In a move that’s sending shockwaves through the truck and SUV world, GMC has revealed the comeback of the HUMMER nameplate, but with a new twist – this one’s doing away with those crummy old diesel and gasoline engines, and going all-electric.

GMC first teased this revelation in June, and again in September. Details were kept close to the chest, though, so nobody had the full picture of what it looked like or what it ran on. That’s all changed as of today. Now that we have the full scope of its appearance, powertrain, and other points of interest, let’s go over what this neo-HUMMER brings to the table.

The powertrain uses three separate motors within two Ultium drive units to give HUMMER EV’s e4WD on- and off-road capabilities. GM estimates this powertrain setup produces 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque.

First and foremost is the powertrain. The HUMMER EV is powered by General Motors’ all-new Ultium batteries and power from Ultium Drive, GM’s proprietary EV drive units. From this setup, GM estimates the vehicle will produce an astounding 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque!

Now that we know what’s powering this new SUV on the block, the question becomes – how does it do off-road? GMC is promising a lot on this front, as indicated by GMC’s chief engineer on the Hummer EV, Al Oppenheiser.“We had one goal for HUMMER EV: Build the most capable factory truck – ever. It’s an absolute off-road beast with a unique e4WD drive system that provides maneuverability unlike anything GM has ever offered before.”

To that end, GMC is touting several features on the HUMMER EV. One major feature is CrabWalk, offering four-wheel steering at low speeds. As the name implies, all four wheels can align in the same direction, allowing the vehicle to drive somewhat sideways. Quadrasteer, eat your heart out!

Another feature is the suspension. Here, GMC boasts Adaptive Air Suspension and Extract Mode capability. These systems combine to offer an additional six inches of raised height on the HUMMER EV. That’ll come in handy for water fording or clearing nasty obstacles.

Cameras are also installed all over the HUMMER EV for its “UltraVision.” This feature places several cameras front and rear to help drivers see what’s coming up ahead or behind and navigate accordingly. GMC likens it to a “virtual spotter.” What’s more, each of the cameras comes with a wash function to clear away dirt and debris from the lens.

Driving the HUMMER EV sounds promising. GMC claims this SUV has hands-free driving capability on more than 200,000 miles of enabled roads, courtesy of Super Cruise technology (which requires a subscription, GPS, and cell signal). That means the HUMMER EV definitely has some combination of LIDAR and autonomous driving AI built-in.

Some other features come into play. Watts To Freedom allows drivers to unleash the full potential of the three motors and get up to 60 miles an hour in about three seconds. Adaptive Ride Control tweaks the suspension damping for on- and off-road driving. And Drive Mode Control lets drivers pick which drive mode they want activated, including Terrain Mode, which raises the ride height by two inches.

But two questions always comes up with any new electric vehicle. Arguably, they’re the most important – what is the maximum range, and how much will it cost?

GMC’s developments on the max range of the HUMMER EV allow it to go 350 miles or more, based on their preliminary testing. Also, in the right conditions, it can recharge and go almost 100 miles after 10 minutes of charging. That’s provided it’s being charged on a 350kW DC charger, which may not always be the case.

As for cost, the price point on the HUMMER EV is up there, for sure. To start with, GMC is rolling out the vehicle in Edition 1 trim, and Edition 1 trim only. It has a starting MSRP of $112,595, and you can bet it’ll will be “market adjusted” once it gets to the dealerships. Since production is starting in late 2021, it will be at least Q1 2022 before people start getting their HUMMER EVs.

GMC will start rolling out more affordable HUMMER EVs in the years following. These will include the $100,000 EV3X in fall 2022, $90,000 EV2X in spring 2023, and $80,000 EV2 in spring 2024.

Starting off, GMC is selling the HUMMER EV in Edition 1 trim, with production beginning in late 2021. The MSRP is $112,595.

GMC’s revelation on the HUMMER EV is exciting, but as with other new, all-electric vehicles, it’s healthy to have some skepticism. The technology still has some ground to make up before it matches the affordability and ease of use in combustion engines, as well as the infrastructure surrounding them. And you can be sure we at Off Road Xtreme will put the HUMMER EV through its paces as soon as possible!

What do you think of this latest astounding announcement from GMC? Let us know in the comments below.