Not Shocking: The Hulking GMC Hummer EVs Eat Electrons

gmc hummer ev
(GMC)

The 1,000 hp GMC Hummer EV pickup that’s been entering service much more slowly than its 3.0-second 0-60 mph acceleration time might suggest it could was introduced in 2022 with a fuel efficiency rating equivalent to 47 mpg (mpge).

That’s according to GMC, since the pickup is so heavy it is exempt from an official EPA efficiency rating. Kudos for GMC for being as transparent as the clear removable Sky Panels in its roof.

The EPA threshold is a 10,000-pound Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is the combination of the vehicle weight and its maximum payload, and the Hummer EV Edition 1 tipped those scales at 10,550.

But now new models of the pickup and Hummer EV SUV are coming on line with smaller batteries that have trimmed enough fat to make the list.

Gmc hummer suv
(GMC)

While the Edition 1 was equipped with a 24-module battery pack with over 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of capacity that weighs approximately 3,000 pounds, the pickup’s tri-motor 3X trim comes standard with a 20-module pack. The smaller SUV is first launching as a 2024 vehicle and the 20-module battery is the largest available.

The results have now been posted, InsideEVs reported, and the efficiency is a little better than the Edition 1’s, but not by much.

Both the pickup and SUV are rated at 53 mpge with ranges of 314 miles per charge, and 50 mpge with 298 miles when equipped with the extreme off-road package’s all-terrain wheel and tire package.

There really aren’t any electric vehicles on the market today to compare the supersize off-roaders to, but the most rugged versions of the smaller Rivian R1T pickup and R1S SUV are rated at 64 mpge and 63 mpge, respectively.

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And while GMC hasn’t announced any efficiency changes to the 3X Pickup with the optional 24 kWh pack, it has increased its range by 26 miles to 381 miles per charge and by 30 miles with the off-road package to 359 miles.

Ratings for the soon to be available dual-motor 2X models have not yet been posted, but 2024 pricing for the pickup is now $98,845 for the 2X, $106,945 for the 3X and $116,940 for the 3X with the 24-module pack.

GMC has been struggling to ramp up production of the Hummer EV since the first one was delivered in December of 2022, and has only put a few hundred on the road, but expects supplies to increase through the end of this year.