Test Drive: 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1
The fastest pickup truck ever made
Billed as the first “electric super-truck,” the Hummer EV Edition 1 is different than its original from the ’90s—thanks to its 24-module Ultium battery pack—but it’s still a humungous, street legal rollercoaster. Unlikely as it may be as an everyday car, the 4.5-ton vehicle is exciting to be in. Never mind the much-publicized numbers associated with it (1,000hp, 1,200 lb-ft torque, zero to 60 in three seconds), the legitimacy of the “super-truck” claim hinges on the experience as a whole.
It is comically quick—the fastest pickup truck ever made, in fact. It looks like something made to roam the surface of a distant planet, but it’s a blast to drive on terra firma. The four-wheel steering is the main attraction, but as entertaining as that side shuffle is to watch, it’s the ability to weave through tight sections of trail (as we did) that’s useful and, given the width of the truck, most welcome. We’re definitely looking forward to future excursions in the truck that will include sand dunes, as the four-wheel steering combined with the electronic-locking front differential and virtual rear locker promise plenty of fun.
Ultimately that’s what this truck is all about. How else could the brand explain the Watts to Freedom mode wherein the truck lowers two inches while playing unique sounds and displaying a runway graphic on the 13.4-inch diagonal touchscreen as it prepares the 24-module double-stacked battery system to really power up. It’s absolutely gimmicky, but as Tesla proved years ago, some customers are attracted to that. General Motors took it to the next level by powering the Hummer’s whole infotainment system with Epic’s Unreal Gaming Engine. These are some of the sharpest and most fluid digital displays we’ve seen in a vehicle. There are plenty of easter eggs to find in the sub-menus, too—many of which feature subtle digs at competitors.
The four “sky panels” pop off, the bed-facing rear window rolls down, the underbody cameras (one of 18 viewpoints) have a wash function and, with Electric Vehicle Sound Enhancement by BOSE, there’s even a deep bass-heavy rumble that occurs during off-road mode. Perhaps most indicative of what the Hummer EV Pickup represents is the semi-secret Get The Fun Out mode, which is accessed via a sequence of stability control button pushes. The front lighting array carries on the original Hummer grille, features two of the many “H” motif design elements at the corners and displays an animated bar on the passenger side that fills up during charging.
While the Hummer EV pickup might not be a class-leader in doing what trucks need to do, many customers won’t be using it for such tasks anyway. The point of the truck is to break new ground for GM’s Ultium platform and make a splash while doing so. On- or off-road, the Hummer EV Pickup is good fun.
It has a vinyl floor topped with rubber made from recycled materials, but that adds to the utility by making it easy to clean, rather than detracting from quality by not having carpet. Throughout the rest of the interior things feel as nice as they do in a regular GMC and with no engine noise to hide creeks and rattles, we definitely know it’s solid. We turned the impressive 14-speaker BOSE audio system off both on the highway and on the trail to see what kind of noises might present themselves, but all we heard were the 35-inch Goodyear Mud-Terrains rolling down the road. It might look like a concept vehicle, but this is fully fleshed out production truck ready for driving.
Images courtesy of General Motors
