First Drive 2022 GMC Hummer EV Is 9 000 Pounds Of Bad Boy Tech

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So I’m finally driving the  all new GMC Hummer EV and wow   gotta say this is something. Gotta love it  Tom. This is Henry you’ll meet him later. Everything about Hummer was controversial  when production shut down in 2010. The H1   and H2 were too big to garage in most cases. Their  aggressive designs scared men, women and children.   And they were such gas guzzlers, the Chinese  government forbid a company in Chengdu from   buying the brand from General Motors. Like  the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, Hummer is back,   a sub-brand of GMC now. And maybe, just maybe,  environmentalists can rally around this one.

Hummer is an EV now, no tailpipe emissions  at all. It still has the Hummer attitude…   and controversy. For starters,  this is not a small truck. In fact, at 18 feet long, this is the  largest Hummer ever, by some 13 inches.   Though that is just 4 inches longer than  the mid-sized Canyon pickup. It’s the width.   Clearance lights are legally required at 87 inches  across, five more than GMCs Sierra 2500 HD pickup   an inch wider than an H1. So Hummer EV casts quite  a shadow. And this “Super Truck” as GMC calls it,  

tips the scales at over 9,000 pounds. Chances  of the Sierra Club seal of approval are… iffy. Hummer H1 cost 140 grand back in the day. So  the top-spec Edition 1 models we’re driving are   kind of bargains at just over 112 thousand bucks.   And it does stuff old Hummers can’t, like drive  sideways, sprint to 60 miles an hour (SOUND UP)   in 3 seconds. It can motor handsfree  for miles, and it packs 18 cameras,   enough to outfit an NFL broadcast production  team. Plus the EPA rated range is 329 miles. Before I dig into all that, here’s what makes  it go. Edition 1s have an oil cooled three  

motor set-up. One up front and two in the  rear which allows active torque vectoring.   All together there’s 1,000 horsepower with 11,500  lb-ft of wheel torque on tap though most will go   with 1,200 lb-ft of motor torque as a reference.  No transfer case, none needed. There’s an adaptive   air suspension that features a recovery mode. It  gives the Hummer EV 16 inches of ground clearance   or 32 inches of water fording, same as an H1.  It takes about 35 seconds I sped up the video.  

Four-wheel steering too. That’s covered  later. This is all cool but the crown jewel   is GM’s Ultium battery system which is modular and  charges incredibly fast. This pack size is 205kWh. It consists of 24 battery modules and what  you’re not seeing here if you remove this   cover is that there’s 24 cells inside of  this battery pack in a 3D figuration. On   the team we think about this as two 12 module  packs in parallel inside of one enclosure.   And so when we’re in propulsion mode and we’re  driving or doing basically anything but charging,   we’re operating the packs in parallel when we  connect to 800V capable DC fast charging station,   we sence that automatically and  we can re configure the pack   to be in series. So essentially, nothing  moves but we will take the packs and wire them   in series which raises the voltage to 800V ans  allows it to achieve 350 kW of peak charging.

That’s right, if a 350kW commercial  station actually delivers it,   Ultium takes on the full amount, unlike  most that are limited to 240-250 kW. 20 to 100% Level 2 charging? If you have an 11.5kW  capable wall mount unit it’s about 16.5 hours And Ultium’s packaging is unique. We’re really proud of the wireless battery  management system. So it eliminated 55%   of the connections from prior battery packs at  General Motors and reduced the wiring in the   pack by 90% . It’s almost totally wireless so the  only connections between the modules are coolant  

and the high-voltage bus. Down the road, if  you need a module replacement for some reason   and we have had by mid decade will  likely evolve the chemistry of our cell,   you can actually mix that new module chemistry  into your vehicle in service if needed. I’m going to do a separate video on Ultium later.

What we’re doing here today, Terrain Mode  is our slow technical rock crawling mode. There’s quite a learning curve to this truck  so, in the shadow of the Cardinals home turf,   GMC engineers show us the ropes  the day before we head off road. So this can cycle through for  terrain mode, tow haul mode,   normal mode, my mode, and off-road  so we’re gonna be an off-road mode.

