The electric Hummer is here to sustainably crush everything in its path
The 2000s culture statement is back, in a big way. As if it could be anything else.
Are you worried about climate change but also want a truck that can crush anything in your path? Well, have we got the truck for you. GMC has officially announced the release of the electric Hummer. This truck will have a whopping 1,000 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3 seconds.
GMC will give us a preview of the truck with a Super Bowl ad this Sunday during the second quarter, and it says the ad "highlights the anticipated performance of GMC’s all-electric super truck."
GMC has released teaser videos you can see below:
"The spot juxtaposes the staggering anticipated performance metrics of GMC’s first all-electric truck with the remarkable quietness inherent in the operation of an electric vehicle," the company says in a press release.
Just because it's electric, don't assume this thing won't be powerful. The electric Hummer will have 11,500 lb-ft of torque. GMC will officially unveil the truck on May 20, 2020. The truck is expected to go up for sale towards the end of 2021. It's the first time GMC will be offering any version of the Hummer since it stopped producing them in 2010.
Those who remember the late 90s and early 2000s might be surprised at the new Hummer tact. First introduced in 1992, the vehicle began its civilian life when actor Arnold Schwarzenegger saw an army convoy of Humvees while filming the movie Kindergarten Cop. Schwarznegger called the car's maker, a heavy vehicle contractor called AM General, and convinced them that the vehicle would have a market as the ultimate symbol of masculinity.
Arnold Schwarzenegger driving his Hummer, which he helped put onto the car market.
Schwarzenegger, who would later go on to become governor of California, was onto something. AM General was eventually bought by General Motors, who took the Hummer brand to new heights with a further modified vehicle known as the Hummer H2. In 2003 the Wall Street Journal wrote that
When historians of American popular culture get around to assessing our times, the Hummer H2 will deserve at least a footnote. Few automobiles since the legendary fin-tailed Cadillacs of the 1950s have so proudly proclaimed that side of the American personality that tells the world, "We've got it, we're going to flaunt it, and we don't care what the French think about it."
The period of proud consumption didn't last through the decade. When General Motors declared bankruptcy in 2009, the extravagant Hummer was among the first discontinued. There were rumors of a Chinese purchase of the brand, but it appears GM decided to hold onto it, in hopes that the SUV brand would see the light of day again.
Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick and GMC, said in a statement that the company is very excited about this new truck.
“GMC builds premium and capable trucks and SUVs and the GMC HUMMER EV takes this to new heights,” Aldred said. “We are excited to debut our revolutionary zero-emissions truck during the biggest night in TV advertising.”
It seems like electric super-trucks might be a significant part of the automotive industry looking forward, considering what we're seeing automakers starting to unveil in the past year or so. Obviously, one of the biggest electric truck unveilings to come thus far happened in November when Elon Musk showed us the Cybertruck.
The Cybertruck won't be this Hummer's only competitor, though. Ford announced it was going to release an electric F-150 last year and showed us a prototype pulling a train last July. Though it wasn't the electric version, Musk showed us his Cybertruck could overpower a regular F-150 after he unveiled the Cybertruck in November, but Ford said the test wasn't fair, and they're hoping for a rematch.
See also: Rivian founder RJ Scaringe lays out the big future of electric cars
There are a number of other electric trucks on the way, including a luxury vehicle from the startup Rivian, but it seems like the Hummer, the Cybertruck and the F-150 are going to be the main competitors in the beginning. We can't imagine the people who used to drive Hummers because they thought they were badass behemoths ever thought they might one day be considering buying an electric version, but the future has arrived.
As long as we're still generating much of our electricity from fossil fuels, these types of cars won't be as sustainable as they could be, but that's why we need to switch to renewable energy. In the meantime, they're still significantly more sustainable than cars that run on gas.
