You should know, reader, that when I planned a trip to Texas to visit family for July 4, I figured it would be a great opportunity to test the new Chevrolet Equinox EV. Or, just as importantly, to give the Chevrolet Blazer EV a shot at redemption after our ill-fated fast-charging test last year helped put that car on a stop-sale for months while its software was being retooled.
The nice folks at General Motors didn't have either of those cars in their Texas press fleets. But they did offer me this: a 2024 GMC Hummer EV.
They say everything's bigger in Texas, right?
So to make a trip home extra interesting, I went for it. And this Meteorite Metallic gray Hummer EV 3X SUV has been my ride over the past week. A full review is coming soon. What do you want to know about it?
Even as the Tesla Cybertruck has become the huge, controversial EV of the moment, the Hummer EV has been the source of its fair share of debate as well. Sure, it represents an electric revival of an infamously gas-guzzling brand that was put out of its misery amid General Motors' 2010 bankruptcy. But it's hardly the greenest EV out there.
That 212 kWh battery pack—the biggest on sale right now—is an absolute monster in terms of the natural resources needed to create it. And while it yields a respectable 314 miles of range, I've only averaged a fairly miserable 1.6 miles per kWh in it; in other words, it's terribly inefficient and seldom delivers on that actual range when highway driving is involved. And at just over 9,000 pounds, it's the heaviest EV on sale right now. Maybe even the heaviest car, period.
As EVs increasingly go smaller, cheaper and more efficient, it's hard to see the electric Hummer as anything more than a novelty item, or a toy that will make a fun second or third car for someone with a very, very large garage.
But it's hardly without its high points. GM's new Google-powered software system continues to impress with its maps integration, voice commands and ease of use. The Hummer EV is a weirdo in that it also has Apple CarPlay unlike other GM EVs, but I haven't had much desire to use it over the native system. It's also packed with off-road gimmicks, like diagonal Crab Walk Mode, an adaptive air suspension, various all-terrain driving modes and impressive four-wheel steering that cuts down its turning radius in a big way. I also continue to be delighted by GM's eyes-on, hands-off Super Cruise, which handled a trip between Austin and San Antonio with only two interventions.
The biggest headache so far has been fast charging. Where I'm staying, I don't have close access to Level 2 charging like I do at home. So I've been dependent on various DC fast chargers, and the Hummer EV hasn't exactly acquitted itself well on that front. Supposedly it will handle speeds of up to 300 kW, but even on a charger that fast, I have not seen speeds above 175 kW. And this particular car has to be turned off entirely to see that level of charging; no sitting inside with the air conditioning on here, I guess.
I do like the detachable T-top roof panels, which make it pretty fun to drive at night, especially. Too hot in Texas to use them during the day.
This Hummer EV comes in at $109,215. A full review is coming soon. What do you want to know about it? Hit me up in the comments or at patrick.george@insideevs.com.
