GMC Hummer EV Gets “Eye-Popping” Performance

It’s official. General Motors is relaunching its iconic gas-guzzling Hummer nameplate with an all-electric truck: the GMC Hummer EV.

                                    GMC Hummer EV (Image: GMC)

This may have been the industry’s worst kept secret. But GM’s announcement still revved up the excitement quotient, thanks to what it describes as the vehicle’s “eye-popping” performance.

And, in this case, the specs more than live up to the hype:

• 1,000 hp
• 11,500 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 mph in 3 seconds

This should go a long way to assuage any ICE-age purists. Or nothing will.

Super Truck

The 1,000-hp club currently is limited to a handful of supercars, although a few other EVs may soon gain entry. Ditto for 3-second accelerations. (Last year’s top 10 speed list is headlined by the likes of Porsche, Tesla, Bugatti, McLaren, Lambo, Rimac and Koenigsegg.)

But it’s the outrageous, jaw-dropping torque rating that will put the Hummer EV in a class by itself. Currently, there’s no production vehicle that is even remotely close to 11,500 lb-ft—and by close, we’re talking within 10,000 lb-ft. (last year’s leader, the Rimac C-Two, barely makes that cut).

However, to be clear, GMC didn’t specify how it’s measuring torque. In this case, the 11,500 lb-ft most likely is axle torque—which is considerably higher than engine torque. But 11,500 still sounds impressive. 

So how does the old Hummer compare? Equipped with a 6.6-liter diesel V-8, the H1 Alpha produced a relatively pedestrian 300 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque… and got about 12 mpg. 

Super Intro

The teaser campaign for the GMC Hummer kicks off this weekend during the Super Bowl with a 30-second ad co-starring NBA legend LeBron James.

The ad, entitled "Quiet Revolution," highlights the vehicle’s silent operation and reveals an updated take on Hummer’s signature grille. It also indicates when the all-new EV will be fully unveiled: May 20.

Production is due to start in autumn 2021 at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which is being retooled to focus exclusively on EVs.

Can’t wait until Sunday? GMC has you covered with four 10-second videos.