1996 Hummer H1 Utility Truck on 2040-cars

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What the electric Hummer's size and weight means for its efficiency

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1. Tim Levin/Insider If you think driving a pint-sized Nissan Leaf is as good for the planet as driving a huge electric Hummer, think again.  The GMC Hummer EV uses significantly more electricity than other EVs, meaning it produces more pollution upstream.  The electric Hummer weighs 9,000 pounds and its battery weighs as much as a Honda Civic. The new electric Hummer rolls through town without a deafening engine rumble or a cloud of toxic fumes, but it doesn't exactly tread lightly.  The colossal truck weighs an astonishing 9,000 pounds. (Think two Toyota Tacomas, three Honda Civics, or 24 Shaquille O'Neals.) Moreover, the GMC Hummer EV is in many ways a supersized gas guzzler for a new era. It repackages many of the same flaws of hulking SUVs and trucks of years past — and proves not all zero-emission cars are created equal. EVs can be energy guzzlers too On the whole, electric cars use less energy than gas-powered ones. But they aren't all equally efficient.  No surprise here: The Hummer needs more electricity than any other EV on the market to move its elephantine frame. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the pickup at 47 MPGe (miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent). For comparison, the Tesla Model 3 sedan is nearly three times as efficient, earning a rating of 132 MPGe. The Ford F-150 Lightning, another electric truck, gets 70 MPGe.  This has real consequences: Since the US gets 61% of its energy from oil, coal, and natural gas, the more electricity a car needs, the more pollution it creates upstream.  As the Union of Concerned Scientists put it: "Both EV cars and trucks are much cleaner than their gasoline counterparts, but electric trucks are responsible for more global warming emissions than electric cars simply because trucks are larger and heavier."  The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1. Tim Levin/Insider The Hummer EV is also resource-intensive to manufacture, requiring a ginormous (and weighty) battery to give people the 300-plus miles of range they desire. You could produce three Chevrolet Bolts with the same battery cells consumed by one Hummer.

GMC Hummer EV will weigh 9,046 pounds

In the 2000s, Hummer's unique breed of off-roaders summoned a dark cloud of disapproval from environmentalists because they were gas-guzzling SUVs with mammoth dimensions. GMC's born-again Hummer EV will escape the gas guzzler label by running solely on electricity, but it will be even bigger and much heavier than its predecessors. Enthusiast site GM-Trucks reported the Hummer EV will tip the scale at 9,046 pounds (4,103 kilos if you're outside of the United States) in its quickest configuration, and a GMC spokesperson told Autoblog that figure is accurate. For context, the H1 Alpha released for 2006 (and often considered the ultimate Hummer) weighed 8,113 pounds, the H2 checked in at 6,614 pounds with the 6.2-liter V8, and the H3 was comparatively light at 4,600 pounds. When it lands, the Hummer EV will be one of the heaviest new cars sold in the United States. Part of its plumpness can be attributed to its colossal dimensions; it measures 216.8 inches long, 86.7 inches wide, and 81.1 inches tall. In comparison, the H1 stretched 185 inches long, 87 inches wide, and about 78 inches tall. The electric powertrain also played a major role in slinging the Hummer's weight into dually pickup territory. Batteries are heavy, and the Hummer EV's Ultium pack reportedly has a capacity of over 200 kilowatt hours. It has three electric motors, too. Note the 9,046-pound figure applies only to the sold-out Launch Edition model, which will offer 1,000 horsepower, the aforementioned 200-kilowatt battery, and the supercar-like ability to hit 60 mph from a stop in three seconds. GMC will launch cheaper, slower, and presumably considerably lighter variants of the truck in the early 2020s. Although SUVs are often heavier than comparable trucks due to the additional sheet metal, the people-hauling Hummer should weigh less than the cargo-carrying variant. As we reported in April 2021, its output will be limited to 830 horsepower because it's 20 inches shorter than the truck, and the bigger battery pack doesn't fit in this footprint.

Mil-Spec 003 First Drive Review | The ultimate Hummer H1

We're in something of a golden age for automotive restomodding, and into a heady mix that includes Singer's reimagined 911s, Icon's fancy off-roaders, and lots of updated Land Rovers. The latest company with ambitions to become a top-tier custom car brand is Mil-Spec, which aims to do what the aforementioned companies do, but with the big, brash, blunt Hummer H1. And in particular, the company is aiming to make its Hummers a compelling alternative to a used Hummer H1 Alpha. The Alpha is generally considered to be the best of the breed with the most powerful diesel engine offered, larger brakes, and a nicer interior compared with its predecessors. To find out whether the company's early efforts live up to that ambition, Mil-Spec invited us to drive their third completed vehicle, Mil-Spec 003. It started life as a 1995 Hummer H1, and as with all of Mil-Spec's vehicles, it was completely disassembled, and the body and frame media-blasted down to metal. The frame and related components are then powder-coated with a black gloss finish. The truck's aluminum body, in this case a four-door hardtop pickup variant, but is coated in a resilient bedliner-like material designed for easy care. Bits of Kevlar are mixed in with the material for strength, and it can be tinted different colors and have rougher or finer textures. Underneath the body, one of the five different engines that were available on the H1, usually a diesel V8, is replaced with a 6.6-liter Duramax LBZ turbodiesel V8. This engine was available on heavy duty Chevy and GMC pickup trucks, and a related engine was used in the Hummer H1 Alpha. Whereas the engine in the H1 Alpha made 300 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque mated to a 5-speed automatic, the Mil-Spec's LBZ has had turbo upgrades and a different ECU tune allowing it to produce 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque. It's also coupled to an Allison 1000 6-speed automatic transmission. The mechanical upgrades don't stop with the engine and transmission. The inboard brakes are given drilled and vented discs, and an ARB Air Locker locking rear differential fitted. Dual auxiliary transmission coolers also make an appearance and can be switched on as needed. The 003 received 20-inch wheels with 38-inch mud terrain tires, but larger tires can be added if desired.