To the moon in the GMC Hummer EV supertruck
PHOENIX — Enter the Chandler Fashion Mall southeast of Phoenix and a big, vertical advertisement stops you in your tracks with three white letters highlighted against a black background: WTF.
Step close and faint gray letters explain the acronym: WATTS TO FREEDOM.
The GMC Hummer EV supertruck has landed. Imagine 1,000 horsepower, 9,000 pounds, 35-inch all-terrain tires. All-wheel steering. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. WTF, indeed.
Strapped into my Hummer tester, I tug the “traction control” button on the dash twice and supertruck enters “watts to freedom” mode. Launch control ready. Flatten the brake pedal. Flatten the accelerator pedal. Release the brake.
The truck explodes forward like a rocket, crushing my body into the seatback.
I blow past 60 mph in just over 3 seconds on my way to the moon.
You can’t truly appreciate the Hummer EV until you take it off-pavement.
Consistent with its limited 329-mile range, Hummer is a hoot on nearby off-road parks.
Its 80-plus inch width brings balance that complements its inherent EV athleticism. Its electric drivetrain means no vulnerable gas tanks, mufflers or pigs (rear differential) protruding from its belly.
Starting with 10 inches of ground clearance, Hummer sports 9.5 inches of suspension travel in top trims, thanks to air suspension. The GMC’s “extract mode” can ratchet itself 16 inches off the ground to clear obstacles. Or crouch to 6.5 inches for WTF sprints.
But my favorite tool is all-wheel steer. Available beginning with the $89,995 2x trim, 4WS enables Hummer’s “crab walk” mode.
I self-drove to Boulders using Super Cruise. GMC has hung huge screens across the dash. Hummer contracted with the Unreal game engine for state-of-the-art graphics and Google for navigation as easy as your smartphone. Interior room is palatial, and you can go topless by unlatching roof panels and stowing them in the frunk. The pickup bed out back is five feet long and punctuated by GMC’s signature six-way Multi-Pro tailgate.
There are hiccups, to be sure. The upright windshield means no head-up display option and lots of A-pillar wind noise when you hit 70 mph on the interstate. Long-distance trips might be daunting due to GM’s oversight in not incorporating Teslalike navigation between third-party superchargers.
But the Hummer EV is a serious leap in showing off EV performance. It’s an ambitious achievement accomplished in an impossibly short time to explore the tech frontier. An achievement only an American truck brand could pull off. Moon shot landed.