Deliveries of GM's Highly Anticipated Hummer EV Electric Pickup to Begin in December

author: Eric Walz   

The Hummer EV pickup.

General Motors is about to make a big splash with one of the most anticipated electric vehicle launches in the auto industry in 2021. The Detroit automaker announced on Tuesday that the first deliveries of the resurrected Hummer EV electric truck will begin in December.

The top-of-the-line "Edition 1" of the Hummer will launch first and have a range of 329 miles, said Duncan Aldred, Vice President of Buick-GMC sales, on a conference call on Tuesday. 

Reservations for the Edition 1 are sold out.

The Edition 1 will also be the most expensive version of the Hummer, with an MSRP of $105,595. However, more affordable Hummer models that will offer longer ranges will launch in 2023, Aldred said. GM is also launching an SUV version of the Hummer, which should be available in early 2023 as well.

Following the Edition 1, GM will launch the Hummer EV3X and EV2X in spring 2023, with an estimated MSRP of $99,995 and $89,995 respectively. Each will offer ranges over 300 miles, according to GM.

The most affordable model will be the Hummer EV2, with an MSRP of $79,995. However the EV2 won't be available until spring 2024.

GM's launch of the new Hummer pickup and companion SUV will put the automaker in direct competition with EV startup Rivian, which is now worth more than GM and Ford with a market cap just under $100 billion after launching its highly anticipated IPO on Nov 10.

Rivian's model lineup includes the rugged R1T pickup and R1S electric SUV, which are poised to compete with the various Hummer models.

GM announced the return of the Hummer nameplate in Jan 2020 and the electric truck was featured in a high-profile Superbowl weeks later.

The Hummer EV is obviously targeted at truck buyers and will be released under GM's GMC truck brand. GM is marketing the Hummer EV as an all new electric "super truck" with its impressive horsepower, torque and acceleration, as well as its incredible on- and off-road capability and near silent electric motors.

With its 1,000 horsepower electric powertrain, the Hummer EV will offer 11,500 lb-ft of torque and can go from 0 to 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds, an impressive feat for such a heavy vehicle.

The Hummer's History

GM purchased the Hummer name from heavy duty truckmaker AM General in 1998 and produced three versions of it over the years. The hulking original Hummer H1 was based on the U.S. military Humvee built by AM General. Two smaller versions named the H2 and H3, which were built on GM's more practical consumer truck platforms.

At the time, the gas-powered Hummers were highly criticized for their poor fuel economy and impracticality. The Hummer H1 and H2 for example, averaged under 13 mpg and were sold as rival automakers were building much more fuel efficient vehicles, including smaller SUVs. 

GM tried unsuccessfully to sell the Hummer brand following its 2009 bankruptcy as a result of the recession of 2008-2009. However, after failing to find a buyer GM retired the Hummer brand in Feb. 2010. The last Hummer H3 rolled off the line at GM's Shreveport Assembly and Stamping Plant in Shreveport, Louisiana on May 24, 2010. The plant eventually closed in August 2012.

Now the Hummer is being reinvented as a purely electric truck. Depending on how affordable GM can make the Hummer and still make a profit, the vehicle has the potential to become a big seller. The Hummer's launch comes as consumer interest in electric trucks heats up, boosted by Rivian and the upcoming Ford F-150 Lighting. GM also plans to introduce an electric version of the popular Silverado pickup next year.

The Hummer EV represents GM's commitment to its electric future. However, it also shows just how valuable the truck and SUV segment is for the company.

Instead of losing highly-profitable truck sales from consumers switching to more fuel efficient and electric vehicles, GM seemed to have found a viable solution to hold onto profits by making electric versions of its most popular truck models.

The one question that remains is if consumers will want to buy GM's electric trucks, or continue to purchase gas-powered GM vehicles.

The Hummer is being built at GM's Factory Zero with a focus on sustainable manufacturing. The company is investing $2.2 billion in the facility for retooling and upgrades in order to build new EVs at scale. 

The investment in Factory Zero is the single largest investment in an automotive assembly plant in the automaker's history and is part of GM's $35 billion investment in electrification and autonomous driving technology.

Both the upcoming GMC HUMMER EV is built on GM's new Ultium battery platform, which the automaker revealed in March 2020. The Ultium EV platform will underpin a wide range of new EVs from GM, including cars and trucks and serve as the core platform of GM's future EV lineup.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.