GM plotting smaller Hummer EV electric ute

General Motors is reportedly considering a shrunken version of the GMC Hummer EV electric pick-up roughly the size of a Ford Ranger and it could even make it across the pond to Europe and beyond as GM establishes Hummer and Cadillac as global EV brands.

The intel comes from an Automotive News report citing anonymous sources within GM who said a smaller Hummer EV is seen as something of a priority project, so much so there are design concepts lingering about one of the auto giant’s Californian studios.

Exactly how far into or indeed outside Europe the smaller Hummer EV ute might get if it’s produced is anyone’s guess at this stage, but the prospect is certainly an enticing one for Aussies, especially if the battery-powered dual-cab 4x4 ute makes it into the right-hand drive UK market.

Given GMC has more than 90,000 outstanding reservations for the full-size Hummer EV (pictured) and will soon start production of its SUV stablemate, a mid-size version could still be at least a couple of years away from seeing the light of day.

But a post-2025 launch would allow GM to compete with potential battery-electric versions of the new Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, and a host of other EV utes expected to eventually come to Australia.

The LDV eT60 will become Australia’s first electric ute next month, but it could be quickly followed by a host of new rivals from fellow Chinese brands including GWM, BYD, Geely/Radar and Sany, and even Taiwan's Foxtron.

And apart from eventual EV versions of the new Ranger, next HiLux and the next-generation Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara cousins, Hyundai-Kia are plotting at least one electric ute each, Volkswagen could produce two and Australian start-ups Roev, H2X and SEA are busy planning EV conversions of existing utes.

The Rivian R1T would be another worthy adversary, since the all-electric American pick-up is smaller than the Ford F-150 Lightning and its competitors, including the Hummer EV, Silverado EV and long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck.

Likely to be more of a recreational vehicle in the ilk of the Jeep Gladiator than a practical workhorse like the Ranger, a shrunken Hummer ute could carve out a niche for itself both here and abroad with a more affordable price tag, strong off-road capability and sports car-baiting performance all wrapped up in a more liveable package.

If it gets the green light and is produced in right-hand-drive, the mini-Hummer EV would be sold here via the GM Specialty Vehicles network alongside the Corvette and the locally converted Chevrolet Silverado.

The Hummer brand disappeared from our shores in 2010 in the wake of the global financial crisis and a petering off of sales in the years prior due to rising fuel prices.

A pick-up version of the locally-offered Hummer H3 was reportedly in the works at the time, but was ultimately scuttled in the lead-up to the GFC, so a family of mid-size and full-size electric Hummer utes would certainly make up for that.