General Motors could expand its GMC Hummer EV family with something a little less expansive.
Bloomberg reports the American automaker is considering launching a mid-sized – i.e. Ford Ranger-sized – electric pickup truck wearing Hummer badging.
Sources told the media outlet it’s only a design concept in GM’s California studio at the moment but has a good chance of going into production as a “priority project”.
Such a model would also be better suited for export markets such as Europe. GM is planning to reboot its operations there, focusing on electric vehicles.
GM dusted off the dormant Hummer brand as a new sub-brand for its GMC pickup truck and SUV division, with the GMC Hummer EV pickup the first EV on GM’s Ultium underpinnings. It entered production at the very end of 2021.
An SUV variant was revealed last year and will enter production in 2023.
The company reportedly believes the Hummer name’s strong recognition and following would make a smaller model a logical extension, while it holds appeal to more well-heeled customers.
The GMC Hummer EV dual-cab pickup measures 5507mm long, 2202mm wide, 2060mm tall and rides a 3444mm wheelbase.
While that’s 378mm shorter overall than a dual-cab Chevrolet Silverado 1500, it’s still 137mm longer than a dual-cab Ranger if almost identical to a Rivian R1T.
In tri-motor Edition 1 pickup guise, the first variant to be launched, the GMC Hummer EV weighs between 4103kg and 4282kg.
A Ranger Raptor, in comparison, has a kerb weight of 2475kg, and the Ultium-based Cadillac Lyriq weighs up to 2683kg.
While GM also has a Chevrolet Silverado EV launching this year and a related GMC Sierra EV set for an imminent debut, the Hummer EV is pitched more as a premium off-roader.
To that end, GM has included various clever features like a CrabWalk function that allows the rear wheels and front wheels to steer at the same angle at low speeds, allowing you to diagonally move the vehicle when you encounter challenging terrain, and an Extract Mode on the adaptive air suspension that will raise it by 149mm.
GM also claims the Hummer EV can ford water more than 600mm deep.
That would likely be the case for a smaller Hummer pickup, which is expected to have two similarly sized compatriots of its own: the Chevrolet Colorado EV and GMC Canyon EV, reportedly set for launch in 2026.
This smaller Hummer could face competition from the likes of Ford, Ram and Volkswagen.
Ford has applied to trademark the Ranger Lightning name, while Ram is reportedly working on a vehicle to slot in underneath the upcoming 1500 BEV/Revolution full-sized pickup that’s set to be revealed in November.
There’s no word on when the smaller Ram will arrive, though the brand’s CEO Mike Koval Jr. told Automotive News last month it plans to show an early concept of a mid-sized pickup truck to dealers in March.
While he didn’t specify whether this was electric, an electric pickup truck on the STLA Large platform was teased in wireframe at Stellantis’ EV Day last year alongside a range of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles which have gradually been revealed.
Volkswagen is targeting the North American market with its upcoming Scout brand, dusting off the ex-International Harvester nameplate for an electric off-roader in both ute and SUV body styles.
Hummer H3 
Hummer HX concept
In its last iteration, Hummer also started big and gradually rolled out smaller vehicles.
The H1 was a rebranded AM General M998 Humvee, and was followed by the H2 in 2002 that was related to GM’s largest pickup trucks and SUVs.
The H3, related to the first-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, entered production in 2005 and an even smaller H4 was in the works before GM’s bankruptcy led to it shuttering the brand.
This was teased with the 2008 HX concept, which previewed the doomed V6-powered Jeep Wrangler rival.
