First Drive: 2023 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 Review
Who would have thought that the Hummer would, one day, be fully electric and “green”? This American icon was originally introduced as a symbol of ruggedness and power infused with a “get out of my way” character. The Hummer was as far from efficiency as Mars is from the planet Earth.
General Motors has decided to resuscitate the Hummer name under the GMC umbrella in order to make a statement regarding GM’s future EV plans, but also to show clients that electric doesn't have to mean small, round, and boring.
Let's face it, big trucks are far more profitable than small EVs. Yet, with the Hummer’s boxy style and gigantic weight, it leans towards contradiction when compared to other EVs that fight for every decimal of drag coefficient to provide maximum range and efficiency.
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
Canada Drives took the all new GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 out for a test drive across different terrains in the state of Arizona, including cities and highways, but most importantly off-road in the desert to see what this new resuscitated behemoth was all about.
Hummer EV price in Canada
The Edition 1 model we tested retails for about $110,000 USD, which represents roughly $135,000 CAD before any provincial EV rebates and incentives. Pricing will be unveiled closer to the Hummer’s arrival in Canada, which is slated for December 2022. The Edition 1 is the range-topping model, while other more affordable models are available for reservation.
New Hummer pickup’s interior
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
The interior of the new Hummer EV is basically a mix of rugged and premium materials. In the centre of the dashboard sits a massive screen that houses GMCs extremely well-configured and intuitive infotainment system.
Latest tech with classic Hummer interior touches
Behind the steering wheel is a fully digital instrument panel. Although the aforementioned features are digital, the engineers at GMC have taken care of leaving some analog elements in order to retain that good old Hummer feel.
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
As far as comfort goes, the seating does the job on long drives and, of course, there is plenty of space for passengers or any occupant in the front and rear. The model that we tested had a lot of white surfaces, which can quickly become dirty if you use your Hummer for actual off-roading.
2023 Hummer EV range, off-road performance, and drive impressions
First things first, the GMC Hummer EV weighs 9,065 lb, which is equivalent to the weight of two base Sierra 1500 pickup trucks. Most of this heft comes from the battery (just like with any other electric vehicle). The battery itself weighs more than 3,000 lb, which is roughly the weight of a Mazda 3.
1,000 horsepower and over 500 km of range courtesy of 3 electric motors
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
To carry this weight, the Hummer EV is fitted with GM’s Ultium platform, which includes three electric motors (two in the rear and one in the front) linked to a battery. In the First Edition variant, this battery has a usable capacity of 212.7 kWh.
All in all, the output is rated at no less than 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. The Hummer EV Edition 1 has 530 kilometres of range and GMC says it’s possible to gain 160 kilometres in 12 minutes on a 350 kW charger, although we’re pretty skeptical about this level of performance in the reality of our northern climate.
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
As with other electric vehicles, the powertrain’s entire 1,200 lb-ft of torque is delivered instantly upon pressing the accelerator pedal. That's always impressive with any electric car, but the experience is even more exhilarating onboard this 9,000 lb hunk of metal.
When the WTF (Watts to Freedom) feature is activated, the Hummer EV lowers the suspension and activates the launch control to go from 0-100 km/h in three seconds.
How does the Hummer EV perform as an everyday driver?
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
Ride comfort on the highway and paved roads is excellent with the Hummer EV; however, our tester was fitted with a removable roof that had a lot of joints, which could get really noisy in the cabin when driving on the highway.
If you think the Hummer EV is too big for the city, think again. The rear steering can pivot up to 10 degrees in the back. This gives the Hummer EV a radius as small as that of a compact car.
The “Crab Walk” feature for the off-roaders & city dwellers alike
This feature also speaks volumes for off-road. Thanks to the “Crab Walk” feature, the Hummer EV can literally drive sideways to avoid upcoming obstacles. The Hummer EV is fitted with a series of off-road-oriented drive modes that render it capable of accomplishing the most daunting tasks. Along with the responsiveness of the powertrain, the new Humvee doesn’t fear mud or boulders.
Below, a quick 16-second video of Crab Walk mode in action:
Verdict: is the GMC Hummer EV truck worth it?
Although the new Hummer presents itself with an outrageous number of capabilities as well as performance and technologies that will make your head spin, we are forced to admit that this truck will mostly venture out on city and suburban streets at the hand of buyers who already have everything. Thus, leaving those capabilities mostly unexploited.
The Hummer EV is a contradiction in itself: green in nature, but opulently inefficient in the grand scheme of things. In the end, it provides us with a taste of how far General Motors can push electrification.
Here are all 11 highly-anticipated electric pickup trucks to look at – including the F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and Rivian R1T.
If you’re buying a used truck, shop our inventory of used, certified pickup trucks here.
2023 Hummer EV Truck | Photo: GMC
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