With the Tesla Cybertruck out, the electric pickup’s launch has opened the floodgates to a wide variety of content on YouTube. We’ve already seen the ultra-angular utilitarian vehicle winning a drag race against a Porsche 911 while the truck was towing another 911. Now, it’s time for a more conventional duel against a direct rival – the GMC Hummer EV. The venue is a bit unusual since the battle took place in Austin, Texas at Tesla’s Gigafactory.
Carwow’s Mat Watson was one of the few journalists invited by Tesla to sample the long-awaited pickup. He did more than that since he raced the Cybertruck against another heavyweight EV truck. Both were the top-spec versions with no fewer than three electric motors. Tesla calls it the Cyberbeast while GMC has named it Hummer EV 3X Pickup. These are two of the heaviest vehicles money can buy considering the former weighs 6,843 pounds (3,104 kilograms) while the latter tips the scales at a ridiculous 9,061 lbs (4,110 kg).
Even with the most powerful combustion engines out there, these two trucks wouldn’t be able to deliver neck-snapping acceleration given their mighty heft. This is where an electric motor’s instant torque shines since the massive trucks are supercar-quick off the line. The Cyberbeast has a mighty 686 lb-ft (930 Nm) whereas the Hummer has a colossal 1,095 lb-ft (1,485 Nm). The Tesla is also down on horsepower (845 hp vs 1,014 hp) but it makes up for the difference with its far lower curb weight.
The Hummer didn’t stand a chance in any of the drag races and it also lost in the subsequent rolling races. Even with five people inside the Cyberbeast to make it heavier, the GMC just wasn’t able to keep up. It’s worth noting the Tesla ute initially had the firmware for the dual-motor variant that limited top speed to 112 mph (180 km/h) but an update unlocked the full 130 mph (209 km/h) of the tri-motor model. The Cybertruck featured here is technically a pre-production prototype but Tesla promises customer cars will match this mind-boggling performance.
The GMC did manage to win one duel in the end. Despite being significantly heavier, it triumphed in the brake test from 70 mph (113 km/h) to a full stop. That’s honestly a big surprise considering the weight of a Mazda MX-5 Miata separates these two. With this being a prototype, perhaps the Cyberbeast’s brakes were not in tip-top shape, which would explain the unexpected outcome.
