The SUV loses out on the power output, range and performance specs, but benefits from more cabin and cargo space, and better dimensions and angles
by Sidd Dhimaan, on LISTEN 16:39GMC introduced the Hummer EV supertruck last year and has now followed it up with the Hummer EV SUV. At the onset, it seems like a pickup truck that comes with a roof welded on the bed to make it an SUV. However, there is a lot more than meets the eye. Unlike the Rivian truck and SUV twins, the Hummer EV SUV has been placed as an inferior offering. There is a difference in specs, power outputs, and other things that makes it look like the second fiddle to the EV truck. The pricing, however, is on par for the standard models and there is a difference only in the Launch Edition model.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Exterior
They share the same design traits up front. There’s the futuristic design with the illuminated grille, sleek headlights, etc. Steel skid plate and underbody armor seem to be present which makes it off-road friendly. The super truck will come with 18-inch tires wrapped in 35-inch standard Goodyear Wrangler tires as standard, whereas 37-inch tires will be available as an option. No specifics are given about the SUV yet, but the extreme off-road package will come with 35-inch tires shod around 18-inch wheels. 22-inch wheels can also be had, but 37-inch tires? We’re yet to hear from Hummer.
Things change drastically when you step to the side and the rear. Both look come with square wheel arches, rock rails, and angular construction but instead of an open truck bed, you’ve got a closed roof here. From what we see in the images, the roof and side panels seem to be integrated well. But, we’ll hold our comments untill we see the production versions. GMC will also launch an exclusive shade on the SUV called Moonshot Green Matte which will be available on the Edition 1 model.
There’s a full-size spare tire mounted on the tailgate and the rear-facing camera is placed on the mount here. The tailgate is a swing door and will be powered.
The company says using one of three button options, the swing gate automatically opens like a vault wider than the vehicle itself. This will make loading and unloading easier.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Dimensions and Angles
There’s barely any difference in the width and height, but there is a noticeable difference in the length and wheelbase between the two. The truck measures 216.8 inches in length, which makes it 20 inches longer than the SUV. The difference in the wheelbase is 8.9 inches, with the truck being longer. This would certainly reflect in the legroom inside the cabin, but on the flip side, the SUV will have a better breakover angle.
The ground clearance is almost similar in the standard position. The SUV at 16 inches sits 0.1 inches higher off the ground than the truck. As for the overhangs, the front overhang measures 34.7 inches both, but the rear overhang on the truck is 11 inches more on the truck. This heavily impacts the departure angle.
Coming to the angles, the approach angle is 49.6 degrees on the SUV and 49.7 degrees on the truck. The departure angle, as expected, takes a hit. The SUV’s departure angle is rated at 49 degrees whereas it’s 38.4 degrees on the truck. The 20-inch wheelbase difference is seen in the breakover angle, with the SUV rated at 34.4 degrees compared to the truck’s 32.2 degrees. The water wading depth is 32 inches in both the Hummer EVs. As for the track width, it’s 73.3 inches at the front and back in both cases.
Thanks to the four-wheel-steer option, the SUV has a turning radius of just 35.4 inches and the truck has a radius of 37.1 inches. This is very impressive for vehicles this big. To give you an idea why we’re gushing about it, the much smaller Mustang Mach-E has a turning radius of 38.1 feet!
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Interior
The cabin comes with a similar five-seat layout, but will be more spacious than the truck for obvious reasons. The company compromised on the range and horsepower for the cargo space, so let’s talk about that. The Hummer EV SUV will offer up to 81.8 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded flat. There’s also hidden storage space under the floor and on the side trim. These are exclusive to the SUV only. The Hummer EV’s bed, on the other hand, is five feet long and features a MultiPro tailgate. Both hold certain advantages, so it all boils down to your needs and preference.
The cabin is nearly identical in both vehicles.
The truck follows the ‘Lunar Horizon’ theme and you can see the touches all around the cabin, like the dual-tone seats, tech bronze accents, etc. on these lines. While there’s no word on the theme on the SUV’s standard range, GMC did mention that the Edition 1 SUV will have a contrasting theme called ‘Lunar Shadow. Sweet way to distinguish the two. The tech stuff will remain the same. This includes things like:
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster behind the three-spoke steering wheel
- 13.4-inch touchscreen system for infotainment needs
- It will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- A 14-speaker Bose audio system is also on offer here
- Off-road widgets that show data like torque output, differential locker engagement, tire pressure, pitch and roll angles, a drift gauge, friction circle, torque vectoring, and so on, on the screen inside the cabin.
