It took a lot of work to film this GMC Hummer EV vs Ford Lightning video; and we are fully aware that long distance towing isn’t easy for an EV. So, we added an Ike Gauntlet to the mix!
On paper, the GMC Hummer EV against the Ford-150 Lightning isn’t exactly apples-to-apples. The GMC Hummer EV is more of an off-road toy that shows off status, and the Ford Lightning is more of a real working person’s truck. Both have massive batteries, four-wheel drive, and off-road capable tires. GMC’s electric truck is ridiculously heavy, weighing in at well over 9,000 pounds, but it has just about every feature you want for off-roading. The Ford is considerably lighter, but it lacks the Hummer’s features and off-road prowess.
We were lucky enough to get two identical trailers for this towing comparison. They are both Game Changer Pro Series Trailers by ATC, which are toy-haulers. Empty, they weigh 6,100 pounds. We have to send out a big thankyou to our friends at Complete Trailers for loaning us these luxury campers as well.
I should add one more thing: Not only are these trailers tall (so you have added wind resistance), but they also have twin axles which means four tires on the road. This is great for dealing with heavy loads, but the added axle and tires adds to the drag.
All of these things make scaling a steep incline a pain in an electric pickup truck.
The Hummer is rated at 7,500 pounds, and its payload is rated at about 1,300 pounds. On the other hand, the Ford Lightning is rated at 10,000 pounds of towing capacity, and it has a payload capacity of over 1,600 pounds. Once again, it has to do with the Hummer’s incredible weight, and beefy off-road components.
Both trucks are expected to gobble through a majority of their power just heading one way. What we were hoping to find is that they would regain energy as they head downhill, back to Golden, Colorado. Unfortunately, one of the trucks dropped a little too low for comfort.
See how the whole journey went below:
