Yes, the Hummer EV could pop wheelies, but GMC had to cut the fun short
The Hummer EV is just hitting the roads, and though its initial specs and performance were impressive, we’re still learning just how wild the vehicle really is.
In a recent interview, the Hummer EV’s chief engineer noted that the gargantuan electric truck could pop wheelies before performance was dialed back for safety reasons.
During an interview with The Drive, Hummer EV chief engineer Al Oppenheiser noted that the massive electric truck could pick up its front tires in the most aggressive “Watts to Freedom” (WTF) acceleration mode.
Unfortunately, our litigation-prone world means we can’t have road cars doing wheelies from stoplight to stoplight, so GMC’s engineers modified the EV’s output to prevent such debauchery.
Oppenheiser dropped one more important bit of information during the interview: the Hummer EV could be tuned to pop wheelies again.
Plenty of party tricks
Even without wheelie-popping-power, the Hummer EV has plenty of party tricks to show off to jealous neighbors.
Its crab walk function allows it to move diagonally around obstacles off-road by turning all four wheels, and let’s not forget that the 9,046-pound vehicle can still accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in around three seconds.
Looking back to President Biden’s visit to GM’s Factory Zero, it’s clear the Hummer is almost capable of lifting the front wheels as it sits. That’s the side effect of 1,000 horsepower and a GMC-claimed 11,500 pound-feet of torque.
Back in December, GMC announced that Hummer EV production has begun, so you may start seeing the things in the wild.
First Edition models, which are the only ones in production right now, start at $110,295 (around £81,000 / AU$153,000). Cheaper versions will be available later in 2022, but even then, the cost of entry could still crest six figures.
Audio player loading… The Hummer EV is just hitting the roads, and though its initial specs and performance were impressive, we’re still learning just how wild the vehicle really is. In a recent interview, the Hummer EV’s chief engineer noted that the gargantuan electric truck could pop wheelies before performance…
