Lo and behold, the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV arrived exactly when it was supposed to, with exactly the teased credentials. Anyone can debate the design, the weight, and even the price. But, on the other hand, not the technology. That’s simply because General Motors is throwing the best it has currently – and perhaps a little extra as well.
We already knew this all-new HUMMER EV is GMC’s first-ever fully electric vehicle and its production will be taken cared of at GM’s Factory ZERO, the (almost) four-decades old Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center that was reinvented as the herald of the new (EV) age for the largest U.S. automaker.
The day it was launched we also found out quite a few of its specifications – from the crazy “Watts to Freedom” mode for the 0-60 mph (97 kph) sprint in three seconds, to the arrival of the Edition 1 model for a bucketload of cash (MSRP of $112,595).
But there are still unanswered questions, such as how on Earth is GMC going to achieve that stellar 350 miles / 563 km (about the length of New York State) of promised range?! Through a bulky battery, naturally – but what about the exact nature of the pack? Well, need not worry anymore, because GMC itself is slowly and steadily delivering the answers.
Granted, the automaker has remained mum on actual capacity, but we do know officially it’s of the GM Ultium variety. The HUMMER EV’s three-motor Ultium Drive system (with 1,000 hp) will draw power from a 24-module Ultium battery pack, making it the first series-production vehicle with the all-new battery architecture.
In the HUMMER EV Edition 1, the modular pouch-style cells will be arranged vertically across two layers (being huge has its advantages, clearly) in a very low chassis position that will provide a great center of gravity.
We have a feeling they’re going to be placed smack in the middle, as GMC explains the “compact construction of the Ultium battery pack also contributes to HUMMER EV’s ideal off-road proportions, including a short front overhang and short front breakover angle.”
More so, the nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum (NCMA) chemistry is high on nickel and low on cobalt (-70%) – the latter being a very rare and costly material. And it’s also GM’s first vehicle to use a wireless battery management system, “which maintains balance within the truck’s battery cell groups for optimal performance and battery longevity.”
Additionally, thanks to the battery pack’s ability to switch from the native 400V to 800V for charging, the pickup will take full advantage of the highest fast-charging stations in America, the 350-kW chargers. As such, it will be capable of adding almost 100 miles (161 km) of range in just 10 minutes of charging.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News