How Many Motors? Take Your Pick, Says GM Prez of Hummer EV

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

The GMC Hummer EV pickup due to arrive next year sounds like a beast, both in terms of size and power, but buyers will still have considerable choice. It has to be that way, what with the cash involved in retooling Detroit-Hamtramck and getting a fully electric truck off the ground.

It’s highly unlikely we’ll see a stripped-down Work Truck model with ironic hand-crank windows and a vinyl front bench, but there will be a selection of powertrains on tap. That’s according to General Motors President Mark Reuss.

Speaking at a Capital Markets Day investor event this week, Reuss offered some details of what to expect come 2021.

“When we go to market, we’ll have one-motor, two-motor, three-motor versions, offering different ranges, different performance at different price points to meet the customers’ needs whatever they may be,” Reuss said, as reported by Automotive News Europe.

GMC revealed the existence of the upcoming Hummer EV in advance of last weekend’s Super Bowl “Quiet Revolution” ad campaign. The automaker provided an image of the pickup’s broad and blunt front end, harkening back to the oversized Hummers of yesteryear. With 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque promised — the latter figure surely drawn from combined wheel torque figures — the reborn nameplate inspired awe and ire online.

The output dangled in front of hesitant truck buyers no doubt originates with the three-motor variant mentioned by Reuss. The company prez didn’t elaborate on the triple motor layout; it’s assumed two hub motors are at play in this version. Other Hummer EVs stand to gain four wheel drive with an electric motor placed atop each axle, or appear in cheaper 4×2 form with a single motor in the rear.

Battery size, or sizes, is not something GM’s shed light on.

The output — and more importantly, the price — of those lesser Hummers is unknown, though GM will have to position the model in a bracket that inspires volume. The GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali, as a point of comparison, starts at $65,295 when outfitted with a gas V8 and $75,045 when equipped with a diesel.

[Image: General Motors]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Stephen Stephen on Feb 08, 2020

    There will be a huge market for electric pickups for Government fleets. California in particular will jump all over them.

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    • Carlson Fan Carlson Fan on Feb 08, 2020

      @mcs I've looked into public charging stations in the rural areas(western WI) I travel regularly and they are just too few and far in between. Don't have time on a busy weekend to drive 30-60 miles out of my way for a charge. My Volt will eventually get replaced with a BEV but for my tow vehicle that leaves town on weekends I'll stick with an ICE vehicle for the time being.

  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Feb 08, 2020

    Business opportunity: - Find a Macy's near you which is closing - Lease the climate-controlled space (low noise, no emissions, you'll fit right in with other mall tenants) - Drop the second floor onto the first - Recruit some imagineers and add concrete "rocks"/landscaping to create a full-scale indoor rock-crawling course (as technical as you like) - Add EV chargers (inside the building) - Obtain several EV pickups/SUV's (offer sponsorships to local dealers) - Come up with a catchy name and slogan (e.g., "...we bring Moab to you™") - Offer ride-a-longs, rentals, and bring-your own (EV only of course) [plus RC-scale mini-courses for the youngsters, and mountain bikes on the full-scale course during selected hours] - Profit (year-round, weather-independent) Phase 2: Expand into the adjacent concourse - Larger rock-crawling course - Food, drinks, merchandising

  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
  • Tassos Jong-iL Communist America Rises!
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