GM Reportedly Thinking About Electric Hummers
Demand for Hummer vehicles peaked in 2006 before being obliterated by the financial crisis and a spike in domestic fuel prices. Considering the brand’s most eco-conscious model (the H3) averaged somewhere around 14 mpg in the city, the nameplate probably survived longer than it should have. It took on defunct-status in 2010.
Having failed to sell off the brand, General Motors is still sitting on the property and rumors are stirring that it might be making a comeback… as an electric luxury marque.
Despite sounding like the mad ravings of drug-addled lunatic, GM has its reasons for considering bringing Hummer back to life. Jeep sales took off like cat with its tail on fire after the recession, with annual domestic volumes going from 231,701 units in 2009 to a whopping 973,227 in 2018. It’s doubtful that GM missed that or forgot that it had access to an easily identifiable brand with similar ties to the military and off-road adventure.
According to Bloomberg, GM sees an opportunity to compete with Jeep for high-margin ORVs that can still serve as family friendly transportation and kitted-out status symbols. Apparently the automaker’s design team has already worked over a few Hummer concepts and have likewise experimented with incorporating the defunct nameplate’s signature style on upcoming GMC vehicles.
GM President Mark Reuss was noncommittal when asked about the possibility of an e-Hummer (which sounds suggestive) somewhere down the road. “I love Hummer,” Reuss said. “I’m not sure. We’re looking at everything.”
Regardless, anything that’s being worked on in Detroit would be years away from seeing daylight — especially if it’s to be electric. GM said that the BEV3 architecture for smaller autos will take priority, with larger zero-emission vehicles to follow. Even then, it would be unlikely that the automaker would lead with Hummer on the big BEVs when there are fully functional brands already waiting in line.
Ruess indicated that Cadillac and GMC Denali would likely to be the first brand names to be graced with pure, unadulterated, big-boy battery packs. “There might be places where we go first that are not just heavy-duty work trucks but more style and capability for off-road,” he said. “There are lots of things that are very attractive.”
In all likelihood, we doubt any of this has progressed beyond someone bringing it up in a board room once or twice and then explaining that they were serious. All GM is doing is toying with the idea of reviving Hummer and its stated commitment to an “all-electric future” automatically forces the battery issue. That said, perpetually increasing fuel regulations make pursuing traditional Hummer models a nonstarter for General Motors. So, if the company does decide to start selling them again, it may be all-electric or nothing.
[Image: LeStudio/Shutterstock]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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GM reportedly thinking about an electric Hummer, eh? We just use a comb and tissue paper and blow. Still, GM could contact Dyson, the plummy-voiced maker of overpriced vacuums and get him to sell them his V8 motor. It runs on batteries and lasts an hour. Per charge that is. Better hurry, Sir James just announced the V11 motor for handhelds. Hmmm-mmm-mmm-mmm.
The article's history is a little off. 2006 'was' the year that Hummer sales fell off a cliff, but it wasn't due to a financial crisis; it was the gas spike during Hurrican Katrina. That run-up in gas prices not only killed the Hummer, but the brand-new, completely mediocre Jeep Commander was stillborn for the very same reason. And, of course, Katrina was what really gave the Prius a foothold in the US, as well. The financial crisis was in 2008, and it 'did' put the final coffin nail in the most poorly packaged, gas-guzzling SUVs like the Hummer and Commander.