If there was such a thing as an electron-guzzler, this would be it. The GMC Hummer EV is going to weigh more than 4,082 kg, as Autoblog confirms.
A modern high-performance electric car weighing a lot is nothing new. The Tesla Model X was as big an EV when it came out. We were stunned at how much it weighed. That thing still only clocks in with a curb weight of 2,445 kg, per Tesla, not all that different from a new Porsche Taycan. Certainly that’s heavy in comparison to, say, a Honda CR-V, which comes in around 1,588 kg, per Honda.
The Hummer EV weighs as much as a Model X with a Honda CR-V strapped to the roof. From Autoblog:
Enthusiast site GM-Trucks reported the Hummer EV will tip the scale at 9,046 pounds (4,103 kilos if you’re outside of the United States) in its quickest configuration, and a GMC spokesperson told Autoblog that figure is accurate. For context, the H1 Alpha released for 2006 (and often considered the ultimate Hummer) weighed 3,680 kg, the H2 checked in at 3,000 kg with the 6.2-litre V8, and the H3 was comparatively light at 2,087 kg.
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Note the 4,103 kg figure applies only to the sold-out Launch Edition model, which will offer 1,000 horsepower, the aforementioned 200-kilowatt battery, and the supercar-like ability to hit 97 km/h from a stop in three seconds. GMC will launch cheaper, slower, and presumably considerably lighter variants of the truck in the early 2020s.
All of this question of weight and consumption brings up the generally larger question of how environmentally friendly electric cars are as a concept. If we are on our way to fully renewable electricity, who cares how much gets sucked up by scores of elephantine EVs like this Hummer? On the other hand, even if our electricity is renewable, what else are we damaging in terms of our society by stuffing our roads with ultra-heavy tank-like EV SUVs? At some point, if you’re not taking cars off the road with transportation alternatives, what good are you doing?
This is all probably too much to put on the admittedly broad shoulders of the GMC Hummer EV. Honestly, we should applaud GM for making a Hummer EV feel as hulking and consumptive as its gas-powered predecessor.