Big Battery Pack of GMC Hummer EV Poses Production “Limiting Factor”

At GMC’s recent business roundtable in Detroit, Duncan Aldred, Vice President of GMC and Buick Global, highlighted the remarkable power demands of the GMC Hummer EV, underscoring its performance capabilities and the challenges it poses in terms of battery usage.

Aldred noted that the Hummer EV’s size and performance requirements equate to roughly twice the energy consumption of other electric vehicles in GM’s lineup.

This emphasizes battery availability, a critical factor that could impact production despite ongoing challenges such as chip shortages and labor issues.

The flagship Hummer EV boasts a substantial 212-kWh battery pack, dwarfing competitors like the Chevrolet Bolt (67 kWh), Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevrolet Blazer EV (both around 100 kWh), as well as Ford’s F-150 Lightning (131 kWh).

Even Tesla’s high-performance Model X, in its fastest “Plaid” configuration, requires a 100-kWh pack. This colossal battery size allows the Hummer EV to accelerate like a sports car despite its hefty weight of over 9,000 pounds.

However, the trade-off for such power is evident during charging. InsideEVs recently reported that charging a nearly depleted Hummer EV on an Electrify America charger took approximately 2.5 hours, adding 224 kWh of power at a cost approaching $100.

This underscores the Hummer EV’s substantial appetite for electricity, reflecting the broader challenge of managing battery resources efficiently in GM’s electric vehicle strategy.

As GM prepares to launch additional electric models like the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, which will feature similarly large battery packs, the industry continues to grapple with balancing performance demands with sustainable battery usage in the evolving landscape of electric vehicles.