GENERAL MOTORS Confirm Revival of HUMMER as E-VEHICLE for 2021

The 1991 Persian Gulf War was the rather stellar debut of a US military truck/utility vehicle manufactured by AM General: the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle or “Humvee” for short. The ubiquitous presence of the vehicle inspired AM General to create a civilian variant, the HUMMER series of truck/SUVs. Despite the popularity of the vehicles, they were affected by the bankruptcy of General Motors which bought the brand from AM, and the HUMMERs were discontinued in 2010. Since last year however there has been a buzz that a new HUMMER model will be introduced by GM, as an electric-powered truck.

According to The Verge, General Motors has confirmed the speculations from 2019 that they were reintroducing the HUMMER SUV as an electric vehicle. Teaser videos from GM began making the rounds online last Thursday, January 30, generating hype from prospective heavy-duty vehicle owners for the HUMMER EV. One particular preview shows a herd of galloping horses as a metaphor for the new model’s 1,000 horsepower, with the gallop sounds suddenly being muted in reference to the silent electric motor. The teaser ended with boasts of zero emissions and “zero limits” before revealing the telltale HUMMER letters in the SUV’s grill.

HUMMERs from the 1990s to the earlier half of the 2000s were once considered symbols of status and power. These original fuel-powered vehicles were notorious gas guzzlers as well. When the 2008 global financial crisis erupted, car owners became leery of gas-hungry behemoths like the HUMMER series which caused sales to tank for GM, leading to the line’s discontinuation after the brand was not picked up by other automakers. General Motors deciding to revive HUMMER falls in line with a recent trend in nostalgia for car manufacturers, giving classic vehicle brands an electric-powered makeover for the 21^st Century and beyond.

A more in-depth commercial for the GM HUMMER EV is expected to be aired among the many high-profile ads for Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs February 2. An introductory event will happen next on May 20, before the HUMMER EV finally hits the market later in 2021.

Image courtesy of Washington Post