General Motors will spend billions of dollars on the development and production of electric vehicles in the next few years. GM plans to electrify its entire portfolio in the decades to come. It will compete with other Big Three automakers Stellantis and Ford Motor Company, to produce the most popular EVs on the market. Thus far, Ford has the lead in the race to produce the most popular electric vehicles. Is GM’s Hummer EV its secret weapon against Ford?

The GMC Hummer EV is unlike anything on the market

The Hummer’s origins go back to a multi-million dollar production contract that AM General Corporation received from the Pentagon in 1983. The military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (or Humvee) inspired a civilian version of the unique vehicle in 1992, called the Hummer.

General Motors acquired the rights to produce the Hummer from AM General Corporation toward the end of 1999. The Hummer was a large, expensive vehicle that symbolized livin’ large. GM tried to make the vehicle more affordable and less expensive to refuel by producing smaller variations (Hummer H2 and Hummer H3) of the OG Hummer.

General Motors ended production of the first Hummer model in 2006, and the remaining models became increasingly hard to sell as Americans battled with economic hardship. GM announced the resurrection of the nameplate in 2020. The Hummer is officially back, but it’s extremely expensive, and it has a brand new powertrain system. Consumers can choose from an SUV or pickup truck version of the exciting new EV.

The GMC Hummer EV starts at a whopping $108,700. Car and Driver claims that the EV makes a whopping 1,000 horsepower. Yup, you read that right. The EV can go from 0-60 miles per hour in about 3.3 seconds when in Watts to Freedom (or W.T.F.) mode. Watts to Freedom, indeed.

GM is going big, not going home

It’s clear that Ford is currently in the lead when it comes to producing the most successful American electric vehicles among the Big Three automakers. The Ford Mustang Mach-E has become incredibly popular because it’s stylish, practical, and quick.

The Ford F-150 Lightning received over 200,000 orders. Blue Oval EVs are a hit. General Motors has experienced plenty of criticism following the Chevy Bolt billion-dollar battery debacle after the automaker had to recall the Bolt nameplate in its entirety.

GM needs a big win to compete against the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning. The GMC Hummer EV could be that big win in terms of capability. The Hummer EV won’t outsell the F-150 Lightning or Mach-E because of its high price, but it can take some eyeballs away from Ford, so more consumers check out GM electric vehicles.

The battle to create the best electric vehicle has just begun

The GMC Hummer EV is the first of many new General Motors EVs. The automaker currently produces Bolt and Bolt EUV electric vehicles. GM plans to produce the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevy Silverado EV, and Cruise Origin in the years to come.

Read more about another exciting GM EV, the Chevy Silverado EV RST, in the next article below.