Two decades ago, the Hummer H2 was the very essence of gasoline gluttony. Derived from the military humvee, these oversized civilian Hummers prowled the streets of America delivering fuel economy best described as “embarrassing.”
But something funny happened on the way to an electric car revolution: People realized electric cars are about more than eliminating tailpipe emissions to save the planet, because battery power also can deliver ridiculous levels of torque and speed.
And so, more than ten years after General Motors discontinued the brand, Hummer was reborn. First teased in a February 2020 Super Bowl commercial, and now offered under General Motors’ GMC brand, the Hummer EV has debuted as an electric pickup truck and will later be seen as an SUV.
The Hummer EV truck brings all the larger-than-life ostentatiousness of the O.G. Hummer into the electric vehicle space, promising eye-popping specs to go with its equally eye-popping six-figure price.
Hummer EV’s closest spiritual kin on the roads may be the Tesla Cybertruck, Elon Musk’s stainless steel tank of a truck. Cybertruck and Hummer EV will compete for buyers who want an all-electric rugged ride that looks nothing like the pickups of old.
- The Tesla Cybertruck is a full-size pickup with three main configurations: a $39,900 single-motor version, $49,900 double-motor upgrade, and a triple-motor $69,900 top-of-the-line truck.
- The GMC Hummer EV is a full-sized pickup with three electric motors for its first edition, the Hummer EV Edition 1 starts at $110,395 and has already sold out. Future trim levels are poised to be priced at $79,995 for the dual-motor Hummer EV2, $89,995 for the dual-motor EV2x, and $99,995 for the triple-motor EV3x.
For those shopping on price, then, this comparison is no contest. But the Hummer’s over-the-top list of features and capabilities will make it a contender for potential buyers willing to spend far beyond the Cybertruck’s price.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: PRICE
There’s no comparison here because these trucks occupy different tiers when it comes to cost. Single- and dual-motor Cybertrucks begin at $40,000 and $50,000. Adding Tesla’s ten-grand Full Self-Driving package to the tri-motor $70,000 Cybertuck pushes it up to $80,000. That’s the same as the cheapest Hummer.
Meanwhile, the more extravagant GMC offerings approach and exceed $100,000. And that’s just the MSRP. While Tesla sells its cars directly to the consumer, the Hummer must be purchased through a GM dealership. There have been reports of dealerships attempting to slap additional fees totaling in the tens of thousands of dollars, pushing the cost of this already-extravagant truck to $150,000 or more.
Because both Tesla and General Motors have been selling EVs for years, neither company is eligible for a federal tax credit for buying either of these trucks.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: RANGE
All trim levels of the Hummer claim 329 miles of electric range. That beats out the less-expensive Cybertrucks, which can do 250 and 300 miles on their batteries, respectively.
However, Tesla has the advantage here with the triple-motor Cybertruck, the one most comparable to the Hummer in price and characteristics. It claims a 500-mile range, an enormous advantage over the GMC.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: TOWING
GMC has yet to release towing stats for the Hummer EV2x, EV 3x, or EV 3x models that are yet to go on sale. The first-edition Hummer EV1 claims a towing capacity of up to 7,500 pounds.
That matches the figure for the $40,000 single-motor Cybertrucks, but the dual- and triple-motor Cybertrucks claim 10,000 and 14,000 pounds of towing, blowing away the GMC figure. Still, we’ll need to see how these trucks’ real-life towing experience compares to their spec sheets.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: PAYLOAD
Tesla has the lead in payload, with a 3,500-pound maximum for all three versions of the Cybertruck. GMC claims 1,300 lbs. for Hummer EV1 and is yet to release stats for the later versions.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: BED SIZE
Tesla calls its truck bed the “vault” because the Cybertruck’s back can be closed off to improve the truck’s fuel economy by closing a shutter-style top. Overall, the vault measures 6.5 feet long. Crucially, the truck’s wheel wells do not intrude into the bed and take away storage space.
The Hummer EV has a significantly shorter cargo bed, at five feet long. The Hummer EV has a wheelbase of 135.6, more than a foot shorter than the Cybertruck’s figure of 149.9 inches.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: FRUNK SIZE
GMC has taken to calling the Hummer’s front trunk the “eTrunk” and claims a capacity of about 320 liters, a significant step up from the 255 liters that will be available in the SUV version of the Hummer.
Tesla has yet to release an exact volume for the Cybertruck frunk.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: INTERIOR
Inside Cybertruck, you’ll find a spartan look true to Tesla’s design aesthetic. The interior contains little beyond a steering yoke, a 17-inch touchscreen display to handle all vehicle functions, and a transparent roof.
Hummer EV contains two touchscreens: a 13.4-inch infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel on the dashboard. GM reportedly hired the maker of the Fortnite games to create the graphics for these screens.
