Does 1000 horsepower get your attention? How about 11,500lb.-ft of torque?
Speculation has been wild about the imminent return of the Hummer brand, a nameplate that, considering today’s consumer predilection for all things SUV and crossover, GM surely wishes they didn’t have to bin during their embarrassing sojourn through bankruptcy in 2009. Today, the company confirmed the name is back … and it’ll be packing 1000 horsepower.
Oh yeah, it’ll also be an electric vehicle under the GMC banner.
According to The General, this new direction for Hummer will usher in a “Quiet Revolution”, one which intends to bring bold design and massive capability to the electrified vehicle space. They’re calling it “GMC’s first all-electric truck”, giving us a clue as to the segment in which this EV will play.
Does 1000 horsepower get your attention? How about 11,500lb.-ft of torque? If not, then an expected acceleration measure from rest to highway speed in 3.0 seconds should do the trick. These numbers compare favorably to another upcoming EV pickup called the Rivian R1T. It throws down 750/10,325/3.0 for those same three measures, respectively. Since the Ford Motor Company is deep in bed with Rivian, expect the forthcoming F-150 EV to turn similar tricks.
Now, those mountain-o-torque figure requires a little technical explainer. In electric motors, maximum torque is produced from the get-go. If there are multiple motors – say, one at each wheel in a four-wheel drive EV pickup – each motor is supplying 100% of its torque to the ground for an instant. This partially explains why Rivian has, in the past, listed the R1T’s number as ‘grounded torque’. Either way, it’s still a massive amount of grunt; we’re just cautioning against making an apples-to-oranges comparison between this new Hummer EV and a truck powered by internal combustion.
You’ll learn more about the GMC Hummer EV if you’re a football fan, as the company will be broadcasting an ad during the Super Bowl. The 30-second V spot is scheduled to air during the second quarter of the big game. As part of the digital and social media marketing push surrounding the big game ad, GMC will take over the YouTube homepage masthead on Friday, Jan. 31, so expect to be inundated with marketing there as well.
As for the truck itself, GMC says it will be revealed at an event on May 20, 2020 and built in Michigan at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. This dovetails nicely with GM’s announcement earlier this week of a $2.2 billion investment at that facility.
Keyword: Hummer is Back, This Time With 1000 Horsepower