Off-Roading with the 2024 Hummer EV SUV

The 2024 Hummer EV SUV is all about showcasing new technology – all-electric technology. This can be tough for a manufacturer because the real cutting-edge stuff is all under the skin. So, the answer to attracting attention is to put all that tech into the most eye-catching skin you have available. That’s precisely what the Hummer EV SUV is; a head-turning design driven by an all-electric platform supporting new revolutionary driving tech.

I recently drove the Hummer EV SUV through two days of rain in Napa Valley, California.

In some ways, it’s similar to the H2 and H3 (both of which I drove at launch), especially the way it looks. The Hummer EV is the evident next generation of a family with a heritage that started 30 years ago in the deserts of the Middle East with the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWE) – the military Hummer. While the DNA is intact in this new Hummer, the propulsion is not.

What’s the difference?

Built on the GM Ultium platform, the Hummer EV SUV packages its power in a relatively small space: using a 20-module, double-stacked battery pack consisting of two layers of ten modules. It can deliver up to 830 hp and 11,500 lb-ft of torque. Off the line, it can hit 0-60 mph (0-97km/h) in approximately 3.5 seconds. It even has an integrated launch control, and, as I found out, it will stick you to your seat and peel your eyelids back.

Photo Credit: GMC

The other reason it gets this type of acceleration is that it’s fitted with three electric motors which send power to each wheel. It has a very low centre of gravity, and its weight is evenly distributed front to back. Frankly, it just hunkers down and hooks up on acceleration – there is virtually no wheel spin.

This Ultium platform is more than just a housing for the battery pack

GM describes it like this:

“The Hummer EV’s body protects the battery, while the battery supports the structure. That means the battery pack is a structural element, enabling a truly open-air experience and a rare combination of extreme off-road capability and smooth on-road performance in a body-frame integral platform.”

In other words, the battery is part of the frame. This strength and rigidity of the floor helps reduce twisting and deformation while also providing stiffness. This makes it possible to build the Hummer EV with removable Sky Panels and an I-Bar – a convertible of sorts.

However, it’s also evident that the Ultium platform can (and will) support other GM bodies, like the upcoming all-electric pickup trucks. This means much of the unique technology found in this Hummer is transferable. In effect, this Hummer is a showcase. Keep an eye out for many of the Hummer’s various systems migrating into other GM vehicles moving forward.

Here’s a list of what’s part of the Hummer EV SUV:

Photo Credit: GMC

• The Ultium platform offers up to 480 km of range per charge (GM estimated). It’s also capable of using 300kW DC fast charging. This means you can get 160 km of range from a 14-minute charge.
• The three-motor e4WD drive system (1 motor front; 2 motor rear) is a 4WD system with “virtual lockers” – even when not locked up, the system uses torque vectoring, constantly sending power to each wheel as needed on-road or off-road.
• New available Power Station generator2 enables 19.2kW AC charging, generator functionality (120v/25A/3kW) and ability to charge other EVs (240v/25A/6kW).
• A great degree of customization via customizable buttons on the centre stack. Nearly 200 accessories will be available for the Hummer EV SUV.
• With nearly 9-inch less wheelbase than the Hummer EV Pickup, it gets best-in-class off-road proportions, with greater departure and break-over angles, and a tighter turning circle of only 10.8 meters with a 4-Wheel Steer.
• Regen on Demand can slow the vehicle to a full stop without pressing the brake pedal and feeds that energy back into the vehicle.
• One-Pedal Driving can slow the vehicle to a full stop using only the accelerator pedal, providing very fine control.
• Terrain Mode uniquely integrates One-Pedal Driving, giving the driver precise control while off-roading and rock crawling.

On-road or off-road – they’re both available.

Photo Credit: GMC

This Hummer EV SUV comes with either on-road trim (larger tires, less equipment) or as an off-roader, adding several unique features. To start, the CPU controls off-road power and is available to each wheel. This Ultium drive system keeps the vehicle moving in some of the toughest driving conditions and terrain; it also uses 13-inches of suspension travel (plus available 4-corner air suspension), climbing 60-per-cent grades (forward and reverse), scaling 18-inch verticals and fording water more than 2 feet deep.

Heading off-road in the 2024 Hummer EV SUV

Photo Credit: GMC

I had a chance to go on an off-road, which had been turned into a quagmire by the rain. The Hummer ground its way through the ever-worsening ruts, dragging its belly and coming out the other side – dirtier but still moving. And slow!

That’s what’s surprising with this Hummer. It slowly grinds through debris and mud; it doesn’t race and crash through it. I had to keep reminding myself that I had to re-learn off-roading. Fifty years of running front-engine, heavy gas trucks off-road taught me to expect a twitchy, light rear end, so momentum was king. Not so anymore; EV is very different.

Check out the Truck King YouTube channel for a full review and a look at the Hummer EV SUV.

What Does a Hummer EV SUV Cost?

To date, GM has 90,000 Hummer EV SUV reservations made online. Vehicles should start to ship this spring. As for cost – here it is:

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