#HummerEV

The Hummer EV has a sky-high price tag and wait times that extend to two years for some people. Despite that, and the fact that production isn’t rolling at blazing speed, GMC’s pushing forward with model year updates for 2023, including more range for the pickup and SUV variants. 

It’s been Hummer week around these parts, as the GMC Hummer EV finally made its debut on Tuesday night. We’ve had a whole slew of stories up — but I wanted to get a sense of what you, the B and B, think of it.

With the Hummer EV Edition 1 selling out over what would constitute an extended lunch break, General Motors is clearly aware it has a hot commodity on its hands. While that may not continue into subsequent model years, the electrified monstrosity is seeing demand comparable to what we witnessed with Dodge’s Demon and GM has a similar solution in mind.

Rather than allowing dealers to see what they can get away with on the standard Hummer pickup when it goes on sale next year, GMC will be implementing a strict no-haggling policy. That’s undoubtedly going to be a blow to dealers thinking they could clean up on markups and a blessing to customers who don’t want to spend a few extra grand on their already expensive midlife crisis.

You likely know that lead times in the automotive industry are long when it comes to developing new or significantly redesigned models.

You also likely know that one of the reasons for the long lead times is that automakers spend a lot of time testing prototypes, putting untold numbers of miles on test mules on public roads, at dedicated proving grounds, and in harsh weather environments.

Yet, the newly introduced GMC Hummer EV is just beginning to undergo testing.

It’s been teased, it’s been leaked, and now it’s here.

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is no longer cloaked under wraps.

While General Motors still plans on debuting its all-electric Hummer on October 20th in a live-stream event catering to industry watchers and EV super fans, it will also be dipping into its marketing budget to give those watching the first game of Major League Baseball’s World Series a glimpse of the beast.

Two weeks from now, the automaker will pull the trigger on a synchronous media extravaganza guaranteed to place the electric behemoth in front of as many eyes as possible. In addition to the official debut and Fox’ baseball slot, GM has also purchased time during NBC’s The Voice — which is estimated to draw in around 9 million viewers when it returns for its 19th season.

GMC finally has a new date in mind for the Hummer reveal: Tuesday, October 20.

The all-electric SUV and truck were supposed to be unveiled to the world back in late May, but well, you know.

Since the dawn of the new century, the automotive industry has been forced to revise electrification timelines for a cavalcade of reasons. Development programs have proven costly, the economy has taken a turn (or turns) for the worse, customers haven’t responded in great numbers, and the materials necessary for battery have been in short supply for many. Throw in the trouble some companies have had with programming such cars or ending up with electric vehicles that want for truly enviable range and you’re beginning to see the whole, problematic enchilada.

It wasn’t all that long ago that General Motors promised over 20 new all-electric models by 2023. Granted, this promise was made in 2017 — during a time when the industry couldn’t possibly have foreseen the global hardships that would befall us or known we’d have the ability to remember what was said just a few years prior. The messaging has changed, either because mainstream automakers cannot provide the kind of cars that will continue to spur EV adoption, or because they no longer hold much interest in trying.

Mercedes-Benz is nixing its all-electric EQ hatchback, according to R&D boss Markus Schäfer. Instead, it’s going to play a GLA-sized EQA crossover as its next hand.

Speaking with Autocar, Schäfer basically said it was a question of market demand. The EQC has already been delayed until at least 2021 for U.S. customers, though we’ve heard talk that its suspension could prove indefinite as the brand reassesses what should — and shouldn’t — be included in its future lineup. “We have to watch customer demand and, at the moment, SUVs and crossovers are the absolute favorites. Those are our first priorities,” Mercedes’ R&D head explained.

It’s only the latest chapter in a complicated story about an industry that’s constantly having to rethink how it handles electric cars.