The Hummer Goes Green, Without Losing Its Edge

The Original HUMVEE was a military vehicle with a no-nonsense swagger and came with very few creature comforts. But when the brand was reborn with the H2, it became the SUV of choice for the rich and famous all over the world.

However, the H2 was a gas-guzzling monster, which was then sent to the history books as the world increasingly turned more eco-conscious. Today, the Hummer is back but with an electric heart and dripping with technology. Embracing

electrification has helped the Hummer brand become even more powerful and capable along with being more environmentally responsible too.

You really need to see one in the flesh as the sheer size blows everything away in terms of road presence. With a length of 5,250mm, the new Hummer EV is gigantic and stands tall with its muscular shoulders, plus the boxy lines stay faithful to the original Humvee ethos along with a touch of modernity. Climbing aboard is an effort but once inside, it’s a futuristic cabin arrayed with technology. There is a massive touch screen and plenty of chunky switchgear scattered all over.

The space is surprisingly good but not as much as the size would suggest. There is no bellowing sound track for the driver to revel in though as the Hummer EV moves silently, but the performance is shocking to say the least. The numbers are staggering: three electric motors with 1000bhp and a humongous 246kwh battery pack.

It goes from 0 to 100 km/h in a faintly ridiculous 3.5 seconds as it lurches forward with alarming athleticism. Despite its size, it’s easy to drive with a light steering and the absurd power helps it to outrun pretty much everything else on the road.

There are a plethora of drive modes and various settings to play with but the most talked about feature is the ‘crab walk’

where the car drives sideways as all of the four wheels move in the same direction. This helps in parking but ends up being a party piece. The driving experience is also a huge change from the earlier Hummers, with more agility as well as better handling although the massive size somewhat makes you slow down around corners.

Driving the car on Indian roads is surreal as traffic simply parts and camera phones are whipped out in an instant. Being

electric means it’s no longer guzzling fuel but the range at around 500km per charge isn’t exactly the highest. Enthusiastic

driving will see that figure plummet further.

However, the GMC Hummer is easily a far more desirable car than its predecessors, with better road manners as well as more respect of the environment.

The car is already making waves with celebrity owners all over the world, including in India. Priced at `3.5 crore, the Hummer EV is more expensive than other conventional luxury SUVs but no other car can provide such a mix of performance as well as road presence. The Hummer indeed lives on in this more eco-conscious world.

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