All the best amenities, features, and tech GMC offers can be found inside the new 2022 Hummer EV Edition 1. The Hummer brand is for those who aren’t too budget conscious and like their trucks big, bold, and brash. But even the most affluent shopper may think twice about GMC’s latest Hummer, whose taillights alone cost $6,100 to replace in parts alone.

A look at the new Hummer EV Edition 1

GMC has a history of marketing limited luxury editions of certain auto brands before rolling out the mass-market versions. Such is the case with the new GMC Hummer EV. The first version available for purchase is the Edition 1, which includes all the bells and whistles.

Car and Driver notes it starts with a three-motor system that gets 1,000 hp and 11,500 lb-ft of electric torque. This 4WD truck gets an estimated 350 miles of range and can hit 60 mph in 3.0 seconds.

The Edition 1 also has many exciting features, such as a panoramic moonroof, a 13.4-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and the manufacturer’s semi-autonomous driving system Super Cruise. The Edition 1 has also generated considerable buzz given its new Crab Walk feature. It’s engineered to move diagonally at low speeds, allowing it to navigate jagged terrain.

The Edition 1 sold out quickly. There’s an EV3x version with many of the same features in production now and less expensive options with two-motor systems that will hit dealer lots starting in 2023. But if you snagged a Hummer EV early and need to replace a taillight, you may be in for a bit of sticker shock.

Replacing the Hummer EV’s taillights

A recent article in The Drive detailed a Hummer EV owner’s surprise at how much fixing their taillight will cost. They were quoted $4,040 for a single taillight. Upon further digging, The Drive staff learned that an individual taillight costs $3,045.48. That means that two taillights cost approximately $6,100. And that’s just the cost for the parts, not the labor to install them.

These taillights are likely more expensive because they come fabricated with miniature microcontrollers inside them, which help them create unique lighting effects. Additionally, the Hummer EV is not being mass-produced yet. The more a vehicle is produced, the cheaper the per-vehicle and per-part costs become. Assuming the less expensive Hummer EV trims include the same taillights as the Edition 1, their replacement costs will likely drop.

Now luxury cars do cost more to maintain. Premium amenities are expensive to design and manufacture, meaning they will cost more to fix or replace. But even for a luxury car with a starting price of $110,295, $6,100 is a lot. That amount is more than 5% of the starting price. One can only imagine what other specialty parts like the touchscreen or moonroof might cost to fix or replace, much less powertrain repairs.  

Are these the most expensive taillights?

While $3,045.48 is a lot for a taillight, this price isn’t the most anyone has spent on a taillight. When you look at collector’s vehicles and supercars that start at a half million dollars and up, you’ll find yourself paying even more for this single piece of equipment.

In fact, you don’t even need to pay half a million to face a higher cost for taillight replacement costs. If you have your eye on a new Cadillac Celestiq EV, not only will you need to shell out $300,000, but as per Road and Track, you’ll likely be facing higher taillight replacement costs than you would for a Hummer Edition 1 EV.

These headlights include hidden LEDs that function as projectors and enable drivers to emit different effects and animations. You can even program your own unique sequences, although Cadillac still works to ensure the vehicle does so safely and legally. Given the versatility of these lights, it’s not hard to imagine their replacement costs will far exceed those of the Hummer EV—and most other vehicles.