GMC Hummer EV Big Battery Pack A “Limiting Factor” For Production

At its top trim, the GMC Hummer EV is insanely fast for something that weighs over 9,000 pounds. It should come as no surprise that it takes a lot of power to shoot a Humvee to 60 mph in about the same time as a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, but it’s still surprising when you hear a GMC exec put that into perspective.

That’s what GMC and Buick Global Vice President Duncan Aldred did today at a GMC business roundtable in Detroit. Speaking to reporters, he acknowledged that the Hummer EV’s size and power requirements are basically the same two the normal electric vehicle in GM’s growing electric portfolio. More than chip shortages or labor issues, battery availability could impact production if supply becomes more limited than before.

“What’s more of a limiting factor is the number of battery cells available,” said Aldred. “We’re looking very carefully at which product lines we put it in. As you can imagine, the Hummer EV is a pretty heavy user of battery cells when you compare it to, really, the other EVs in GM’s portfolio. You’ve almost reached a point where one The Hummer could be two other things in the GM EV lineup.”

In its highest form, the GMC Hummer EV is equipped with a 212 kWh battery pack. That’s more than three times the size of the Chevrolet Bolt, and twice the size of the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV. Rival Crosstown Ford installed a 131-kWh battery pack in the top trim of the F-150 Lightning. Meanwhile, using Plaid in a Tesla Model X requires a 100 kWh package. When the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV arrive, they will offer packages that are similar in size to the Hummer.

The irony of the Hummer EV’s thirst for electricity certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. Our colleagues at InsideEVs recently had the opportunity to fast charge a Hummer EV that was running low on chargers via Electrify America. It took about 2.5 hours to complete, adding 224 kWh of power at a cost of nearly $100.

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