GMC Hummer EV Could Lead To New Military Variant

The GMC Hummer EV continues the legacy of the Hummer nameplate in a exciting new direction, replacing the internal combustion powerplant with cutting-edge battery and electric motor tech. However, it’s possible the Hummer EV may come full circle with a new military-spec variant, per statements made by GM Defense President, David Albritton.

In an interview with GM Authority conducted last year, Albritton indicated that a military variant of the new GMC Hummer EV wasn’t completely out of the question.

“GM has announced that it is coming out with a [GMC] Hummer battery electric truck in 2021,” Albritton said in 2020. “It’s a full-size truck with 400 miles of range, 1,000 foot-pounds of torque, a very highly capable vehicle. That could provide a great base platform for an electric vehicle to be used in the military context.”

While we now know that the range-topping GMC Hummer EV, the Edition 1, offers 350 miles of range per charge and not 400 miles, Albritton’s statements are still valid. The pickup is still hugely capable in the rough stuff, and could very well be adapted to military duty with a few modifications and upgrades.

Such a move would bring the Hummer nameplate back to its roots. As fans will remember, the original Hummer, or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee for short), was produced by AM General for the military. In 1992, AM General decided to offer a civilian-spec variant, giving rise to the Hummer H1.

Fast forward to 1999, and General Motors acquired the rights to the Hummer brand, eventually offering the H2 and the H3, the former of which was built by AM General, and the latter of which was a GM effort.

General Motors ended up discontinuing the Hummer brand and related products in 2009 following the automaker’s bankruptcy. Now, with the Hummer’s return as a brand-new all-electric vehicle, it’s entirely possible Hummer will once again see military duty.

Of course, at this point, it’s pure speculation as to whether or not GM will actually follow through with a military-spec variant of the latest GMC Hummer EV. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting idea, and certainly provides plenty of fodder for the imagination.

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