Kids pointed. Adults gave thumbs-up. Complete strangers walked over in parking lots to ask questions. The Hummer EV attracts attention in a way few vehicles can.
And honestly, I understand why.
It’s enormous. It’s electric. It weighs more than 9,000 pounds. It has removable roof panels, rear-wheel steering, and a launch mode called WTF. As in “Watts to Freedom,” so it can stay family-friendly.
The whole thing is objectively ridiculous. And that’s exactly what makes it lovable.
The Irony of Carbon Fiber
My tester was the Hummer EV Pickup Carbon Fiber Edition, finished in matte Magnus Gray with the striking red hues of the Velocity Ember interior. Combined with what I consider the best-looking wheel design currently offered on the Hummer, it creates a package that feels special, or in my case, created love at first sight.
The carbon-fiber wheels should make you pause before jumping off-road, however. Replacing them would cost $14,500 for the set, which should give adventurers a healthy respect for curbs and trails marked as “hard.”
Still, if budget allows, this is the Hummer EV I’d choose. It feels like a movie prop from Batman’s cave, but with enough utility and impressive features to make for an easy daily driver. But for less money, you can opt for the 3X trim, which still gives you three motors, three windshield wipers, sub-3-second zero-to-60 … You get the picture.
Electrified Convertible
Oddly enough, my favorite feature wasn’t the power. It was the roof, or sometimes, lack thereof.
The removable Sky Panels transform the Hummer EV into one of the most interesting open-air vehicles on sale today. GMC engineered them to fit neatly into the frunk (front trunk) when removed, so you don’t have to choose between bringing them and leaving them at home. Granted, that depletes your interior lockable storage if the cab is full of humans, but the spectacle alone was always worth the minutes required to dismantle and pack the panels.
On cooler evenings, you can leave the windows up, turn on the heat, and enjoy the crisp overhead air that feels oddly similar to sitting in front of a campfire. On hot days, the ventilated seats and air conditioning do a surprisingly good job of keeping things comfortable while still letting you enjoy the open sky.
Even with the panels installed, lowering the rear drop glass lets more of the electric motor sound enter the cabin. Hearing impressively raw acceleration sounds from the twin rear motors is absolute bliss in an age when most EVs channel fake sounds through the speaker system. Sure, this still has the simulated engine sound, but you can turn it off or turn it up if that’s your cup of tea.
WTF is Watts to Freedom?
The Hummer EV remains one of the most absurdly quick vehicles on sale. Activate Watts to Freedom mode, and all three motors unleash up to 1,160 hp. GMC famously quotes 13,500 lb-ft of torque, though that’s measured at the wheels rather than as it’s traditionally reported. Think of it like bragging about how many pennies you earn per paycheck instead of dollars. The real figure, as traditionally measured, is closer to a “measly” 1,200 lb-ft.
The all-terrain tires struggle to contain everything the powertrain wants to do. Full-throttle acceleration can introduce legitimate torque steer, thanks to the combination of bonkers torque and slightly squirmy tire behavior.
It’s equal parts ridiculous and entertaining, as a vehicle this large simply should not accelerate this hard. Yet somehow it does.
Shrinking the Unshrinkable
The Hummer EV’s biggest surprise isn’t its speed, but rather how manageable it feels.
To be clear, it never actually feels small. It’s still a gigantic truck. But the relatively short wheelbase and 10 degrees of rear-wheel steering make parking-lot maneuvering and parking dramatically easier than expected. Just keep in mind that the width is comparable to that of commercial delivery trucks.
CrabWalk remains a party trick in which the rear wheels can turn along with the front wheels to drive diagonally. Still, I found myself using it far more often than anticipated. Eventually, the novelty would likely wear off, only to be rediscovered every time a new passenger climbed aboard.
Even without the Extreme Off-Road Package equipped, the truck feels capable of conquering just about anything. Ride quality remains composed and surprisingly comfortable, especially with the air suspension working its magic. Though I hesitate to think about the strain that those air chambers must be feeling underneath 4.5 tons of truck. But impressive engineering allows them to hoist the truck an additional six inches, allowing for traversal of most any obstacle.
Five Years Later, It’s Growing Up
The original Hummer EV wowed people with hardware, and the latest version finally feels like the software is catching up.
The infotainment system remains a little convoluted in places, but it’s noticeably more responsive than earlier Hummer EV experiences. Google Maps with EV route planning, native Apple Music and Spotify integration, off-road displays, and generally fluid performance make it easy to live with.
Super Cruise also continues to impress. The hands-free driving is surprisingly capable for something this massive, even on mildly curving roads when properly mapped. There are still occasional inconsistencies when transitioning between mapped and unmapped roads, but overall, the system feels significantly more polished than earlier versions and remains one of the more competitive driver assistance systems.
At this point, most of my complaints feel more like excusable observations than genuine frustrations. The sound system could be better for a $130,000 vehicle. Interior space is passable but not as cavernous as the exterior dimensions suggest. Some software menus still take more taps than they should. Seat temperature toggles aren’t immediately intuitive. But those issues feel surprisingly minor in the context of everything else this truck does.
The Real Takeaway
Objectively, the existence of the Hummer EV doesn’t make much sense. Its battery is three times the capacity of what’s found in many EVs. Yet its real-world range is average. That’s absurd.
Then again, so is a 9,000-pound electric pickup that launches to 60 mph in under 3 seconds. So is a truck with a removable roof. So is a vehicle that makes driving diagonally into a feature.
The Hummer EV isn’t trying to be rational. It’s trying to be awesome. And in my experience, it accomplishes its goals. Let’s just say they had to pry the keys from my hands after my week behind the wheel.
