The lines at GM’s Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant – better known these days as Factory Zero – are alive with the sounds of GMC Hummer EV SUVs coming together. January 30 marks the start of production for the long-awaited luxury off-roader.
GMC and Buick Global Vice President Duncan Aldred confirmed the production launch today during a GMC business roundtable. If all goes according to plan, GMC will start slowly with a considerable ramp-up in production for the second half of the year. Specific on-sale dates or planned production numbers weren’t offered, but GMC currently has 90,000 Hummer EV reservations to fill. Aldred further stated that of those 90,000 units, approximately 50 to 60 percent were for the pickup truck.
Aldred also confirmed that GMC was looking into offering the Hummer EV SUV in China, but that a final decision on that front hasn’t been reached. General Motors traveled to Shanghai in November for the China International Import Expo, presenting the Hummer EV SUV and Cadillac Celestiq to the market for the first time. Aldred said GMC was “gauging interest” for luxury EVs in China but didn’t mention anything further on the subject.
The Hummer EV news was part of a broader presentation on the state of GMC’s business activity in 2022, which saw the company gain market share over crosstown rivals Ford and Ram. In addition to EV talk, GMC said demand is “really high” for the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition, which debuted in July 2022 and is expected to go on sale later this year.
GMC is still on track to have its electric Sierra EV pickup truck on sale early next year in range-topping Denali Edition 1, which will have an MSRP similar to 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 email to Motor1.com, GMC said it considers the Hummer as a halo vehicle for the company, while the Sierra EV is aimed at “towards the heart of the premium truck market.”
