GM Has Another Electric Truck Coming, but Good Luck Finding out Anything Else About It
We’ve seen plenty of new EV offerings the past few years, but almost all of these are sedans and SUVs. Some exciting electric trucks are set to debut within a year or two, like the F-150 Lightning and GMC Hummer. The electric Ram 1500 is also coming, but probably not until 2024.
A few months ago, The Drive says GMC teased another electric truck that will be released soon after the Hummer. Strangely enough, nobody seems to know any concrete details about the new pickup. Will it have multiple body styles like the Hummer EV or be a more conventional offering like the electric Silverado 1500?
The GMC Hummer EV is based on an earlier Hummer
The civilian Hummer model, based on the popular military vehicle, was released for the 1992 model year. All three versions could be outfitted with powerful diesel engines and had enhanced off-roading abilities to rival Jeeps. However, its poor fuel economy got GM a lot of slack from environmental activists, according to Investopedia.
Ultimately, it was killed off because GM couldn’t sell the vehicle’s nameplate to a Chinese manufacturer. The Hummer was one of the casualties following GM’s bankruptcy announcement in 2009, along with the Saab and Saturn brands. Both were resold to other automakers but eventually collapsed a few years later.
However, as off-roading vehicles got more popular, GM saw an opportunity to revive the Hummer with a revised powertrain. A pickup and SUV are planned, but the latter won’t be released until the 2024 model year. The truck available at launch will have three motors that can reportedly make 1000 hp and 1,100 lb-ft of torque.
GM also claims the Hummer EV can reach 60 mph in three seconds and get 350 miles of range. The Hummer EV is rough-ready with a crab-walking mode, removable doors and roof, and available air suspension. It will be outfitted with fast-charging compatibility, with DC chargers supplying 100 miles of range in only 10 minutes. SuperCruise, GM’s semi-autonomous driving software, will be standard.
What’s the deal with GM’s mystery truck EV?
The Drive speculates that the new truck EV will have the same technology as the Hummer EV, including its impressive mechanical specs. GM also didn’t say where the EV would be built but said it’s pretty far along in the development phase.
Car and Driver believe the new truck will be less expensive and have a broader availability than the Hummer EV. It may be a lighter version of the electric Silverado, another e-truck contender capable of up to 400 miles of range. Many of its details are also unknown, but top models will reportedly also make 1,000 hp.
According to Jalopnik, it’s likely that the yet-to-be-named truck is a GMC Sierra EV. The site says it’s probably going to be the answer to the F-150 Lightning, with its lowest trim priced below $40,000. It’s much easier to swallow than the Hummer EV’s minimum buyout of $80,000, so it should be popular with consumers. The base Lightning pickup has 230 miles of range, a pretty easy standard to meet.
When will the Hummer EV be released?
Car and Driver say that the new GMC Hummer EV pickup will be released this fall. Only the fully-loaded version will be available, which costs $112,595. The lower models won’t be released until next year.
The release dates for both the Silverado EV and GM’s mystery truck EV have yet to be confirmed. Many expect a 2024 release date, but Green Car Reports says GM has cut EV manufacturing to just 26 months.