This is to learn features so we’re schooled  for actual off roading. It’s pretty deep,   I’ll probably forget more than I remember. I’m in terrain mode… There are a number of drive modes and  these make a tremendous difference. And if I lift off just lift off the accelerator  the vehicle coasts to the stop I don’t have to   touch the brake pedal, again very similar the  same driving inputs you would have you doing   one peddle driving. In this terrain mode one  pedal driving which is mechanical brake based,   you get this gradual stop that allows me to,   again, assess the terrain, maybe I’m  not sure about what’s in front of me.   I don’t have to jump on the brake pedal every  time. I shift down to the low range it’s going  

to be much more aggressive. Similar as if I was  stabbing a brake so I lift up off the accelerator,   it grabs us a little bit more aggressively, you  see a little more head toss from passengers. Terrain Mode uses regeneration AND the brake  system for One-Pedal Driving, no need to left   foot brake. And to add even more regen braking,  there’s this. Just like on Volt and Bolt. And WTF. In Hummer speak that’s Watts to Freedom.  Engage it and Hummer preps itself by lowering the   suspension a couple inches, and warming the  drivetrain if the motors and pack are cold. And if you’re ready, go ahead and put it in  drive. So you already have your brake applied so  

go ahead and left foot on the brake and  right foot all the way to the floor. It even offers up a little theatre It’s really cool how the seat  just throbs. Right? Ready?   Yeah. Wow! Yeah. Just Yeah. That’s like the  best Disney ride ever. And really the brakes are   amazing. Yeah quite something, it never gets old.  OK I need to make more money. Okay so Crabwalk? …which might seem like a gimmick but  in practice can be useful on the trail. Back-and-forth… there you go. That’s  really weird. That’s so weird.  

It feels like I’m on ice, sure  yeah I’ve heard that before. One of my best attributes is  that I never get motion sickness.   Crabwalk could trigger that in anyone.  This is something you need to experience.

It is a very weird visual. Yeah.  And it’s a very weird sensation Other demonstrations? For-wheel-steering effectively lets the  rear follow the front in a perfect circle.   37.1 feet is the turn circle  with four wheel steer engaged

I came to Arizona hoping to escape Seattle  drizzle…. No such luck on our off-road day. The   precipitation shows that rain runs directly off  the top into the cabin when the window is open,   the removable Infinity Roof panels lack a drip  rail. It’s nearly 50 miles to the trailhead so   I’ll get to see how the Hummer EV does on the  highway. I’ve partnered up with The Detroit News’   Henry Payne. He’s got a lot of track experience,  owns a Model 3 and has an excellent podcast,  

check it out. The first thing we’re interested  in is the latest version of Super Cruise that   works even when towing, Hummer EV can  tug 7,500 pounds. That will reduce range. You own a Tesla Model 3. How does Super Cruise  compare to Autopilot? It is very similar   in terms of operation with a hands-free using the  auto lane change. The big difference is with the   infrared camera reading your face. And in Super  Cruise you’re totally hands-free where is the  

Autopilot is constantly nannying you for  confirmation that that you’re are paying   attention. So with the Autopilot you need to get a  little tug on the wheel or roll the scroll wheel. The ride quality is remarkably comfortable for  a truck, tracking true down the road without   micro corrections. It drives a size smaller  than it is. The main gripe? (WIND NOISE)   The bolt upright windshield causes  wind noise at highway speeds. Approaching the off road section, the weather  clears. Perfect. Arizona needs the rain,  

and dust will be dampened on the trail.  Hummer EV will be available as an SUV   this fall with a wheelbase shorter by 9  inches improving off road performance. Hummer has GMC’s MultiPro tailgate it is a pretty  trick. The system obviously a regular tailgate,   it’s got to stop so if you’re carrying lumber  that’s kind of nice, you can drop it so that   you’ve got a step. There’s also a sound system  

in here, plus if you’re working  in the field , you’ve got a desk. Some of these rigs carry spares, which  don’t mount below. Obviously that cuts   into the usability of the five-foot bed  and it’s 1,300 pound payload rating.   Since Hummer rides high, the optional power  tonneau cover would be a great way to go. All right, looks like we’re  coming up on some rough stuff.

