It was just a few weeks ago that General Motors was getting razzed online for admitting that they didn’t have a fully functional prototype of a vehicle that they already were accepting reservations for.
Now, an operable version of the long-awaited 2022 GMC Hummer EV has been spotted at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds to continue the validation process before it heads to northern Michigan to endure the winter testing process.
GM says that the Hummer EV’s development speed was “enabled by extensive virtual testing” which will “be a hallmark of GM programs moving forward”. Automakers and tire companies have extensively been using digital simulation technology. Pirelli recently explained that they used digital simulations to test the Scorpion ATR tires that were specially designed for the 2021 Ford F-150.
Production of the Hummer EV is expected to begin in the fall of 2021. The first models off the line will be part of the Hummer EV Edition 1 series. It’s set to deliver 1,000 horsepower, has a 350-mile all-electric range, and goes for $112,959.
That version of the truck will come with a 200-kilowatt-hour battery back. That battery is attached to two motors at the front and one at the rear producing 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque. Other forthcoming Hummer variants are set to have unique powertrain setups.
GMC has given each Hummer EV four-wheel drive allowing it to have CrabWalk mode, which utilizes torque vectoring technology. When activating that mode, the Hummer EV to move diagonally.
Two GMC Hummer EVs completing their builds prior to shipping for continued validation testing. Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for General Motors
It also allows the truck to have a launch mode called “Watts to Freedom”. It allows the Hummer EV Edition 1 to travel from zero to 60 mph in three seconds.
Inside, the Hummer EV is minimalistic but effectively designed. In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster while a 13.4-inch infotainment screen sits in the center of the dashboard. The two screens are powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, the same architecture that Fortnite runs on.
The automaker is putting its Super Cruise hands-free driver assist technology on every Hummer.
