Since its debut in 2003, Hummer has been a polarizing brand.
With a huge size, rugged style, and gas-guzzling models (About.com reported 9.0 MPG on the H2), Hummer gained a reputation for excess until the brand went away in 2009.
But in 2022, General Motors resurrected the marque in an unanticipated way. Hummer would now sell electric vehicles. When its EV Pickup debuted, a number of traits made it unmistakablly a Hummer. This included a familiar shape, massive size, and an off-road attitude—all without a tailpipe.
I flew to Grand Junction, Colorado then drove to Moab, UT to take the Hummer EV SUV on the famous red rock trails. This wasn’t my first experience with the rig. In April, 2024, I drove a Hummer EV 3X SUV 500 miles through Texas to view the eclipse and wheel it at an off-road park. But how would this big electric SUV do on the trails in Moab? First I needed to get there.
My On-Road Route
With my route to Moab preloaded by the staff, I began my trip with a 100 mile on-road drive from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT along Interstate 70. Gusty winds did their best to blow around this slab-sided 8,660-lb. electric behemoth; it was both hands on the wheel … unless I used Super Cruise.
The hands-free Super Cruise control could deal with the gusts better than I could; the system worked really well. There wasn’t any napping behind the wheel, however. I still paid close attention to how the vehicle behaved on the road. The only noise on the highway is from the wind, and there was lots of it thanks to strong gusts.
With 830 horsepower, the massive electric SUV can accelerate to 60 MPH in as little as 3.5-seconds using its Watts to Freedom launch control. The ability to accelerate something this big this fast is nothing short of bonkers. It also easily cruised at 80+ MPH on the Interstate when speed limits allowed.
A Dirt Detour
I exited and got on highway 128, a divided thoroughfare with countless twists and turns. The Hummer EV 3X SUV I was driving wore sizable 305/55R22 Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires and was equipped with a rear sway bar to help in the curves. This is more of an on-road-focused version and wouldn’t be the SUV I’d take on the trail the next day.
Oddly, my pre-programmed GPS route took me on a dirt track which took me on the Top of The World Safari Route trail. Strange; I thought this was the on-road day? I kept wondering if this was the way GMC wanted me to go. It wasn’t.
I eventually got to the hotel, but not after traversing miles of dirt scenic dirt trails. But even on the 22-inch rolling stock, the Hummer EV SUV never flinched off-road.
Impressive Off-Road Parts and Specs—EV or Not
The next morning, we jumped in Hummer EV 3X SUVs to run the actual trail. These rigs were equipped with the Extreme-Off-Road package winch includes chunky 305/70R18 Goodyear Territory MT tires (35-inch), ball-spline half shafts, five skid plates, rock sliders, and UltraVision with a whopping 17 cameras.
Hummer EV 3X has three motors: one up front, and one on each rear wheel. They also had a front e-locker and rear virtual locker. The virtual locker works by having the two rear motors operate at the same wheel speed, thus acting like a locked rear differential. (Hummer EV 2X SUVs with two motors have a front and rear e-locker.)
All Hummer EV SUVs offer 830 horsepower and 1,200 lb.-ft. of motor torque. GMC points out the Hummer has 11,500 lb.-ft. of wheel torque, too, although that’s not a very commonly reported stat.
The rig has admirable off-road specs. This includes up to 15.9-inches of ground clearance (the air suspension can be raised and lowered), 13-inches of suspension travel front and rear, and up to 32-inches of water fording.
The off-road angles are also remarkable: 49.6° approach, 49.0° departure (without spare tire), and 34.4° breakover. For comparison, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe has a 43.8° approach, 35.6° departure, and 22.5° breakover angles. No word on what the Jeep’s departure is without the spare.
On The Trail: Large and In Charge (Maybe Too Large?)
After a 30-minute drive, we arrived at the Jax Trax trailhead. Rated a 5 by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers, we’d see dirt, sand, and some impressive climbs and descents.
Just like the Hummers of yore, the EV SUV is big: 196.8-inches long and 93.7-inches wide. For comparison, a Wrangler Rubicon 4xe is 8.4-inches shorter and a whopping 19.8-inches narrower. The hefty Hummer’s secret weapon is its rear steering, which can move the back wheels up to 10° in either direction making the SUV surprisingly nimble.
The various drive modes dictate how the rear wheels turn in relation to the fronts, with the Terrain Mode giving the most rear-wheel steering movement. As I watched other EV SUVs climb rocks and scurry over boulders, I wondered how durable the rear steering is. While super useful, it’s another failure point—and no doubt expensive to repair.