The SUV will also have a removable roof, just like the pickup truck, called the Infinity Roof. It features four removable transparent sky panels that can be stowed into the frunk whenever you take them off on the truck. The frunk’s capacity will most likely be the same on the SUV as well, but GMC is yet to mention it. So, the roof can most likely be stowed away in the frunk on the SUV too.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Powertrain
Since the trim levels on the SUV and the truck are the same, it’s easier to comprehend and compare the specs. The EV2 and the EV2X are powered by two motors and make 625 horses and 7,400 pound-feet of torque on both body styles.
The EV3X trims come with tri-motor setups, but there is a difference in the power outputs. On the truck, the motors churn out 800 horses and 9,500 pound-feet of torque combined. On the SUV, however, they make 30 horses and 2,000 pound-feet of torque more. The SUV’s specs are rated at 830 horses and 11,500 pound-feet of torque.
The Edition 1 makes the same power as the SUV, but the truck sees an improvement – 1,000 horses and 11,500 pound-feet of torque. This means the Edition 1 on both the vehicles make the same amount of torque, but the truck makes 170 ponies more than the SUV.
We make it a point to address the ridiculous torque figures mentioned almost every time. The torque figures given are at the wheels and not the motor, which is how it should be. Engineering Explained broke down the math in the case of the Hummer Supertruck and the same logic applies here, too. In short, taking 10-percent, or in the whereabouts, of the torque figure as the rating for the torque at motors would be a good guesstimate.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Battery and Range
The range is the same on the EV2, EV2X, and the EV3X trims in both cases – 250 miles on the base and 300 miles on the other two. The difference comes in the Limited Edition 1 trim.
The SUV will deliver an estimated 300 miles on a full charge, but on the truck, it’s estimated to be 350 miles. The Edition 1 SUV with the Extreme off-road package will return around 280 miles. The base trim on the SUV, however, can be had with the bigger 20-module battery pack which means the range available will the same 300 miles as the other trims.
Both the EVs will make use of GM’s Ultium batteries, which are basically pouch-style cells that can be packed either horizontally or vertically in the battery pack. This arrangement pattern is said to have a good impact on the performance and charging times, and also helps optimize battery energy storage.
This has, however, forced GM to compromise on the SUV’s power outputs. A larger battery pack would mean they need more space underneath the floor, so the automaker had to choose between better cargo room and higher power and range. And, as we know, Hummer picked the former over the latter. Justifying this move, Hummer EV’s Chief Engineer had said, “Frankly, we are not sorry that it’s ‘only’ 830 horsepower. There aren’t many internal combustion engines that can say that,”.
The battery is compatible with 800V DC fast chargers that support charging speeds of up to 350 kW on the truck, but the same module setup on the SUV supports fast charging only up to 300 kW. So, the Hummer EV SUV is going to be slightly slower when compared to the truck that can charge faster when connected to a DC fast charger. As a general thumb rule, a 100 kW battery will be good for approximately 300 miles, so we could have around 80 kWh battery packs in the base trim and perhaps 100-120 kWh packs in the top trim. This is just a back-of-the-envelope calculation.
350 kW charging sounds pretty high and exciting right now, but by 2024 when all the Hummer models are out, it will be a standard affair and you will be able to charge it at fast speeds regularly. Hummer has also said that the truck can add up to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes on the truck, but there’s no such estimate for the SUV yet. So, the point goes to Hummer EV truck here.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Technology
Watts to Freedom
This mode will make you scream WTF (Watts to Freedom) every time you use it. It is a driver-selectable mode that activates a launch control of sorts. Activate this and you’ll be able to sprint from naught to 60 mph in three seconds flat on the truck. On the SUV, however, you will take 3.5 seconds. This is the fastest the SUV can go. So, yes, the SUV is slower than the truck to 60 mph from rest.
Power Station Generator
Hummer has announced a Power Station generator on the EV SUV. This optional generator can power external accessories. You can even use it to jump-start other vehicles. ‘Generator’ is kind of misleading because the EV technically offers a reverse charging process. It will eventually be available on the truck also, but we’ll have to wait if the company will try it out on the production SUVs before rolling it out for the trucks. If this is the case, then we think it will be available around two years after the launch of the truck. If this is the case, then we are probably looking at battery sizes larger than 150 kW if you opt for the Power Station Generator.
