The 1000bhp GMC Hummer EV Is Here And It Has A Diagonal-Driving 'Crab Walk' Mode

The Hummer is back, although this time, it’s a fair bit quieter. The last version - the H3 - could be had with either an inline-five or small-block V8, but this one? It’s all-electric, and a pick-up truck.

As divulged when GMC first teased the new Hummer earlier this year, it has a fully-electric, 986bhp (1000hp) beast. The car has since been fully revealed, and now we know it has a triple-motor powertrain.

A double-stacked battery pack of an undisclosed capacity powers the motors, giving a range of up to 350 miles. The Hummer also has 350kW charging capability, so when you’re out of juice, it’ll be possible to feed 100 miles into it in just 10 minutes with the right kind of charger.

Despite the no-doubt hilarious weight figure (GMC hasn’t revealed one), it’s still able to crack 0-60mph in around three seconds, provided the car is in the ‘Watts to Freedom’ mode. Yes, it’s really called that. The 11,500lb ft official torque figure, by the way, is best ignored - it’s a misleading number measured at the wheels rather than the powertrain and is the equivalent of about 800lb ft calculated the ‘proper’ way.

Another interesting mode is ‘CrabWalk’, which you can see in action in the above video. At low speeds the front and rear wheels can turn at the same angle, allowing it to move diagonally and get out of tricky spots when off-road.

When tackling the rough stuff, the Hummer EV’s air suspension can provide an additional 149mm of ground clearance, giving a wading depth of 600mm. In case the extra room down below runs out, a series of steel plates keep the battery pack protected.

The cabin is dominated by simplistic, utilitarian straight lines, but with plenty of modern touches. A 12.3-inch screen forms the instrument cluster, while to its right is a 13.4-inch infotainment system. If you want to make the interior airier, the modular ‘Sky Panels’ on the ‘Infinity Roof’ can be removed and stowed in the trunk. You also get a six-function tailgate, a powered rear window and a powered tonneau cover.

The Hummer EV Edition 1 will arrive first, going on sale for $112,595 in autumn 2021, with the 789bhp EV3X available to order the following autumn. An $89,995 616bhp EV2X packing - as the name implies - two motors will join the range in Spring 2023, with the $79,9995, twin-motor EV2 completing the range in Spring 2024. The EV3X and 2X will have a range of around 300 miles, while the EV2 will make do with a 250-mile range