GMC unveils 2024 Hummer EV SUV

Detroit — GMC virtually revealed the 2024 Hummer EV SUV on Saturday, another option in parent General Motors Co.'s electric lineup intended to help the automaker position itself as a leading EV maker. 

The utility vehicle version of the all-electric Hummer debuted during a commercial film that ran during NCAA’s Final Four. The commercial is narrated by LeBron James, who also helped announce the Hummer's comeback during a 2020 Super Bowl ad. Saturday's Hummer EV SUV reveal also is available on GMC.com/HummerEV, where potential customers can now place a reservation for the vehicle.

"To achieve greatness once is not the end of the journey; it's only the beginning," James says right before the Hummer EV SUV appears in the minute-and-a-half-long ad. 

"If one supertruck can change the world, imagine what two could do."

GM is reviving the off-roading beast more than a decade after it discontinued the brand, but this time the once gas-guzzling mammoth runs on batteries. The comeback, experts say, allows the Detroit automaker to leverage the iconic Hummer name to showcase the EV technology it boasts. The Hummer EV pickup and SUV are part of GM's stated plan to have 30 EVs by 2025. 

"It's not out of place to use the word brilliant here in terms of GM's move because there was an undeniable fan base and following for the traditional Hummer brand," said Karl Brauer,  executive analyst at iSeeCars.com. "But there was also a very negative connotation because of its image as an earth unfriendly product."

Bringing the Hummer back as an EV pleases both fans and critics.The battery electric technology still creates a pleasing off-road performance without the earth-harming emissions. 

The Hummer EV SUV will be powered by GM's new Ultium battery technology. Ultium uses large-format, pouch-style cells that can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside a battery pack. That allows designers to optimize battery storage and layout for each vehicle's design. 

The Ultium Drive System in the Hummer EV SUV delivers up to an estimated 830 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque. It can go 0-60-mph in about 3.5 seconds with the Hummer's "Watts to Freedom" acceleration mode. 

Torque helps when climbing hills or moving something heavy when at a low speed, Brauer explained. Internal combustion engines need the RPM for torque to deliver its full effect, "but you don't need any RPM for an electric motor.

"Since an electric motor isn't waiting for air to come in and be processed and exploded and sent out, it's just electricity running from batteries into a motor. It can do the same level of torque from zero RPM, basically stationary, as it's doing at 100 miles an hour."

This is why "the nature of an EV is awesome for off-roading and trucking," he added.

GM is one of many automakers jumping to make an electric truck, and it's pushing to be the first to deliver. Production of the $112,595 Edition 1 Hummer EV pickup will begin late this year at Factory Zero Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Center. 

GM is also planning to deliver a $79,995 version of the pickup in spring 2024. There will also be a $99,995 version coming out in the fall of 2022 and an $89,995 version in the spring of 2023.

GMC unveiled the Edition 1 pickup in October 2020. Reservations for that version of the pickup, which GM says gets 350 miles of range on a charge, are already full.

"GMC HUMMER EVs were envisioned to be the most capable and compelling electric supertrucks ever,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick and GMC, in a statement. “The new HUMMER EV SUV is the next chapter, offering more options for customers to tailor the truck to their lifestyles, while continuing to encourage them to forge new paths with zero emissions.”

The Edition 1 of the SUV coming in early 2023 with an estimated 300-plus miles of range is priced at $105,595. An Edition 1 with the extreme off-road package, which is also available in early 2023, is priced at $110,595.The off-road version gets an estimated 280 miles of range. 

There are $99,995 and $89,995 versions with 300-plus miles of range that will be available in spring 2023. A $79,995 version with 250-plus miles of range will follow in spring 2024.  

The Edition 1 SUV comes standard with 22-inch premium wheels, assist-steps and floor liners. The Extreme Off-Road package comes with 18-inch wheels and 35-inch outside diameter mud-terrain tires, underbody armor and rock sliders, underbody camera views and other features.

The SUV keeps the rugged look of the pickup, but has s a new rear design with a mounted full-size spare tire. The inside has a similar five-passenger layout with a large rear cargo area. 

Like the truck, the SUV will also offer the Crabwalk feature, which allows for diagonal driving, making it easier to get through tough spots while off-roading. Crabwalk was showcased in the Saturday ad. 

"Something like that is just that one interesting talking point that people would be like: 'Oh wow, I need to have this,' even though you absolutely do not need that," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at Edmunds.com Inc., a vehicle information website. "But stuff like that that's unique appeals to people with high incomes and have the disposable income for vehicles at this price range."

khall@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @bykaleahall