- The GMC Sierra EV and Hummer EV ride on the same platform, cost the same and are sold at the same dealers.
- But while the Hummer EV is an off-road-focused toy, the Sierra EV Denali is a more traditional luxury truck.
- The Sierra's luxurious interior and smart features suggest it may be a bigger hit with traditional truck buyers.
General Motors' pickup truck strategy has always been a bit confusing. The company has long offered the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, both of which are more similar than they are different. Though GMC started by focusing on commercial trucks, the brand is now known for nicer, more luxurious trucks—"Truck Cadillac," as some call it. But with the launch of the GMC Hummer EV, Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, GM now has three full-size EV trucks, two of which are GMC's. So they all feel the same, right?
Not quite. According to TFLEV's latest video, the two GMCs are more different than you'd expect.
It wouldn't have been all that surprising if they weren't. Though the top-end Denali trucks are often substantially different to their Chevy brethren, mid-range models of the Sierra or Yukon feel an awful lot like the Silverados and Tahoes they're based on.
But at least they're rarely sold side-by-side. GMC dealers tend to be connected to Cadillac and Buick stores, while Chevy dealers are there own thing. Now, though, with two niche EV pickup trucks sold at the same dealership, GMC has to draw a line. Especially because they both cost nearly the same amount of money: figure around $100,000 for each one.
According to Andre from TFL, the primary difference is that the Hummer EV feels more like a fun toy, while the GMC Sierra EV feels like the luxury truck you'd expect for its six-figure price. The Hummer is also sold as an SUV, which is what he has on hand here, but note that most of these observations apply to the longer Hummer EV pickup as well.
The Hummer's playfulness starts with its removable top panels, allowing you to get an open-air experience in your 9,000-lb truck. It's got a big, chunky interior design theme, which Andre says isn't quite befitting its nearly six-figure price.
But it's also got a full-size spare, meatier tires and a tri-motor powertrain that gives it finer control off road. You can tell it's built for wheeling. That's a fun, if limited use for an EV truck like this. While the Hummer is plenty capable, it's also gigantic, making it tough to squeeze down most trails. Off-roading tends to happen far from DC fast chargers, too, something Rivian is trying to solve with its Adventure Network. Still, quiet off-roading is a joy, and it's a fun way to show off how capable an EV truck can be.
Yet GMC knows where its bread gets buttered. Andre notes that the average transaction price of a Denali truck is $79,000, a figure that most luxury brands can't match. GMC sells a ton of loaded-up luxury trucks, and that's what it does best. Enter the Sierra EV Denali Edition One. Offered in only one trim and one color for now—Thunderstorm Gray—the Denali is, per GM, the ultimate truck. Not the ultimate electric truck, the ultimate truck.
The interior does a good job of communicating that mission. It's a thoughtful mix of nice wood accents, tech-forward digital features and good-old-fashioned physical controls. With great software and tactile ways to control key functions, the Sierra shows off how much GMC knows about its truck buyers. It even marks the return of old-school GM truck features, like crotch vents and column shifters.
With 440 miles of range and 754 hp, it's also a worker. GM says it can tow 10,000 lbs, though we've already seen videos of its brother, the Silverado EV, towing 11,000 lbs farther than any other EV truck. It can provide a whopping 10.2 kW of power to other devices, too, enough to charge up a stranded EV, run a construction site or keep your dryer running when the power goes out.
It's also got a pass through "mid-gate" into the cabin for long cargo, allowing you to haul 11-foot-long cargo, a giant frunk, rear-steering, "crab walk" functionality and more. It looks like a hell of a truck.
The question is whether it lives up to its ultimate truck mission. For that, you'll have to wait until Patrick George's first drive review drops next week.
Contact the author: mack.hogan@insideevs.com
