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2022 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup Edition 1: Off-Road Beast
Enabled by a GM-designed three-motor e4WD system and advanced, selectable driving modes, the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV will be the ultimate off-road EV supertruck, with all-new features developed to help conquer tough obstacles and terrain.
GMC has long been a leader in professional-grade trucks and the all-new GMC HUMMER EV will help to establish new standards in capability, maneuverability and driver control,” said Al Oppenheiser, HUMMER EV chief engineer. “Our goal was to develop the most capable, factory off-road pickup on the market. We're excited to show the world what 100-plus years of truck know-how can do when applied to EV power.”
The unique e4WD drive system with torque vectoring will enable maneuverability and traction unlike anything GM has ever offered and should allow the vehicle to reach new destinations over the most challenging terrain — with capabilities including climbing 60-percent grades (forward and reverse), scaling 18-inch verticals and fording water more than 2 feet deep.
HUMMER EV's Drive Mode Control's five drive modes — four pre-configured modes and the driver-configurable My Mode — will enable the driver to tailor the vehicle's performance, including torque distribution, four-wheel steering, ride height, shock damping, throttle maps, brakes and interior sound enhancement.
The modes suit a variety of driving conditions, from rock crawling to highway driving and even trailering.
“By channeling the best attributes of GM's electric vehicles and its legacy of truck and performance capability, the HUMMER EV will offer distinctive drive characteristics to tackle all kinds of road and trail conditions,” said Oppenheiser.
“The drive modes optimize performance, enhancing the feeling of ultimate driver control.”
Drive Mode Control also includes Terrain Mode, which offers unique One-Pedal Driving tailored for off-roading. It allows the driver to negotiate challenging terrain at low speeds by simply modulating input on the accelerator pedal.
BODY-FRAME-INTEGRAL ELECTRIC OFF-ROAD TRUCK An all-new structure eliminates conventional frame rails, which would raise the center of gravity, and makes the battery pack a fundamental structural element of the chassis. It is protected by sturdy shear panels above and below the double stacked batteries, while an exceptionally rigid floor above the battery pack helps the body resist twisting, even with the Sky Panels of the Infinity Roof removed. |
Forge your path, differently
Without the constraints of a conventional propulsion system and traditional drive axles, tremendous power and control is available to each wheel.
In fact, the system can channel more power to a single wheel, keeping the HUMMER EV moving in some of the toughest driving conditions and terrain, all with unprecedented maneuverability and suspension articulation — including nearly 13 inches of suspension travel.
“The GMC HUMMER EV's all-new EV platform was a blank slate that was filled out by a dedicated team of engineers who are hardcore off-road enthusiasts,” said Aaron Pfau, HUMMER EV lead development engineer. “The result is an absolute off-road beast that will take you to new places.”
The HUMMER EV Edition 1's authentic off-road features include:
- Independent front and rear suspension systems that are paired to the drive motors and are designed to optimize handling in off-road conditions and ride comfort on the highway
- Front e-Locker — an electronically controlled, driver-selectable locking differential that elevates traction capability by locking both front wheels, so that they turn at the same speed. Up to 100 percent of available torque can be sent to either of the front wheels for maximum traction capability and fully synchronized e4WD propulsion
- Rear virtual locker — simulates a locking differential for the dual-motor rear drive unit. It is capable of torque vectoring, which can vary the amount of torque sent to each wheel to optimize not only traction in off-road conditions, but enhance on-road driving dynamics
- Heavy-duty ball-spline half-shafts that maximize axle articulation for ample maneuverability, while also reducing feedback through the steering system in hard-cornering and other off-road driving conditions
- Standard 18-inch wheels with 35-inch–OD Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires that offer exceptional strength and flexibility to optimize maneuverability with the HUMMER EV's unprecedented off-road capability. Additionally, the vehicle is engineered to accommodate 37-inch tires4
- Underbody armor, consisting of five skid plates/rock sliders and two underbody shields to protect the battery pack, drive units and more
- UltraVision5 that includes new front and rear underbody cameras with live “virtual spotter”' views to help drivers navigate obstacles and place wheels on and off the trail. The underbody cameras are specially packaged to help protect against damage and equipped with a wash function to help remove debris. HUMMER EV offers a best-in-class total of 18 available camera views6 from the vehicle, helping increase awareness of surroundings, serving as a virtual spotter
The HUMMER EV's unique architecture offers inherent advantages for off-road driving, with the placement of the batteries contributing to a low center of gravity for stability, while the design of the drive motors eliminates the axle “pumpkins” and prop shaft in conventional trucks, which helps optimize ground clearance.
“Everything that you'd want in an ultimate, forge-any-path off-roader or overlander is what we've tried to build into the HUMMER EV,” said Pfau. “All of it is enabled by the all-new, electric propulsion system, which unlocked tremendous potential that simply couldn't have been achieved in a conventional truck.”
