2003 Hummer H2 Base Sport Utility 4-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

This modified Hummer hybrid will go to the South Pole on biofuel

One modified Hummer H1, traveling with another vehicle that looks like a modified Hummer H1, will spend six to 10 days driving to the South Pole, two days camping at the Pole, and take another six to 10 days driving back to the coast of Antarctica. Assuming all goes well. That's not guaranteed, since this blue beast really is - fundamentally, at least - a Hummer H1, not just Hummer-like bodywork over non-Hummer internals like you'd find on, say, the Dakar-winning "Mini." The Zero South team has been working on this vehicle for seven years (we checked it out at SEMA in 2008 and in 2010). The frame, suspension, axles, hubs, differentials, and the body are pure 1998 Hummer, the funky bodywork being from an insulated H1 ambulance, the uprated driveline from an armored H1. The original H1 used a 6.5-liter V8, but here that ICE engine has been swapped for a 3.2-liter turbodiesel V6 straight-six that will run on aviation-grade biofuel pulled from two 30-gallon tanks. Called the Hybrid Polar Traverse Vehicles, the serial hybrids use that engine to power a 216-horsepower electric motor that juices up a 24-kWr battery stored in an insulated, five-foot-long battery box between the frame rails. That battery powers two 200-hp electric motors, one at each axle, that will keep the tracks going through the Antarctic December half-light. We aren't sure what the second vehicle is based on, but its internals mirror the Hummer's, it has the exact same specs, and it looks almost the same except it's painted orange. They will pull a modified Airstream trailer called the "Snowstream," and are planning and eight-episode TV series as well as a feature film to document the expedition.

GMC and EarthCruiser to collaborate on Hummer EV Pickup overlander project

GMC just announced a collaboration with overlanding vehicle builder EarthCruiser, and the end result is going to provide us with a co-developed Hummer EV Pickup. The photo you’re looking at above is the first teaser for whatÂ’s to come of the partnership. The Hummer team will be working with EarthCruiserÂ’s research and design division to develop an overland upfit solution for EVs that it says will initially be integrated into the Hummer EV Pickup. In case you werenÂ’t familiar with EarthCruiser, theyÂ’re the people that have made utterly wild overlanding vehicles like the Terranova, FX and EXP. Needless to say, EarthCruiser makes some pretty rad stuff, and none of it is cheap. GMC says this collaboration will look to use EarthCruiserÂ’s expertise gained from developing its vehicles to create an overlanding solution for the Hummer. We should expect to see EarthCruiserÂ’s engineering technologies integrated into the vehicle, which will allow the Hummer to go even further off-road and provide the ability for owners to live with their trucks in the wilderness.  The one snag with overlanding in EVs is the typically long journeys away from civilization. As an example, the EarthCruiser XP and EXP feature 60-gallon fuel tanks to ensure you can get to where you need to go and power the living situation for a long time once youÂ’re there. WeÂ’ll be interested to hear what GMC and EarthCruiser have to say about the challenges presented by overlanding in an EV. Already visible in the teaser image is what looks like a solar panel-filled roof and rear side pods for supplies. The concept truck will be presented in late summer 2023, and while no date for a production vehicle was provided, itÂ’s likely that the final truck will come soon after. Related video:

For EV drivers, realities may dampen the electric elation

The Atlantic, a decades-old monthly journal well-regarded for its intelligent essays on international news, American politics and cultural happenings, recently turned its attention to the car world. A piece that ran in The Atlantic in October examined the excesses of the GMC Hummer EV for compromising safety. And now in its latest edition, the magazine ran a compelling story about the challenges of driving an electric vehicle and how those experiences “mythologize the car as the great equalizer.” Titled “The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Vehicles,” the story addresses the economics of EVs, the stresses related to range anxiety, the social effects of owning an electric car — as in, affording one — and the overarching need for places to recharge that car. Basically, author Andrew Moseman says that EV life isn't so rosy: “On the eve of the long-promised electric-vehicle revolution, the myth is due for an update. Americans who take the plunge and buy their first EV will find a lot to love Â… they may also find that electric-vehicle ownership upends notions about driving, cost, and freedom, including how much car your money can buy. "No one spends an extra $5,000 to get a bigger gas tank in a Honda Civic, but with an EV, economic status is suddenly more connected to how much of the world you get to see — and how stressed out or annoyed youÂ’ll feel along the way.” Moseman charts how a basic Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck might start at $55,000, but an extended-range battery, which stretches the distance on a charge from 230 miles to 320, “raises the cost to at least $80,000. The trend holds true with all-electric brands such as Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid, and for many electric offerings from legacy automakers. The bigger battery option can add a four- or five-figure bump to an already accelerating sticker price.” As for the charging issue, the author details his anxiety driving a Telsa in Death Valley, with no charging stations in sight. “For those who never leave the comfort of the city, these concerns sound negligible," he says. "But so many of us want our cars to do everything, go everywhere, ferry us to the boundless life we imagine (or the one weÂ’re promised in car commercials),” he writes. His conclusions may raise some hackles among those of us who value automotive independence — not to mention fun — over practicalities.