The GMC Hummer EV experience has not all been smooth sailing for us.
Just like the olden days, the brand-new GMC Hummer EV is just ridiculous on pretty much every level. It’s brash, it’s huge and it packs some really awesome tricks in its toolkit. TFL Studios has owned its own Hummer for about a month now, so we wanted to give you guys a more comprehensive update on how the experience has gone so far.
If you’ve been following TFLtruck over these first few weeks, though, you’re familiar with how things went after picking the truck up. However, that did end up being a fairly quick fix and we’re not focused on that this time around. Instead, Roman and Andre cover the top 5 things they love and hate about the truck after living with it over the past month.
No matter what, you’ll get looks in this truck
Top among the awesome features of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV is its look. This 9,420-pound truck is wide as all get out, and these Edition 1 models are two-tone white and black. It’s a rockstar among full-size trucks, so you’ll definitely get looks wherever you go — for better or worse.
Another upside? Driving range, believe it or not. At 94% state-of-charge, Andre points out that the truck says you can drive up to 363 miles before depleting the battery pack. That’s because the pack itself is massive, with at least 212-kWh of capacity. Of course, the energy consumption on that works out to something like 1.7 miles per kilowatt-hour. So, it’s not nearly as efficient as some other EVs, but other EVs also don’t weigh nearly five tons. The truck’s regenerative braking capability is also remarkably good, especially when driving back downhill.
Other things to love
Of course, we can’t discuss the new GMC Hummer EV without covering its technology. Namely, its rear-wheel steering capability, its crab walking mode, Watts to Freedom and the Super Cruise semi-autonomous system. Then, on top of all that, the truck’s air suspension can lift the Hummer EV up to provide a whopping 16 inches of ground clearance.
It’s not all roses, though…The top 5 things we HATE
Of course, with such a huge battery, you need a ton of energy to replenish the Hummer EV’s reserves. That means it takes an incredibly long time to charge, even on a Level 2 AC charger. Andre pointed out that it would take more than 20 hours to recharge the truck on a 30-amp charging box…not exactly practical, to say nothing of how much that much juice will add to your electricity bill.
While the 2022 GMC Hummer EV fits into the heavy-duty truck category by weight class, it cannot tow like one. General Motors only rates the Hummer to tow 7,500 pounds, and the range if you actually try to do that is far less remarkable than its unladen capability.
Then there’s the software, which ended up causing quite a headache for Roman as he tried to drive back to TFL HQ. There’s so much code that goes into making these vehicles work, and things obviously don’t always work perfectly. Sometimes, that can leave you in a precarious situation, like getting stranded on a highway.
For all its immensity and onboard tech, as well, you’ll have to pay at least $110,000 to get a GMC Hummer EV at all. That’s if you can find one at MSRP, which is still challenging for many new vehicles, let alone one like this. Oh, and you don’t get a spare tire from the factory — that’s an optional extra that takes up about two-thirds of the usable bed space.
Roman mentions one more pet peeve, in that the mirrors will not default to folding in when you lock the truck. You can enable that setting through the infotainment system, but it seems to reset whenever you power cycle the Hummer EV.
Despite all the frustrating points, though, it’s impossible not to feel like a complete and total badass with this truck.
So, at the end of the day, is it a good thing to have the new GMC Hummer EV? It’s tough not to feel like a total rockstar with this massive electric beast, so it’s left its mark after a month of ownership.
Check out more of the guys’ thoughts below and let us know what you think!