The Hummer EV SUV always feels big, despite its small turning radius of just 35.4-inches—the same as a Subaru Crosstrek. (A GMC Sierra 3500HD dually is only 2.2-inches wider than this vehicle.)
I was as vigilant as possible trying to keep branches from pinstriping the paint, but I had to use the whole trail due to its size. You must plan off-road lines carefully and watch for hazards when things get narrow.
The Hummer has air-ride suspension with semi-active shock absorbers at each corner of its independent suspension. The shocks are electronically controlled and firm up the ride when needed. Plus, there’s passive hydraulic rebound control for extra damping. I’d call the ride trucklike; it’s quite stiff. But with a vehicle this big, perhaps it must be.
Big On Size and Capability
Despite its heft, the SUV easily tackled the trail. The forward-facing cameras aided in ascending steep climbs. Without them, it would’ve been impossible to see what’s on the other side of the hill, especially with the narrow windshield and long hood. While that’s typical for many Moab trails, it’s exaggerated with this goliath.
All the parts come together cohesively and worked as advertised. The lockers engage easily at the push of a button. The rock sliders stood up to hard hits from a nearly 9,000 lb. vehicle. Traction was rarely an issue when aired down to about 37 PSI (from 50).
The steering is very light making the Hummer easy to turn—especially with that rear steering. It was fun to watch the independent suspension work on the SUVs in front of us, especially with over a foot of travel. Rarely did anyone get on three wheels, which is so common with vehicles on a fully independent suspension.
The Hummer’s width was appreciated when off-camber—it never felt tippy. The one-pedal braking in Moab was a mixed bag. While I liked it on the less difficult trails in Texas, in Moab, it felt like it engaged too hard when put in the L mode (vs. D).
Let off the throttle on a descent and you could nearly send yourself and passenger through the windshield. My drive partner and I both preferred driving in the D mode vs. L which offered less aggressive braking.
Interior Offerings
I never got to remove the roof panels, in Texas, but we did in Moab. They’re easy to detach and stow in bags in the power eTrunk (front trunk).
The interior is large and comfortable. The 13.4-inch diagonal touchscreen is full of menus, but is intuitive. The 12.3-inch driver information center (aka “gauges”) are easy to see and configure. The cockpit is a comfortable place to spend time, although the seats are flat and firm. I question the idea of having bright white interior accents on a vehicle that could be taken off road. By the end of the day, the dash was dirty.
Charging Info
On the 18-inch mud-terrain tires, these rigs have a range of 298 miles, and 314 miles with all-terrains. The 20-module battery pack is smaller than the Hummer EV Pickup’s 24-module unit. However, it can still charge up to 100 miles in just 14 minutes.
The EV SUV can also charge up to 300 kW so it can utilize the fastest public chargers. Like we observed in Texas, EV adventures can be done, but they need to be well planned.
Pricey Off-Road Prowess. Is There a Market?
The twin-motor EV 2X SUV starts at $98,845. A three-motor without the off-road package begins at $107,645. If you want an EV 3X SUV with the Extreme Off-Road Package, it’ll set you back $119,080 including the $2,295 destination charge. That’s a good deal more than the Rivian R1S or the Tesla Cybertruck.
It could be argued the Hummer is more capable than either. But are wheelers going to adopt EVs at this point and use them off road to their fullest potential, or are they more likely to be showpieces for EV enthusiasts who’ll never leave the pavement?
In actuality, most four-wheel drive vehicles (EV or ICE) rarely see anything more than a dirt road. But the Hummer EV SUV has the chops if buyers opt for more challenging terrain. And GMC has put the vehicle through its paces on a number of Moab’s other trails including Poison Spider, Golden Spike, and others.
EVs Are A Part Of Our Future
In 2022, there were over 90,000 preorders for the Hummer EV Pickup and SUV according to CNBC. GM only reports quarterly sales, as of the end of Q1, GMC has sold 5,767 GMC Hummer EV SUVs and Pickups combined. So there is demand for these rigs. The question is, will they just be huge EVs, or actual EV trail toys?
The GMC Hummer EV SUV is a capable all-electric off-roader for people who want to swap fossil fuel for electricity to power their rigs. While pricey, the EV SUV has legitimate off-road chops, so long as the trail isn’t too tight. One thing’s for sure: With its big size and rugged looks, and all-electric powertrain, the EV SUV will continue to polarize, much like the originals.
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