Crabwalk $110,295 EV Hummer with 529-km range rolls out this December: GM

OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE: The rollout of the much-await Hummer electric vehicle (EV) is slated to start this month — December 2021 — the US tech site Electrek reported on Wednesday (November 23, 2021), quoting GMC brand chief Duncan Aldred.

529-KM RANGE: GM says the Hummer EV will have an all-electric range of 329 miles, or 529 km. In the US, trucks as big as the Hummer don’t need to have the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) efficiency listed on the window sticker.

PRE-ORDERS: An estimated 125,000 “hand-raisers” have expressed interest in the Hummer EV, according to the report. About half — 62,500 — of those are putting down $100 for a reservation. GM revealed 80% of pre-orders are for the “Edition 1” model, which will be the first to be delivered.

$110,295 LIST PRICE: The Edition 1 will have a base price of $110,295 (about Dh405,100). Later models will be cheaper — down to a base price of $80,000 for the EV2, due in 2024.

BIDEN TAKES HUMMVER EV FOR A SPIN: As part of government efforts to promote American-made EVs and charging infrastructure, US President Joe Biden attended the grand opening ceremony for GM's Factory ZERO EV assembly plant. Biden took the new GMC Hummer EV out for a spin.

TEST DRIVE: “See you guys in Washington,” Biden told the press before driving the Hummer EV at GM's Factory Zero electric vehile assembly plant. His factory visit on Wednesday marks the facility's new chapter as an electric vehicle plant. “This is three times as heavy as my Corvette,” the president said as he wrapped up a test drive. “Three times as fast.” Twitter/@MegHays46

WEIGHT AND RANGE: GM states the estimated mileage test that shows a 329-mile range was based on EPA protocol. Conditions and driving style generally affect mileage. In May GM-Trucks.com reported that the Hummer EV would weigh precisely 9,046 pounds – or 4,103 kg. GM confirmed the curb weight would really be that much.

FOUR TRIMS: GM has announced plans to rollout four trims for the Hummer EV. All four will be released over the course of almost three years. Edition 1 was originally planned to ship in Fall 2021. Despite the pandemic and parts shortages, GM is rolling it out on schedule.

200 KWH BATTERY PACK: The Hummer EV’s battery pack uses GM's new Ultium technology, a modular pack with flexible drive unit combinations that are scalable to build a wide range of trucks, SUVs, crossovers, cars and commercial vehicles, leading to an "EV for everybody," according to GM. US auto media reported that the Hummer Edition 1 uses a 200-kWh pack, which is huge. That's double the 100 kWh battery packs fitted on the biggest available Tesla, the Model X P100D.

FEATURE-RICH: GM has packed this vehicle with cool features, includin a four-wheel steering, called "CrabWalk1", which allows the rear wheels and front wheels to steer at the same angle at low speeds, enabling diagonal movement of the vehicle. This give the new Hummer greater manoeuvrability on difficult terrain. Height can also be raised approximately 6 inches (149 mm) using Adaptive Air Suspension to help the vehicle in extreme off-road situations.

DELIVERIES SET: If GM rolls out the Hummer before Christmas 2021, it could mean GM would win the race to get the first electric trucks into the hands of customers. Rivian, which rolled out its first EV trucks off its assembly lines, delivered them only to employees.

RESERVATIONS UP: After the US chief executive's tire-screeching test drive, reservations for the vehicle reported spiked seven-fold compared to an average day, as website traffic increased by about 230%, an executive told CNBC on Tuesday. GM stocks also hit a record high as the Detroit automaker marked the Hummer EV production.

EV FOR EVERY WALLET: On Monday, the heavyweight car maker unveiled plans to offer an EV "for every wallet and every customer” in the Middle East during the Exhibit Zero Arabia event at the World Trade Centre in Dubai. Besides the new Hummer, GM has lined up 12 other new electric vehicles for the Middle East by 2025. One report states the Hummer EV is expected to makes its way to the UAE in the Autumn of 2022. 

It features a four-wheel steering feature CrabWalk1 that allows the rear wheels and front wheels to steer at the same angle at low speeds, enabling diagonal movement of the vehicle, for greater manoeuvrability on difficult terrain.