ADAPTIVE RIDE CONTROL
The HUMMER EV also improves upon GM's acclaimed Continuous Damping Control, a real-damping system that “reads” the road every 2 milliseconds to enable continual damping adjustments in order to optimize comfort on and off the road. It is tailored for the unique capabilities and range of motion in the HUMMER EV, incorporating new damping adjustments based on suspension travel, which enhances refinement ride comfort when off-roading.
Unprecedented maneuverability
At launch, the HUMMER EV is offered exclusively in the Edition 1 model, featuring the full range of off-road-driving technologies including the Extreme Off-Road Package.
Content highlights will include:
- 4 Wheel Steer, offering nimble maneuverability. The system allows the rear wheels to be locked in the forward position, to turn opposite of the front wheels or turn in the same direction as the front wheels. There are three driver-selectable settings:
- Off – No rear steering assistance
- Auto – In this automatic mode, the rear tires turn in the opposite direction of the front tires at low speeds to help improve maneuverability in tight situations; and at higher speeds, the rear wheels turn with the front wheels
- CrabWalk — A segment-exclusive feature that turns the rear wheels at the same angle as the front wheels (up to 10 degrees) at low speeds, allowing diagonal movement of the vehicle, for an even greater range of maneuverability in tight off-road conditions
- Off-road widgets that display a wealth of vehicle function and driving status updates through the infotainment and driver information screens. Some of the widgets include:
- g-force articulation (friction circle)
- Drift gauge (with maximum values)
- Torque output and torque vectoring
- Wheel travel
- e-Locker engagement
- Tire pressure
- Pitch and roll angles (with maximum values)
- Chassis ride height
- Compass
- Adaptive Air Suspension, which enables the suspension height to be controlled by the driver or via automatic settings to suit a variety of conditions. Examples include:
- Ride height control with automatic or driver-selectable settings
- Automatic Entry and Exit, which lowers the ride height to enable easier ingress and egress of the vehicle
- Aero Mode, which lowers the ride height on the highway to improve aerodynamics
- Extract Mode1, an upcoming available feature that enables the suspension height to be raised approximately 6 inches, in order to help the HUMMER EV negotiate extreme off-road situations such as clearing boulders and fording deeper water.
Terrain Mode
An all-new suite of mobility features and technologies comprise the Drive Mode Control and will complement the HUMMER EV's extraordinary maneuverability to enhance control and comfort for various driving conditions. Five modes are standard: Normal, Off-Road, Terrain, Tow/Haul and the driver-configurable My Mode.
“Whether driving on the highway or climbing over rocks, the HUMMER EV will be configurable for driver preferences,” said Pfau. “It's an incredibly personalized and engaging driving experience that makes the full capability of the vehicle simple and comfortable to use.”
Terrain Mode will offer two braking calibrations, with a mild braking option for two-foot driving and a purpose-designed One-Pedal Driving control in low-speed off-road driving. As pioneered by GM for other electric vehicles, One-Pedal Driving enables the driver to accelerate and decelerate using only the accelerator pedal. With Terrain Mode, that same One-Pedal Driving control is adapted with unique calibrations for speed-limited off-road driving, allowing the driver to negotiate steep grades, rock crawling and other challenging terrain without having to toggle between the accelerator and brake pedal.
The driver simply modulates his or her foot on the accelerator to control speed over the terrain or obstacles, even bringing the vehicle to a stop.
Additional features and technologies are designed to enhance the HUMMER EV's off-road driving experience:
- Tire Inflation/Deflation Assist — An off-roading tool that alerts the driver when a predetermined lower tire pressure is achieved. After inputting the desired pressure, the driver manually deflates the tire and the vehicle alerts with an audible signal when it is achieved. Lower tire pressure can enable greater traction and tire grip in certain off-road driving conditions and improve ride comfort. The system can also alert the driver when inflating the tire to a desired pressure
- Virtual auxiliary switches. The HUMMER EV's driver information center offers control provisions for aftermarket accessories such as light bars, winches, etc., allowing the driver to activate the features without hard switches
- Nearly 200 accessories will be available for HUMMER EV
2022 HUMMER EV EDITION 1 OFF-ROAD DRIVING SPECIFICATIONS
The HUMMER EV will be the first full-electric vehicle in GMC's portfolio powered by General Motors' new Ultium battery system. The battery cells will be produced as part of a joint venture with LG Chem, at a new facility, in Lordstown, Ohio.
Initial production begins in late 2021, at GM's Factory ZERO, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center — a nearly 40-year-old facility repurposed and retooled with a $2.2-billion investment devoted to electric vehicle production. Future production vehicles out of the factory will offer zero emissions.
