Answering Your Question, “Why Can’t I Buy an Electric Hummer H1 That Goes 0-60 mph in 2.5 Seconds?”

Certainly no slouch, the electric 2024 GMC Hummer pickup offers an available 381 miles of range and advertises that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds, with an available 1000 horsepower and a staggering torque rating of 11,500 lb-ft. For the same base price, the Hummer EV SUV comes with “just” 830 horsepower, but the same torque rating. Both start at $96,550 (not including the destination charge of $2295), rising to $140,300 for the Omega 3x edition.

We have to wonder, though: Is this a real Hummer? You have to dig pretty deep in the manufacturer’s consumer website to find photos of the Hummer EV doing any off-roading, and then it’s pretty benign stuff. The Extreme Off-Road Package is illustrated by two photos of the pickup splashing through some water and driving on a road that is, admittedly, dusty. The Crabwalk demonstration is accompanied by a one-minute, 11-second video that, for about 10 seconds, shows the Hummer EV steering around some rocks.

No argument, though: You can equip a Hummer EV to do some amazing off-road things. But would it be your choice for extensive four-wheeling, or would the weight (over 9000 pounds) and the $100,000-plus price tag send you looking for an alternative?

Which we may have right here. Meet the Cyber-Hummer, built by North American Electric Vehicles, a company located in Oliver, British Columbia, population 5000, known as, among other things, “The Home of the Cantaloupe.”

NAEV’s Cyber-Hummer is based on the platform of the original military-sourced Hummer H1, which never met a tree it didn’t want to knock down. NAEV takes a donor H1 (which, incidentally, was a 2023 Bull Market pick), pulls out its diesel engine (or 5.7-liter gas V-8, if it was one of the rare non-diesel models) and replaces it with a pair of electric motors that, the company says, total 1000 all-wheel-drive horsepower and 1000 lb-ft of torque. We’d certainly like to see this thing on the dyno.

From looking at NAEV’s Facebook page, it appears that they perform restorations and battery conversions on a variety of vehicles, including vintage Porsche and Mercedes-Benz models, even a mint 1948 Ford pickup. In March of 2023, though, they began running photos—lots of photos—of a 1991 Hummer H1 that they had fitted with an 85-kWh, 400-volt Tesla battery pack, and 42-inch tires.

Now, according to a new press release, NAEV seems to have gone all-in on Hummer H1 conversions. “Featuring an extraordinary 1000 horsepower with an impressive on-road range of up to 300 miles, NAEV’s all-new Cyber-Hummers deftly reimagine what an H1 can do. With an initial limited edition launch on deck, the first 2025 Cyber-Hummers are set to begin rolling off the line at the company’s new manufacturing center and headquarters this summer,” the release says.

“At North American Electric Vehicles, our goal is delivering an electric 4×4 solution that can get dirty, but is just at home on the highway,” says company founder Jeffrey Kotulak. “Historically, the H1 was such a cool truck and interestingly, the classic design layout is optimal for creating an EV, and balancing batteries.”

There’s a motor at each axle, fed by a Tesla battery pack. The advertised 0-to-60 mph time is 2.5 seconds. Retrofits include the addition of Tesla regenerative brakes with Brembo calipers, a “vegan leather” interior with seating for six, a Momo steering wheel, and a “state of the art” sound system.

Apparently, you do not have to supply a donor vehicle, and there’s a two-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Perhaps the most notable thing about the NAEV H1 conversion: The company says the 2025 Cyber-Hummer weighs in at just 4500 pounds, about 1800 pounds less than mid-1990s Hummer H1s, and 3600 pounds lighter than the Duramax diesel restoration marketed by Miami-based GlobalTrans Vehicles called the Hummer1.

Price? Well, you’re not going to save much money over the 2024 GMC Hummer EV’s $100K starting point. NAEV’s Cyber-Hummer starts at $98,900 for the base Baja model that comes with 300 hp, and tops out with the 1000hp Executive Edition at $139,900, which actually sounds kind of cheap.

“The 2025 Executive Edition Cyber-Hummer represents a pinnacle of electric engineering, showcasing what’s possible when intersecting a classic H1 and electrification,” insists Kotulak. “From the vehicle’s dual motor dominance to the luxurious interior, every feature embodies a new era bringing this wonderful beast back in a more civilized, thrilling way.”

Maybe he’ll invite us to Oliver to drive one. When’s cantaloupe season?

***

Check out the Hagerty Media homepage so you don’t miss a single story, or better yet, bookmark it. To get our best stories delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters.