It was not that long ago that the sign of status for anyone that wanted to show off their money would be to pick up a brand new, fossil fuel-burning Hummer H2. Those lucky enough to afford those dinosaurs also had to be able to fork over tons of money every week at the gas station. Chugging along on average at a modest ten miles per gallon, the H2 and eventual H3 didn’t stick around too long before evolution took over, and the Hummer brand went the way of the Dodo bird.
But history does have a way of repeating itself, and now a decade and a half after the H2 vanished from the earth, Hummer is back. Now sold under the GMC brand, the 2024 Hummer EV SUV comes to us as more or less a carbon copy of the Hummer pickup truck. The front of the truck all the way to the rear doors is almost exactly the same as its pickup truck sibling. The SUV sports a massive 126.7-inch wheelbase, despite a nearly nine-inch reduction to go from pickup to SUV.
Compared to the pickup, the SUV uses a smaller 170.0 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack located under the floorboards. That battery powers three permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors (one in front and two out back). While the pickup makes a full 1,000 horsepower with its larger battery, the SUV manages to make do with only 830 hp, and a mountain-pulling 1,200 pound-feet of combined torque. For context, that is more than double the amount of power the old H2 could muster from its V8.
But those batteries are heavy, and the new Hummer EV SUV checks in a ton more than its gas-powered predecessor. At a full 8,660 pounds, it would seem hard to believe the EV can move the way it does, but then, that is the magic of electric cars. GMC even gave the Hummer a launch control feature it calls Watts to Freedom, which is cutely and appropriately abbreviated “WTF,” which is exactly the reaction most drivers will have when they sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, 0-100 mph in a scalding fast 8.8 seconds, and then through the quarter mile in a ridiculously fast 11.9 seconds at 112 mph. In terms of fuel economy, GMC tells us that the EV can get up to 314 miles of range, which ends up being roughly 45 MPGe.
The speed the Hummer EV SUV provides is just a bonus, however. An air suspension allows for 16.0 inches of ground clearance and up to 13.0 inches of suspension travel to make the most of it when the pavement ends. If you don’t go all-out with the off-roading options, then a set of Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires measuring 305/55R-22 at both the front and rear will make commuting a breeze (off-roaders get bigger 35-inch mounted on smaller 18-inch wheels). Big 14.0-inch front and rear vented disc brakes help haul down the Hummer’s heft from 70-0 mph in a very respectable 199 feet.
Inside, the HUMMER EV SUV is nicely appointed with an expansive cabin highlighted by a big 13.4-inch central infotainment touchscreen, while the driver gets a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. There are, however, some buttons and a real shifter so drivers can keep their eyes on the (off) road. All four roof panels are removable for a wonderful open-air experience, while the spacious ‘frunk’ is lined with easy-to-hose-out plastic panels.
If the latest and greatest Hummer has one drawback, it is its price. But if you want one of the baddest electric SUVs on the market, a base price of $105,595 shouldn’t scare you away. And if there is one thing that hasn’t changed since the first H2 went extinct, it is that a Hummer will elicit a reaction from people in one way or another. Thankfully, with the EV SUV, a Hummer doesn’t have to be synonymous with ‘gas-guzzler’ any longer and shows that even sometimes dinosaurs can evolve.
Photos: GMC
