FIRST DRIVE
2022 GMC HUMMER EV We hit the trails in GMC’s first-ever battery electric supertruck By Jason Gonderman editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Courtesy of GMC
W
hen the all-new battery electric ’22 GMC Hummer EV was unveiled in October 2020 the off-road world let out a collective gasp. The revival of the Hummer brand, once respected by off-road enthusiasts everywhere, as an all-electric sub brand of GMC wasn’t exactly what everyone was hoping for. Then the specifications were released … 1,000 hp, 1,200 lb-ft of torque, front and rear locking differentials, 35-inch tires with room for 37s, rear steering, and more than 320 miles of range. On paper, the Hummer EV seemed to be the real deal. However, we all wanted to know if the truck could live up to its Hummer namesake in the real world. With impressive speed, GMC brought the Hummer EV from concept to reality in less than three years, with the first production models rolling off the line in December 2021. Now, with deliveries happening every day, GMC invited us to jump behind the wheel and take the Hummer EV Edition 1 Pickup for a quick ride through some of 44 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER
the best off-roading the deserts of Arizona have to offer. So, does the ’22 GMC Hummer EV live up to its heritage namesake? Read on.
\Off-Roading the Newest Hummer
On the highway, the Hummer EV is phenomenal. How could it not be? The Edition 1 Pickup we were given to drive packs the massive 1,000 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. This makes the truck incredibly quick, accelerating to its 106-mph top speed (electronically limited because of the 35-inch off-road tires) in the blink of an eye. The truck is comfortable, not particularly quiet, and draws massive attention everywhere you go. However, we were most intrigued by the Hummer EV’s claimed off-road ability. To test this, the folks at GMC took us on a short but informative off-road loop in the Arizona desert north of Phoenix. The offroad experience took us down graded gravel roads, through rock-strewn dry riverbeds, up steep rutted climbs, and along incredibly tight saguaro cactus-lined trails. While not fourwheeler.com
