Hummer to return as all-electric pickup
The Wall Street Journal has reported that General Motors will dust off the Hummer name and slap it on an all-electric pickup to be sold under the GMC brand, confirming rumors that GM would soon join the electric pickup game. WSJ sources say GM plans to show off the new truck during Super Bowl LIV on February 2.
Hummer was coaxed into existence when civilians demanded a version of the U.S. military’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, colloquially known as the Humvee. The H1, the original civilian Hummer, was built by AM General using GM’s Detroit Diesel V-8 (and, eventually, the Duramax V-8) on a platform and suspension similar to the Humvee’s. The Hummer H2 and H3, which together comprised the bulk of the brand’s sales, were built using General Motors truck chassis and powertrains.
Positioned as an off-road lifestyle brand aimed predominantly at same customers Jeep was courting, the Hummer brand was axed in 2009 as part of GM’s restructuring after the financial crisis. Despite being extinct for 10 years and having gas-guzzling reputations, prices for used models have remained strong, proving there’s still some value to the Hummer brand. Perhaps that’s why General Motors saw fit to bring Hummer back even though GMC has a pretty solid history of building impressive military vehicles of its own.
As much as I enjoyed driving an H3 Alpha off-road back when it was new, Hummer does not top the list of GM brands I want to see return (read: Pontiac). The thought of an entirely-electric off-road vehicle seems a bit odd at first—but, upon further thought, I would accept an all-electric Pontiac Fiero. Jeep will soon offer a plug-in hybrid Wrangler; could an all-electric 4×4 compete for that same market segment? Will overlanding enthusiasts fret about how they’ll charge their rig while on a trip? Can we please have some new Pontiac models?
Let us know your thoughts. What kind of capability and range would you expect from an all-electric Hummer pickup before you’d consider one for an adventure vehicle?
