motor configurations with three different power outputs. The "base" Hummer EV EV2 packs two electric motors generating "only" 625 horsepower and 7,400 lb-ft of torque at the wheels with a 250-mile range. An EV2x version boasts the same output with over 300 miles of range. These models won't be available until Spring 2024 and 2023, respectively. We sampled the Edition 1, packing a tri-motor setup producing 1,000 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. The 11,500 lb-ft torque figure you see bandied about is wheel torque and is a bit of a misnomer as the industry standard is torque at the motor.

This version includes a launch control mode called Watts To Freedom - yes, WTF Mode - which gets this brute to 60 mph in a supercar-like three seconds flat. If you're concerned with towing, the tri-motor model can pull 7,500 pounds.

After the Edition 1 models are delivered, GMC will sell an EV3X version, producing a slightly less insane 830 hp with an option to go back to 1,000 hp. The 830-hp model takes 3.5 seconds to hit 60 mph, which is still entirely ludicrous, and will have 350 miles of range.

We spent limited time on the road in the new Hummer, but it gave us a decent impression of this truck's livability. The ride is fairly truck-like, but the air suspension and low battery position help it lean less through the corners than any gas-powered pickup we've ever driven. You never forget how big it is, but the four-wheel steering makes it more agile than you could possibly imagine. The rear wheels can turn by up to 10 degrees, nudging the Hummer around tight bends with ease. It's noticeable when you go to change lanes, with minimal steering input required to move over. This sensation takes some getting used to, but it never felt awkward.

The massive power also aids in making the Hummer feels smaller. With 1,000 hp on tap, this truck pulls hard well into triple-digit speeds. The Watts to Freedom launch control mode makes the F-150 Raptor and RamTRX feel slow, and if ever a drive mode was appropriately named, it's this, as "WTF!" is the only appropriate response as it pins you back to the seat.

We also had a good opportunity to test out the Super Cruise hands-free driving system, which works as well as in the Cadillac Escalade.

The majority of our drive time was spent on the trail, where the Hummer proved incredibly capable. If you off-road in a woody area with narrow passes, the Hummer's width might hinder the truck's potential, but the UltraVision cameras offer 18 different views to help avoid obstacles, including an underbody camera with a built-in washer. Using the off-road and terrain modes, the Hummer climbed up the Arizona desert with relative ease, only once requiring the rear electronic locker feature to get us out of a muddy uphill situation, and it was only needed because the lead vehicle ahead of us stopped in an awkward position.

In terrain mode, the Hummer uses its mechanical brake to create a one-pedal driving experience. It can hold you on an uphill or downhill incline, so you only need to modulate the throttle. This calibration makes off-roading simple even for a novice. So long as you map your route to the off-road location, the Hummer never falls short on range, and we ended the day with more than 40 percent battery remaining.

Most EV owners only care about one statistic: range. The Hummer doesn't disappoint, delivering up to 329 miles. That's impressive, especially considering the Hummer's 9,063-pound heft. How GMC managed to yield such range isn't some clever secret; it just stuck a massive battery between the axles. The Ultium battery pack includes 205 kWh of usable capacity, double what's available in most other EVs. With so much weight to haul around, the Hummer isn't exactly efficient, netting a 47 MPGe combined rating. For reference, a Rivian R1T is rated at 70 MPGe. It may not be a gas guzzler anymore, but it is a charge hog.

At this point you might be wondering why this matters since the Hummer can go over 300 miles on a charge. Well, it takes quite a while to replenish such a large battery pack. GMC says the Hummer can charge at a 350 kW peak speed, which is tied for the fastest on the market. Even so, it still takes 45 minutes to go from 20 to 80 percent charge, adding about 100 miles every 10 minutes. On a level 2 charger at home, that takes 16.5 hours. Don't even try a 110-volt outlet.

