Okay so let’s put aside that the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show (due to the coronavirus outbreak) ruined nearly every major automaker’s plans for debuting new vehicles this year and take solace from the fact that GM is seemingly sticking to its date of May 20th for a livestream reveal of the all-new Hummer. Yes, that’s right, Hummer is back from the dead but – in the same way that Maybach re-emerged as a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz – Hummer will no longer be a standalone brand, and will instead be a division of GMC trucks and SUV.
What do we know so far? Well, where Hummer used to embody everything that was wrong with America's largest automaker: too brash, too thirsty, too irrelevant and flagrantly out-of-touch for a company seeking clarity after its 2009 bankruptcy. But the new Hummer sheds all that baggage for battery packs and electric motors. Indeed, GM’s product boss Mark Reuss has revealed that there’ll be multiple electric powertrain options encompassing either one, two, or three electric motors. We reckon the one-motor version will place its single electric motor on the rear axle, the two-motor version will add a front-mounted motor, and the three-motor version will add a second motor at the back for an estimated power output of 1,000hp, torque of 1,100Nm and a range of upwards of 450 km.
From the outside we know it’s a pick-up truck but more than that we know very little so you'll have to wait to see how much variety the Hummer will offer in terms of cabs and bed lengths. Best guess is a crew-cab model would be a sure bet but the chances of an extended-cab and regular-cab versions have slim odds. An SUV model on the other hand simply must be in the works.
On the inside, we're told the dashboard will feature two large touch screens – one for the instrument panel, the other for infotainment – following an overall design aesthetic the company describes as “lunar". Yup, we don't have a clue either. But if one thing's for sure, it's that using the anything-but-dull Hummer brand to showcase your electric tech is a smart strategic move by GM.
