GMC Hummer EV - What you need to know

The information keeps coming about the new GMC Hummer EV, the beastly electrified off-roading “supertruck” that’s already sold out until late 2022 – just one day after its launch.

While we covered the fundamentals of the reborn heavy-duty off-roader when it was revealed, GMC has dropped more info on the Hummer EV since then.

So without further ado, here’s the latest cool details to help you get to grips with the $150,000-plus monster electric pick-up truck that starts rolling out of GMC showrooms and into US deserts, forests (and freeways and shopping mall carparks) around 12 months from now:

The Hummer EV will be the first vehicle to market from General Motors using its new proprietary Ultium battery, e-motor and architecture package. The Cadillac Lyriq was revealed sooner but launches later.

Its 24-module Ultium lithium-ion battery pack will include an industry-first wireless management system. The pouch-style cells are stacked vertically in the Hummer EV, but can also be stacked horizontally.

The Ultium battery’s nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminium (NCMA) chemistry delivers 70 per cent lower cobalt content than previous GM EVs. This is important because cobalt is a costly and rare material.

The Hummer EV is a big sucker at 5507mm long and 2201mm wide (2380mm at the mirror tips). It also has a 3445mm wheelbase, 330mm of suspension travel and an impressive 11.3m turning circle in four-wheel steer mode.

The tri-motor powertrain featuring in the first Hummer EVs to market has a single e-motor on the front axle and a dual-motor set-up at the rear. The front e-motor will have a 13.3:1 fixed gear ratio. The dual motors independently power the rear wheels through a fixed gear ratio of 10.5:1.

An electronically controlled front differential locks both front wheels so they turn at the same speed. Up to 100 per cent of available torque can be sent to either front wheel. The dual rear e-motors can be synchronised to simulate a locking diff and are capable of torque vectoring.

The e4WD system can climb 60 per cent grades in forward and reverse and scale 457mm verticals.

The suspension is independent all-round. Heavy-duty ball-spline half-shafts maximize axle articulation for manoeuvrability, while also reducing feedback through the steering system in hard cornering and other off-road driving conditions. The design of the drive motors eliminates the axle ‘pumpkins’ and prop shaft in conventional trucks, which helps optimise ground clearance.

GM’s Continuous Damping Control that reads the road every two milliseconds to optimise comfort has been retuned for the Hummer’s extreme capabilities.

There are five drive modes, including the configurable My Mode with Adrenalin Mode sub-menu. The other modes are normal, tow/haul, off-road and terrain, the latter offering one pedal off-roading. The modes enable the driver to tailor the vehicle’s performance, including torque distribution, four-wheel steering, ride height, shock damping, throttle maps, brakes and interior sound enhancement

The ‘watts to freedom’ launch control counts down to blast-off by lowering the vehicle two inches (50mm), making “unique sounds” thought the Bose audio system and screen animations.

The body structure eliminates conventional frame rails, which GMC says would raise the centre of gravity and make the battery pack a fundamental structural element. The double-stacked batteries are protected above and below by shear panels while a rigid floor above the pack helps resist body flex.

The five-seat Hummer EV interior does not have any carpet. Instead, a vinyl floor is topped with rubber made from recycled materials for easier cleaning after off-road adventures.

We’ve written before about the sheer enormity of the powertrain, but it’s a point worth ending on. The Edition 1 is powered by a triple-motor powertrain claimed to produce 745kW and 15,600Nm!

Be wary of that torque figure though, as that is multiplied through the transmission to be an at-the-wheels number rather than what’s originally generated by the e-motors.

GMC claims a 0-96km/h (60mph) acceleration time of around three second using a ‘watts to freedom’ mode that “unleashes the full acceleration of the EV propulsion system”.