The lines at the GM Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant – better known today as Factory Zero – come to life with the unified sound of the GMC Hummer EV SUV. January 30th marked the start of production of the long-awaited luxury off-roader.
GMC and Buick Global Vice President Duncan Aldred confirmed the production launch today during the GMC business roundtable. If all goes according to plan, GMC will start slowly with a sizeable increase in production for the second half of the year. No specific sales date or planned production number was offered, but GMC currently has 90,000 Hummer EV reservations to fill. Aldred further said, of the 90,000 units, around 50 to 60 percent were for pickup trucks.
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Aldred also confirmed that GMC is considering offering the Hummer EV SUV in China, but a final decision has yet to be made. General Motors traveled to Shanghai in November for the China International Import Show, bringing the Hummer EV and Cadillac Celestiq SUVs to market for the first time. Aldred said GMC was “gathering interest” for luxury EVs in China but did not elaborate further on the matter.
The Hummer EV news is part of a wider presentation on the state of GMC’s business activities in 2022, which will see the company gain market share over cross-town rivals Ford and Ram. In addition to the EV talk, GMC says demand is “very high” for the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition, which debuts in July 2022 and is expected to go on sale later this year.
GMC is still on track to sell its Sierra EV electric pickup truck early next year in its top-of-the-range Denali Edition 1, which will have an MSRP similar to that of the Hummer. When that happens, GMC will have two six-figure full-size electric trucks, but the automaker doesn’t see them competing within the company. In an e-mail to Motor1.comGMC says it regards the Hummer as a halo vehicle for the company, while the Sierra EV is aimed “to the heart of the premium truck market.”
