The 2022 GMC Hummer EV gives the world a glimpse into the electric future of General Motors and proves that battery-powered vehicles can be extremely capable across difficult off-road terrain. Engineering Explained recently had the opportunity to check it out at the car’s global launch. Powering this unique pickup truck are three electric motors that combine to produce 1,000 hp and 15,592 Nm of wheel torque. GMC says this allows the Hummer EV to hit 96 km/h in as little as 3 seconds with the ‘Watts to Freedom’ launch control system.
As Jason from Engineering Explained
reveals, it is only in this mode when the vehicle delivers the full 1,000 hp.
He also explains that the reason why the Hummer EV has three electric motors
rather than two at each axle comes down to the fact that the front axle is
traction limited and simply can’t deal with any more power. This setup also
means the Hummer EV offers true torque vectoring and allows all four wheels to
spin at the same speeds (or the rear two wheels/front two wheels), effectively
replicating traditional front, center, and rear locking differentials.
Powering the GMC Hummer EV is an Ultium
battery pack that GM says will provide the truck with a range exceeding 563 km, very respectable when you consider its size. Additionally, it
has a charging capacity of up to 350 kW, meaning owners will be able to add
almost 161 km/h of range with a quick ten-minute charge.
The GMC Hummer EV range will kick off with
an Edition 1 model priced from US$ 112,595. This variant will be followed up by a
slightly less powerful 3X variant in the fall of 2022 and available for US$ 99,995. A 2X model will land in the spring of 2023 for US$ 89,995 while a base
model will hit the market in the spring of 2024 from US$ 79,995.
