GMC Hummer EV SUV Gets 3 kW Power Outlets, Car-to-Car Charging
By Edward A. Sanchez – April 5, 2021
Official video footage and photos of the SUV variant of the GMC Hummer EV were released over the course of the March Madness NCAA collegiate basketball playoffs. The overall appearance doesn’t deviate that much from the pickup, with the main difference being a nine-inch shorter wheelbase and an accompanying enhancement in maneuverability and off-road prowess.
Not being constrained by a conventional drivetrain allows the Hummer EV SUV the ability to climb 60 percent grades, scale 18-inch verticals, and ford 24 inches of water. An “extract” mode enabled by the air suspension system increases the water fording depth to 32 inches. Ground clearance is listed on GMC’s website as 12 inches, yet can be temporarily increased to 16 inches in extract mode.
The SUV’s approach, breakover and departure angles are 49.6°, 34.4°, and 49°. The approach angle is roughly the same as the truck, but the breakover angle rating is 2.2° greater than the pickup, and the departure angle is a 10.6° improvement. The SUV’s 20-inch shorter overall length and 8.9-inch shorter wheelbase are also major contributors to its increased agility.
Of most interest to EV enthusiasts, GMC released more details about its Power Station generator, which features power outlets for 120V, 25 amps, and up to 3 kW. The Power Station also enables 240V vehicle-to-vehicle charging of up to 25 amps and 6 kW. Sharp-eyed readers may note this is slightly less than the maximum output offered by Ford’s Pro Power Onboard system on the Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid with a maximum output of 7.2 kW. Ford does not specifically tout vehicle-to-vehicle charging capability; however, if you have a L14-30 adapter (like I do) you could hypothetically use it to charge an EV.
Despite the slightly smaller overall size, the one thing that isn’t significantly smaller is the price. The Edition 1 model with the “Extreme Off-Road Package” which will go on sale in early 2023, will ring the register to the tune of $110,595, including destination, only $2,000 less than the full-boat tri-motor pickup. The more affordable models starting at $79,995 will not be available until spring 2024. The EV(2X), which we would consider the “sweet spot” model, will be priced at $89,995, and is targeted to go on sale in spring 2023.
We’re all for seeing innovation happening in every sector with EVs, but the Hummer range will be entering an increasingly crowded premium EV SUV field with Rivian planning to begin sales this summer. Ford is targeting the mid-2022 timeframe for its full-electric F-150, and Tesla’s infamously slippery timelines currently peg the Cybertruck’s release date in mid-2022, but that could be pushed out a year depending on unforeseen delays.
The Hummer EVs mass-market appeal will be necessarily limited by its high entry point, and I’m sure that’s by design. More mass-market EV pickups and SUVs will probably be coming in the 2025-’26 timeframe from Chevrolet, as well as more mainstream companion mass-market models from GMC.
Although I was initially skeptical about the revival of the Hummer moniker for the branding of GMC’s premium off-road models, thinking the name would be too tainted by its image as an environmental menace in the 1990s and early 2000s, it seems enough time has passed that the positive perception of its ruggedness has remained while the baggage of its gas-guzzling forebears has largely fallen away. We will see how well it will fare against the upstart newcomers soon.
(Images courtesy GMC)
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