In the higher trim levels, the Hummer can exceed a six-figure price, so we expected to find a premium interior. While the Hummer certainly feels differentiated from GMC's other trucks, including the Sierra 1500 Denali, it doesn't quite feel up to snuff for the money. The Edition 1 comes with a black/white interior combination that seems like it will get dirty quickly. There's some leather on the seat centers, but the seat outers and door cards feature a synthetic leather-like substance that feels rough to the touch and out-of-place for the money.

Design-wise, everything looks nice, especially with the bronze accents found in the Edition 1. Some materials feel premium while others are hard-touch plastics that you'd expect to find in a pickup truck. We feel the Ram 1500 still boasts the most premium interior in the pickup segment and the Rivian R1T possesses nicer materials too. It also feels like GMC skimped on a few important features. The front seats are heated and ventilated, but the rears are only heated. And this may be a minor gripe, but all four windows are auto-down, but not auto-up. For over 100 grand, this seems like an oversight.

What the Hummer lacks in massage seats and auto-up windows, it makes up for with clever technology and an open-top experience. The infotainment is a new Google-powered unit with clever features such as wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Google Voice Search, and the Google Play Store. That last feature lets owners download apps like Hulu and Netflix to watch at the charging stations. The infotainment lives on a sizable 13.4-inch touchscreen, which includes a few subtle easter eggs that poke fun at rivals like the Ford Raptor, Ram TRX, and Tesla Cybertruck.

Unlike any of those aforementioned rivals, the Hummer includes transparent sky panels (plus a sliding rear window) that are removable to create an open-air cabin like a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. The four panels can be stored in a clever box, located in the front eTrunk. We didn't have a chance to drive the Hummer with the roof off due to rainy conditions but noted that the lack of a conventional roof had a noticeable impact on wind noise. The interior was a bit loud on the highway, but it's nothing the Bose audio system can't drown out.

The Hummer Pickup doesn't have the largest bed on the market, but the five-foot area should hold enough equipment for a weekend camping trip. GMC includes a roll-up tonneau cover as standard or a power-retractable hard cover for an additional $1,200. The space is made more usable with GMC's Multi-Pro tailgate, providing several configurations including a workplace, bed stop, and a built-in Kicker audio system with Bluetooth.

If you can't fit everything in the bed, there's plenty of room in the frunk since there's no engine up there. The powered eTrunk is massive with enough space to fit all four roof panels neatly. Between the bed, front trunk, and storage underneath the rear seats, we imagine the Hummer can carry plenty for most buyers.

It may not burn through gasoline at a gallon per mile, but in every measurable metric, this is still a Hummer. The styling is brash, as are the proportions. It's off-road capable and it can keep up with supercars off the line. And despite being electric, it commands the road as well as any Hummer that came before it if not better. It may be more friendly to the environment, but it still burns through electricity quicker than any EV on the market. The electric powertrain hasn't eliminated that classic Hummer absurdity.

We'll come right out and say it; no one needs this truck. Then again, no one needs a supercharged Ram TRX or a Tesla Model S Plaid. GMC says 70 percent of Hummer reservation holders are new to owning an EV, mostly trading in a gas-powered truck, with around 25 percent coming from Tesla. This isn't the affordable EV for the eco-conscious, it's a toy for buyers who want the coolest, most outrageous truck on the planet. If that sounds like you, go place a deposit on the Hummer right now; you won't be disappointed.

The only Hummer currently on sale is the Edition 1 for $110,295, but reservations are completely full. The next model to go on sale is the EV3x in fall 2022, starting at $99,995 for the 830-hp version. GMC will offer a 1,000-hp upgrade for the tri-motor model, but full pricing is not yet available. Buyers waiting for the cheapest EV2 model (starting at $79,995) will have to wait until spring 2024. The wait is slightly shorter if you opt for the longer-range EV2x (starting at $89,995), which arrives in spring 2023. Starting in 2023, GMC will also release the Hummer EV SUV, which offers many of the same thrills in an SUV package.

Ford has GMC beat on price with the upcoming F-150 Lightning, but it doesn't match the performance of the Hummer. Those wanting a more conventional electric truck experience should wait for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 EV and GMC Sierra 1500 EV, both of which should include over 400 miles of driving range.