LIKES
- Pitch-perfect looks
- 3 motors, 3 seconds to 60 mph
- Serious off-road chops
- Removable roof panels
- Upscale, easy-clean interior materials
DISLIKES
- Cabin is tighter than exterior suggests
- Excessive wind and road noise
- Trim pieces don’t feel up to the price tag
- The least efficient EV you can buy?
- Long charge times without highest-power chargers en route
BUYING TIP
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV puts the freedom from gas pumps into a form off-road truck fans will find irresistible.
What kind of truck is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV? What does it compare to?
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV, sometimes called the Hummer EV SUT, is a fully electric pickup truck—intended not so much to rival other EVs, but to be a proof point and flagship for GM’s efforts to shift its vehicles away from gas and diesel. Somewhat less hulking EV alternatives include the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning, while the Jeep Gladiator captures some of the same basic, rugged, tactical charm in a smaller but gasoline-powered package.
Is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV a good truck?
Far better than the previous trucks that bore the badge. The Hummer EV has a head-turning heritage design paired with futuristic “moonshot” details, a cohesive off-road-focused tech toolkit, more than 300 miles of range, and three motors that make it among the quickest trucks of any kind. It achieves a TCC Rating of 7.6 out of 10.
What's new for the 2022 GMC Hummer EV?
Essentially everything’s new here. The Hummer EV was built using GM’s expertise with body-on-frame trucks and unibody vehicles, with an approach that combines them, sandwiching the battery within layers and inside the frame rails, making it a core piece of the vehicle structure.
The result is the biggest, heaviest electric vehicle ever intended for personal use. The Hummer EV packs well over 200 kwh of energy in a nearly 3,000-pound battery pack, and delivers 1,000 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque through its three motors (one front, two rear), giving it the goods to catapult this more-the-9,000-pound heavyweight to 60 mph in about three seconds. As such, the Hummer EV earns an EPA-cycle 329 miles of range—although that’s not truly official as the Hummer EV isn’t a light truck the test is intended for.
That acceleration is enabled from the cockpit through something called WTF mode (that’s “Watts To Freedom”), which is part of a gamified interface—think Marvel universe meets Moon-landing nostalgia, which GM sees as an overt nod to this “moonshot” project. On the whole, looking at its modes such as Terrain, Off-Road, and Extract, if the knobby 305/70R18 MT tires weren’t enough of an indicator, it’s quickly obvious that while WTF will wow on the road, the focus of the Hummer EV is off-road. Its air suspension will lift the Hummer EV up to 5.8 inches above normal when needed; front and rear lockers (mechanical and virtual, respectively) and rear-wheel steering add to the ability set for tough trails and beyond.
With its five-foot bed, the Hummer EV is in the same territory for size as a full-size Crew Cab truck. The removable Transparent Sky Panel roof setup is kind of like T-tops all over again, only this is far, far better. Each one of the four is easy to remove yourself, and the frunk was designed to accommodate all four, stacked neatly (and tightly) for open-air driving, wherever you’re going.
How much does the 2022 Hummer EV cost?
The GMC Hummer EV costs $110,295, including the $1,595 destination charge. That’s for the only model offered for 2022, the Edition 1, which is already sold out. That’s the top-trim launch version and includes many things, like the roof panels, the adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering, and an Extreme Off-Road Package that sets this truck up for boulder-worthy weekend trekking. That will be extra-cost on the Hummer EV models with smaller battery packs, shorter range, dual-motor layouts, and a slimmed-down feature set that are on the way for 2023 and beyond.
Where is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV made?
In Michigan, at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant recently rebranded Factory Zero.
Styling
The GMC Hummer EV is exactly what it needs to be—which is over-the-top from nearly every angle and in every detail.
Is the GMC Hummer EV a good-looking truck?
If your idea of good-looking is head-turning wherever you go, then yes. You’ll never miss it when one goes by, or forget what you’re inside—and neither will the gawkers surrounding, or your own passengers. GM calls it a supertruck, and the design indeed does have the equivalent of supercar-like appeal inside and out.
The Hummer EV hits it out of the park in exterior styling, bringing back the seven-slot grille, the fender flares, and the profile that together are unmistakable. Yes it’s a pickup, but in a way that instantly looks recognizable as one from Hummer. All the tactical charm of its predecessor is here.
Up close and in those details, GM won’t let you forget that the Hummer EV is its “moonshot” to remake the company around electric vehicles. The lunar Sea of Tranquility is mapped out on the speaker grates and in the hood applique; the interface contains screens seemingly reminding you that you’re preparing for blast-off; and the ‘H’-branded lighting and pictograph-like Hummer-SUV profiles all aim for a cohesive look and feel that you’re exploring a new frontier.
Performance
If you’re going off-road or WTF, the Hummer EV lives up to the supertruck moniker.
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is a strong performer—if your idea of performance is in terms of approach and departure angles, or if it’s in sheer acceleration. But the Hummer EV isn’t at its best on curvy roads and highways. We give the Hummer EV extra points for its best-in-class acceleration, the impressive off-road ability, and the all-around physics-defying experience its propulsion systems allow. But we dock a point total for its clumsy road handling and excessive nosedive on sudden stops—which in all fairness seem related somewhat to its gigantic tires.
Is the Hummer EV 4WD?
Oh yes—with true off-road worthy 4WD allowed by the layout. The Hummer EV is powered by three motor units—one at the front wheel, two at the rear wheels. The units in back aren’t mechanically connected in the middle; they’re each powered by their own respective motor, kept in sync when needed by a “virtual” locker. In front there’s a mechanical “e-Locker” differential similar to what you might find in some gasoline SUVs.
