2007 Hummer H2 Sut Limited Edition Hummer H2 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC Hummer EV First Drive Review | True supertruck, for better and for worse

Right from the start, the 2022 GMC Hummer EV has been advertised with superlatives, mostly in reference to its specifications. GMC has even called it a "supertruck" in its own materials. And while we've received a taste of the truck before, only now have we finally got our hands on the production-spec model, and had the opportunity to drive it both off-road and on the street. What we've found is that the Hummer EV is undoubtedly a supertruck, much the same way that a Ferrari or a Lamborghini is a supercar. It totally delivers on its incredible capabilities, but there are compromises. And they're worth being aware of before plunking down the more than $100,000 a first-year Hummer will run you. That six-figure truck is the version we tested, the Edition 1, which actually rings in at $112,595. It's the only version in production for now, with lower trims coming in the next couple years. It's sold out, but many of the features will be available on the next highest trim level, the EV 3X. Among those features are the three motors, torque vectoring, “Watts To Freedom” launch mode, four-wheel steering, removable glass roof panels, 35-inch tires, Super Cruise, power rear window and MultiPro tailgate. In other words, although you can literally no longer order an Edition 1, you can still order a Hummer EV with nearly the same specification. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We'll start where most owners probably will: mashing the throttle. No one can resist seeing what 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque will feel like. It's even a tad more torque in Watts To Freedom mode, which preemptively runs the cooling system to enable the additional twist. That mode allows the Hummer to hit 60 mph in 3 seconds, and the drama is dialed up with visual, audible and haptic cues. But even without engaging launch mode, the Hummer EV impresses and delights with its acceleration. In addition to pinning you to the seat, the entire truck squats in an exaggerated fashion. It's absurd, especially considering the truck's curb weight that surpasses a truly astounding 9,000 pounds. ThatÂ’s several hundred pounds more than the heaviest GMC Sierra HD 3500 diesel dually. Of course, that weight, as well as the nature of electric motors, means the party starts to calm down as the speed increases. The weight is noticeable in other areas, too.

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.

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.