This is probably the first detailed video review of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV and it was not shot on a public road. Aaccording to Throttle House, though, the Hummer EV is better than you might think at going around a racing track, in this case the relatively high speed Willow Springs circuit in California.
The electric Hummer is really about as unsuitable for track use as EVs get, not only because it is big, tall and designed to be good off road. It’s mostly down to its heft - well equipped tri-motor Edition 1 model weighs more than 9,000 pounds (over 4 tons) and as is the case with all EVs, it’s the big battery pack that adds the most weight.
With 1,000 power on tap, though, it can still accelerate quickly in a straight line. The guys from Throttle House timed it to 60 mph and it didn’t quite match the claimed 3 seconds; it needed just over 3.4 seconds to complete the sprint. Still admirable, especially given that the tires were clearly not of the right kind to put the power down on smooth tarmac.
They say it’s not that bad around corners either, and thanks to the clever rear-wheel steering it feels much more maneuverable than you might expect. It’s apparently much better at turning than even the Rivian R1T, plus it also has the crab walk mode which is arguably more amusing to watch than actually useful off-road (although there are some very particular situations where it might make the difference).
They also praise it for its style. The exterior is bold and unashamedly Hummer, as is the interior, and even the infotainment graphics and animations hint at the character that GM wanted to imbue this vehicle with. Right now it seems to be a formula that people like, but being quite an inefficient EV, the electric Hummer may end up as unpopular as older gas-burning models (H2 and H3) were not long after being launched.