Over the driver’s head, GMC has placed what it calls Transparent Sky Panels. When in place, they act as an ordinary sunroof allowing passengers to see out the top of the vehicle. But the panels are removable, which transforms the Hummer into an open-air T-top reminiscent of muscle cars and SUVs of the 1970s and 80s.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: OFF-ROAD
Both of these trucks look the part of a vehicle built to overcome any kind of terrain, and both deliver the ruggedness and special features needed to realize that ambition.
Cybertruck boasts some impressive numbers, with up to 16 inches of ground clearance, a 35-degree approach angle, and 28-degree departure angle. Cybertruck’s maximum wading depth has yet to be specified, but CEO Elon Musk tweeted that his truck will wade across rivers and streams and “even float for a while.”
The Hummer’s flashiest signature features are meant to make the monster truck even more powerful in the mud and muck. All trim levels above the base $80,000 truck get Crab Walk, a crustacean-inspired feature in which each wheel can tilt in a slightly different direction to help the Hummer find its footing in the most slippery terrain. Hummer EV Edition 1 gets the Extreme Off-Road Package that features ball spline half shafts, skid plates, and other rugged features.
The Hummer features three suspension heights as part of its three modes: Normal, Terrain, and Extract, which lifts the truck to help it tackle extreme territory. So we’ve listed the GMC’s statistics below for all three modes:
Tesla Cybertruck
- Approach angle: 35 degrees
- Departure angle: 28 degrees
- Breakover: Unknown
- Max ground clearance: 16 inches
- Max wading depth: Unknown
GMC Hummer EV
- Approach angle: 41.5/44.3/49.7 degrees
- Departure angle: 31.6/33.7/38.4 degrees
- Breakover: 22.3/25.4/32.2 degrees
- Max ground clearance: 10.1/11.9/15.9 inches
- Max wading depth: 26/28/32 inches
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: DRIVER ASSIST
Hummers come standard with GM’s Super Cruise driver assist program, with three years’ worth of subscription costs included. Super Cruise includes a standard suite of features such as lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. On compatible roads, it will allow drivers to go hands-free.
Cybertuck will come with Tesla’s signature Autopilot feature. It is a driver assist system that keeps the car in its lane and can automatically brake or accelerate depending upon the flow of traffic. The company offers a $10,000 “Full-Self Driving” upgrade which, someday, will allow the truck to drive itself entirely. When exactly that day will come is a big unknown.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: MISCELLANEOUS
We’ve mentioned a few of the Hummer EV’s unusual and fun features, including Crab Walk and Transparent Sky Panels. Another mad-scientist inclusion is GM’s Watts to Freedom, a launch control system that lowers the Hummer and harnesses all its electrical muscle for a short burst of acceleration.
An option on the two priciest trim levels, Watts to Freedom pushes the truck from zero to 60 in a scorching three seconds. Hummers also get GM’s MultiPro tailgate, a multi-function piece of tech the company rolled out a few years back on the GMC Sierra and has been advertising like crazy.
Cybertruck has its own share of over-the-top technologies, such as the ability to float and supposedly bulletproof windows. There are also a number of touches that make this wild-looking assault vehicle more practical for everyday use than the Hummer.
The “vault” has a slide-out folding ramp to make it easy to roll or drive something up into the back (something Tesla highlighted during the Cybertruck rollout by announcing an ATV that fits in the back of the Cybertruck). There are 120- and 220-volt charging outlets in the vault, and a built-in air compressor, too. The interior seats six instead of the Hummer’s five by featuring a bench seat up front.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: WARRANTY
Tesla has not released specific warranty specs for Cybertuck, but the company’s Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty covers its vehicles for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, and its Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty typically covers eight years or at least 100,000 miles. Tesla covers reduced battery capacity to a minimum of 70 percent of the original capacity over the warranty period.
We don’t know the specifics of GM’s warranty, either, but the Hummer is likely to come with a similar warranty to its other electric vehicles. That means a limited warranty to cover three years or 36,000 miles, a powertrain warranty that covers 5 years or 60,000 miles, and a warranty for the battery components for eight years or 100,000 miles.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK VS. GMC HUMMER EV: AVAILABILITY
GMC won this race, as the very first Hummer EV pickups were delivered this spring. The Hummer EV3x is slated to arrive this fall, while the EV2x and EV2 models are scheduled for 2023 and 2024, respectively. The Hummer EV Edition 1 launch model is sold out, but customers can pay $100 to reserve theirs on GMC’s website.
Tesla had planned to produce the first Cybertrucks in 2021 and roll out more models in 2022. However, production has been delayed multiple times. For now, Elon Musk and company are striving to finish the truck’s development this year so that the first models can arrive in 2023. Buyers can place a fully refundable $100 deposit for the Cybertruck on Tesla’s website, though they cannot build or customize their particular pickup.