Faster than any other stock pickup, electric or not. In its heightened WTF launch mode, the 2022 GMC Hummer EV can accelerate to 60 mph in around three seconds—making it about tied with the Rivian R1T and significantly quicker than the Ram 1500 TRX or Ford F-150 Raptor.
At the same time, the Hummer EV is a pickup, with a max payload of 1,300 pounds and a max tow rating of 7,500 pounds. And it’s an off-roader with approach and departure angles that will command respect among the off-road crowd.
The Hummer EV’s ride and handling feel most in their element during off-roading. At higher speeds, the continuous damping control air suspension does its best to quell body motions, but in accelerating, braking, or any swift steering maneuver the body motion can feel a half-step behind. It’s partly due to the big, knobby tires. The Edition 1 also includes rear-wheel steering, which pivots the rear wheels up to 10 degrees in the opposite direction than the fronts below about 25 mph, then slightly in the same direction at higher speeds. It greatly helps with parking and off-road maneuverability.
Electric propulsion doesn’t make all that much sound, so by default the Hummer EV’s performance is accompanied by a simulated soundtrack that we’d best describe as part campy sci-fi spaceship, part open-pipe Baja truck. You can turn it off.
Charging a battery this large is part of the performance for an EV, too. The Hummer EV can charge astonishingly quickly by momentarily wiring its dual-layer battery pack as two packs in series (they’re normally parallel), allowing 800-volt DC fast-charging on 350-kw connectors to provide nearly 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. On a slower 50-kw or 150-kw connector you’ll be waiting much longer—the realities of such a mammoth battery pack.
For home charging, the Hummer EV has an onboard charger for up to 11.5 kw, allowing a full charge in less than 20 hours. A full charge on a 120V household socket might take nearly a week.
Comfort & Quality
Cabin space is nothing transformative in the Hummer EV, and it could use another noise-reduction pass.
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform—of the sort that other automakers have shown can help maximize space, without planning for the engine, transmission, fuel tank, tailpipe, and such. But in the Hummer EV, at 217 inches long and nearly 87 inches wide, it doesn’t feel like GM has gained anything over full-size Crew Cabs with about the same overall dimensions. We deduct points for underwhelming back seat space and cabin noise but add points for comfy front seats and for having a frunk—arriving back at a 5.
GM built the Hummer EV as a heavy-duty truck, with the space to fit a gigantic double-layer battery pack good for more than 300 miles of range within no-compromise frame rails.
You sit very, very high up in the Hummer EV, in cushy but supportive seats. Those who don’t typically need running boards to get in will actually use them here. Back seat space is underwhelming, though. The seating position itself feels low, and taller adults will fit, albeit with knees up. We’re curious to see what GM does with footwell space in models with smaller battery packs.
The Hummer EV is, after all, a pickup, and in this respect it’s nothing special—other than being fully electric, of course. The bed is five feet long, but with the MultiPro tailgate lowered it will contain long items up to 6-foot-10.
Since there’s no engine noise in EVs, you tend to notice all the other sounds a bit more. And the hum of big, knobby tires and wind roar around the front pillar areas add up to quite a bit of wind and road noise. It feels like the perfect venue for active noise cancellation but GM doesn’t offer it yet.
Safety
The Hummer EV’s safety to pedestrians and surrounding vehicles may be more of an issue than to those inside.
How safe is the Hummer EV?
The Hummer EV Edition 1 is a Class 3 heavy-duty truck, and it doesn’t need to be crash-tested in the same way as light trucks and other passenger vehicles—so don’t expect NHTSA or IIHS results anytime soon.
That said, future versions of the Hummer EV might weigh in so as to require the regimen, and GM has equipped this model with all the expected features, including front and side airbags, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control. The GMC Hummer EV’s 18 camera views are also an asset for the parking lot as much as off-roading, and the front seats offer the driver a good view of the vehicle corners—although not what’s down low, so you’d better turn on those cameras and parking sensors.
Size and weight are, generally speaking, positives in crash outcomes with other vehicles—for those inside the Hummer EV, but not those in other vehicles, where it could do more harm.
Features
The Hummer EV is kitted out in optimized off-road form in its Edition 1 launch version.
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 is the first of a new generation of electric GMC trucks, and while it’s very equipped as an off-roader it doesn’t give those who want to emphasize the road-going side any options yet. We give it two points for its strong feature set, and a point for what appears to be a good interface. However the lack of key options in this take-it-or-leave-it package for 2022 docks a point, for a 7.
So far there’s only the GMC Hummer Edition 1. This version packs in all the best from the future full lineup, including rear-wheel steering, the continuous damping air suspension, Super Cruise, an Extreme Off-Road Package, the reconfigurable MultiPro tailgate, a power tonneau cover, a 12.3-inch instrument-panel display, and a 13.4-inch touchscreen interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It runs on the Android Automotive OS, and we simply haven’t spent enough time with the interface to say anything definitive, but it incorporates some very slick animations.
Which Hummer EV should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded Hummer EV?
That’s the Hummer EV Edition 1, and if you were so lucky it only costs the official $110,295, including the $1,595 destination charge.
Fuel Economy
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is about the least efficient EV you can buy, but it’s a big green step forward vs. gas trucks.
Is the GMC Hummer EV good on gas?
The Hummer EV doesn’t use any gasoline. And based on its weight it’s not required to be rated for efficiency.
That said, GM has released EPA-cycle results for the 2022 Hummer EV Edition 1—even though the cycle isn’t necessarily valid for such a heavy vehicle—of 329 miles of range.
One reminder: The Hummer EV might be the least efficient electric vehicle, but EVs are as clean as the electricity you plug into. Tapping into results from the Union of Concerned Scientists, that makes this big electric truck about as efficient (on greenhouse-gas terms) as a 46-mpg gasoline car on a national average. And the grid will keep getting cleaner.
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