How does four and a half tons of steel, glass,  aluminum, plastic and battery feel off road?   Remarkably nimble I have to say. Though apparently   that weight will keep it from  legally crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. This really does feel like it’s a size  smaller than it is. And they always tell you,   you know that big trucks really lose  maneuverability of Wranglers and Broncos,   just because of the short wheelbase. But you  get this rear wheel steer in this vehicle   and it shortens and wheelbase considerably.  Yeah it is it’s really nimble. I mean we’re  

really steeped in this stuff and we’re kind  of like, yeah four wheel steer is great. And a   very comfortable ride I have to say.  Yeag got a love the air suspension yeah. We’re often in Terrain mode that allows one pedal  driving. It can be made more or less aggressive.   Keep in mind it always has brake calipers engaged  so I’ll guess it will cause wear to the pads.

These cameras are great. Yeah cameras are  usually beneficial you really should switch them   on, the cameras as soon as you go off road  and then you get this nice big screen. There is no dedicated hill  decent control, it’s not   needed. Power recuperation and  drive modes take care of that. Yeah see the washboard stuff. This is where the  air suspension really shows it’s stuff. Yeah   we’re going 35 miles an hour through the stuff  right now and it’s soaking it up really nicely.

There are five skid plates and two underbody  panels to shield the battery and motors units. That’s another thing that’s cool, as they crest  the hill you can see the bottom of the truck and   it’s flat. That’s another thin,g is it doesn’t  have a lot of stuff for rocks to catch on.   Yeah righ, you don’t worry t about a gas  tank underneath don’t worry about the pig Remember there’s no transfer case. The front  differential can be locked electronically.   The two motors in back can simulate a locking  diff. And there’s true torque vectoring. So I don’t know if the GoPro shows  it but looking at the trucks ahead,   it’s really fun to watch the four wheel steering  because the truck just snakes around stuff,   and it’s just a blast watch. Standard four  wheel steers is a huge benefit to this  

vehicle when you’re off road you’re trying  to get through tight spaces trying to get   through pointy rocks really works all the  time. Yeah, four wheel steering in combination   with these cameras makes this pretty  good off-roader, if you had any doubts. There’s so much power and torque, Hummer  never seldom feels it’s four and a half   ton heft. That’s thought to be 2,500  pounds more than the F150 Lightning. So, you have 9,000 pounds of  momentum on this muddy section,   that’s about the only time the weight really  shows up here. Yeah, I’m fascinated by the  

weight because I believe the weight is a Class  2 truck, the truck weighs more than it can tow,   it’s unusual for a truck. And usually you’re  dealing with 7,000 pounds of truck towing 12,000   pounds and this can only tow 7500. So you know  there are limitations to electric motors. Yeah. That Ultium pack makes up a third of Hummer  EVs heft. Pick your favorite compact car,   and more than likely, this battery’s heavier. Excess doesn’t always mean success,   but Hummer EV makes a case for  it. These are preproduction units,  

and normally manufactures ask us to ignore any  squeaks and rattles. There are none happening. Man we’ve got four seasons in one  day, we have summer, clouds, rain,   sun, looks like rain’s moving in And just like that, a squall  comes roaring through.   It doesn’t last long but  it does add some slickness.   And then the rain turns to sleet.  Wait a minute. I’m in Arizona, right? We’re getting hailed on now.  I think I’ve had enough. How  

about you? Yea. Want to get in our  truck? No thanks. Wow f*** this sh**. I do have to wonder about the people that  end up buying this. It’s over 100 grand.   Are they really gonna be doing stuff like this  because, I mean, this isn’t super severe but it   is a lot more than owners are going to take it on.  Yeah but that’s where you look for a Hummer club.