Super Cruise
Super Cruise will also be available on both models. They will feature GM’s latest version of the Super Cruise. Hummer EV is the first non-Cadillac model to come with Super Cruise. It features a driver-assistance function that offers hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles of enabled roads. It even comes with automatic lane changing, wherein you flick the turn indicator and the vehicle will switch lanes on its own.
Crab Walk
The Hummer EV truck and the SUV will share the tech features. There’s the Crab Walk, which basically allows you to drive diagonally, thanks to the four-wheel steer feature. The rear-wheel steer can articulate up to 10 degrees, and front wheels can be steered at the same angle at low speeds.
Ultravision Cameras
Then there’s the Ultravision tech, which is essentially forward and rear-facing cameras under the body that give you 18 different views. They are placed strategically to be able to view what’s under your nose and right ahead of the skid plates as well. The cameras will come with replaceable lens protectors, so you don’t have to replace the whole camera in case of damage. They also come with a wash function.
Extract Mode
Both the models will be offered with independent front and rear suspensions as standard. With the air adaptive suspension system, you can opt for the Extract Mode. When selected, you can raise the vehicle up to six inches to maneuver carefully over boulders and fording water. This will be offered as optional on the truck as well as the SUV.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Pricing
Starting at $80,000, I call the Hummer Supertruck a ‘mouth-watering product with an eye-watering price’. But, the same applies to the EV SUV as well. Both the products have the same trim levels and the same starting price. If you’re lucky enough to get the Launch Edition, only then will you be shelling out fewer bucks. Here’s how both of them are priced:
Supertruck
- Hummer EV2 - $79,995
- Hummer EV 2X - $89,995
- Hummer EV 3X - $99,995
- Hummer EV Edition 1 - $112,595
SUV
- Hummer EV2 - $79,995
- Hummer EV 2X - $89,995
- Hummer EV 3X - $99,995
- Hummer EV Edition 1 - $105,595
- Hummer EV Edition 1 with Extreme Off-Road Package - $110,595
The Hummer EVs will be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit, but there’s no word about it from GMC. So, we assume that the prices quoted are without considering the federal tax credit.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Delivery Schedule
The Hummer EV truck is arriving almost two years before the SUV. Both, the truck and the SUV, have the expensive models coming in first followed by the base trims later on. In case you’re looking at any of the two base trims, you can opt for either one for them if delivery time matters to you. Here’s a trim-wise split up of when they will arrive:
Supertruck
- Hummer EV Edition 1 – Fall 2021
- Hummer EV 3X – Fall 2022
- Hummer EV 2X – Spring 2023
- Hummer EV2 – Spring 2024
SUV
- Hummer EV SUV Edition 1 with Extreme Off-Road Package – Early 2023
- Hummer EV SUV Edition 1 – Early 2023
- Hummer EV3X – Spring 2023
- Hummer EV2X – Spring 2023
- Hummer EV2 – Spring 2024
Both the Hummer EVs will be manufactured at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, also called Factory Zero. It has been retooled with a $2.2 billion investment for EV production.
Hummer EV SUV vs Pickup Truck – Final Verdict
The SUV and the truck hold aces in their own ways and it all boils down to your preference. If the cargo space with a covered roof matters more to you than an open bed, then the SUV should be your pick. If you are ready to use the bed for your cargo needs and are happy covering it up with a Tonneau cover, the pickup truck makes more sense.
The interior and tech features are almost similar and there’s no distinct advantage to tilt your decision to one of them. But the power outputs, battery, and range can be the deciding factors here for the majority of the folks. 830 horses are not less, but it is still 170 ponies less than the truck’s best output figure. Three seconds to 60 mph versus 3.5 seconds can also make a difference for the performance enthusiasts.
Finally, the pricing and delivery could play a role too. The top trims of the SUV arrive a year after the pickup truck. If you opt for the Edition 1 on the SUV, it is $7,000 cheaper than the truck’s (not that you can the latter anymore). You can equip your SUV Edition 1 with the Extreme Off-Road Package and still save $2,000 instead of getting the truck’s Edition 1 without the off-road package. But, at the cost of fewer miles on a full charge, slower charging speeds, and fewer horses. As I said earlier, it will come down to personal needs and preferences.