I suspect buyers won’t care about efficiency but  here goes. Hummer EV is rated overall at 47 MPGe.   A Chevy Bolt EUV scores 115, Rivian  R1T is a better comparison at 70 MPGe.   So brute strength is Hummer’s forte,  not efficiency. Just like the old days.

And now for your moment of zen… in a Hummer. I would say this is like a giant RC car but  the Hummer EV is actually quieter. Seriously. What I really like about this is… it’s so quiet.  There is no engine noise, there’s nothing.   All you hear is the tires, and you know, some  rubbing up against the trees. Sound is one of   those things we’ve all grown up with. I love  the sound V8 but the quietness is great, You   can hear the birds chirping, if there were any  birds. And you can talk. Yeah it’s peaceful.

The 14-speaker Bose system provides unique cabin  sounds for each of the different drive modes.   They’re really too faint for my mics to pick up. BANG You’re not really trying unless you  have a dent or two every once in a while.

I have gotten to that point and think, what  else can a vehicle do? You think vehicles   have gotten to that point where they can’t  get any better and then you drive something   like this. You watch the four wheel steering,  you got all of this power and low end torque.   It’s a good time to be in the business.  It’s good to have a $100,000 vehicle   too! Yeah! And off roading one that’s not  yours. You’re right. That’s the trick kids. Everything clears up quickly  and we stop to enjoy the view. 

What better way to enjoy it than  taking off the Infinity Roof panels?   It’s easy to do, we don’t have an  owner’s manual and it’s intuitive.   Each of them are numbered so there’s no guessing  when re installing them . And they have their own   spot, you could take these pizza boxes out if  you want to use this yawning space for storage   but the panels are polymer, not glass. They’ll  probaly scratch if not properly stowed. But they  

are light, making the process easy. And no,  the doors aren’t removable. At least easily. I’ve not said much about the interior. It’s a very  Hummer space, macho to the extreme and roomy. The   Ultium platform is board-flat, this console  hides that fact, there’s storage underneath.   Lots of grab handles, you’ll need those on the  trail. Plenty of storage, the console is quite   deep. Lots of Easter eggs too that play to  the Hummers “moon shot” development process.   Seems like GM’s playing down the military  heritage. This color trim is a bit gold chain  

lifestyle for my tastes. And while this fabric  has a cool Major Matt Mason space suit vibe,   not sure white is practical for a tough off-road  machine. The seats, covered in neoprene are   comfortable and durable. The interface runs  Android Automotive. My time messing with it was   very limited but I can tell you the Unreal Engine  graphics are great, maybe too nice, they’re kind   of distracting. This reflection is a camera angle  thing. To the driver the displays are very clear.  

Both this and gauge cluster are raised high so  everything is kept in the driver’s sightline. A quick look at the backseat, no, Evil Twin  didn’t come to Phoenix but I can tell you that   this is wide enough for three full sized adults.  Cushions are a little bit low so thigh support is   average but there are so many features back  here. You’ve got a separate climate zone,   you’ve got heated seats, you’ve got storage,  you’ve got places to charge your phone.   Seat back pockets? There are two of them.  

Cupholders. These things are kind of cool, you can  stash camera gear and such. And the seats flip up   so there’s plenty of storage. All the way  around the Hummer EV is a pretty useful rig. As for design, I’m not going to dwell  on it. It’s pure Hummer and won’t be   mistaken for anything else. This will  be loved or loathed and you know who you   are. It’s like a battery powered Tonka truck come  to life. Some of it is form follows function,  

the ramp of the front and rear allow  excellent approach and departure angles.   The lighted grille isn’t necessary but it’s  cool. There will be some snickering from the   Jeep crowd because it wears 35-inch Goodyear  Wranglers. 37’s are available. As for size,  

it doesn’t look as big as it is in person,  and the SUV will be shorter by 20 inches. Hard to know if the 329-mile range  estimate is accurate. Everything   about our trip was Inefficient- freeway  driving (and I’m not admitting my speed),   a Watts to Freedom sprint, rain-soaked  highways, and a couple hours of off roading.   The only advantage? Temperatures in the high  70s. So extrapolating what I know about EVs,   it seems like it could hit the  estimated range in normal driving.  

And set a destination in the navi and GM  engineers say it will locate charge station,   though it seems only as the battery gets low.  Let’s wrap this up with Red Light Green Light. Green Light- The deep goodness of the Ultium  propulsion system, you’ll notice the power   but it’s geeky advanced tech is even more  impressive. The commercial charging speed of 350kW   is unmatched by other mainstream automakers.  The comfort and drivability on and off road   must be experienced to be appreciated. Very  impressive. It’s stuffed with tech, Super Cruise,   Crabwalk, Watts to Freedom, 4-wheel steering and  so much more that I can’t cover because of time. Yellow Light- Yes the commercial charge rate is  impressive if you can find a 350kW station but the   huge 205 kWh pack still takes time to juice up,  especially at home. The roomy cabin accommodates  

five full sized adults, with those white  interior panels, let’s hope they’re clean ones.   It feels incredibly nimble on the trail, but  on narrow section it might be denied passage. Red Light- Open the windows and rain drops  straight into the interior. The spare tire will   be riding in the bed. At speed you’ll be hearing  a good amount of wind noise off the A-pillars. At  

47 MPGe, pretty sure this 9,000 pound hulk is the  most inefficient electric vehicle on the market. So yeah, the new Hummer EV has some of the old  Hummer baggage. But if this is what it takes to   get pickup bros interested in electrics,  so be it. General Motors is offering an   olive branch to get them excited,  one that’s the size of a tree trunk.   Extreme? Over the top? You bet. But it’s a  brilliant machine, more than the sum of its parts.

All right Henry let’s wrap this up. I think this  is an incredible vehicle… at an incredible price.   But still man if you have the money?  1,000 horsepower, four-wheel-drive,   four wheel steering, 35 inch  tires, what’s not to like Tom?  Well… there’s the excess that Hummer has always  dragged around. That’s going to trigger a lot of   people. With all of its capability and an electric  drivetrain, Hummer has changed for the better.   But the bad boy image? It’ll never outrun  that. Even in Watts to Freedom mode. Some housekeeping here. I attended a GMC  event. Slept in their hotel room and ate   their food. Opinions are my own though.  And I’d like to thank Henry Payne for  

his patience while I jumped out of the car  to run ahead and get video on the trail.   I had just run a 100 yards ahead when the  cloudburst suddenly. happened. So I got drenched. I suffer for my craft And so did Henry   since I probably smelled like a wet dog.

And man did I have technical problems. On day  one, two of my GoPros fritzed out. And the   first run where GMC engineer Aaron Pfau (FOW) explained how to get into Watts to Freedom   my mics simply shut down for some reason.  Audio. It’s not just for radio anymore. And because of those issues, I couldn’t get  to the hydrogen fuel cell charging that was   going on near the stadium. GM brought these in  instead of diesel generators. How eco green of it. Hope you got something out of my look at the GMC  Hummer EV, in challenging conditions. Instead of a   fun fact I’m going to leave you with a story. Back  in the day when I was testing a Hummer H2 which  

is about this size some woman came up to me and  absolutely browbeat me for driving such a horrible   vehicle for the environment. I mean she really  took me to task. And I explained it’s not mine   and I’m testing. She didn’t care she was upset  about it and she walked away and she got into….   a Chevy Suburban. Seriously. I just  had to laugh. Thanks for watching,  

remember, subscribe to this channel, follow  me on Twitter , I’m very active there,   and if you have a question leave it in  the comments that’s driven I’m Tom Voelk

2022-04-09

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