What's so wrong with wanting an electric Hummer?
Why Can’t We Have an Electric Hummer?
Electric Hummer could possibly be the most absurd two-word phrase you’ve ever read. And truth be told, it’s probably a phrase you’re likely never to encounter again.
But that’s not to say it wouldn’t be a bad idea for GM to consider creating an electric Hummer, and here’s why.
A Poster Child for Electrification
Hummer would be the perfect poster child for vehicle electrification. Sure, laugh about that for a second, because that’s the knee-jerk reaction. And that’s partly why Hummer is perfect for the role. In the past, Hummer stood for guzzling gas with reckless disregard of the consequences.
By bringing Hummer back as a fully-electric brand, GM would be making a huge statement. It would speak louder than all the Chevy Bolt and Volt sales. It says that the automaker is willing to push for extreme ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption and reduce emissions.
General Motors has the technology to do it. Sure, it would take some ingenuity, but I think they could pull it off.
The Arnie Effect
In a twist most people didn’t see coming, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become a spokesman for the electrification movement. He’s the proud owner of an electrified Mercedes G-Wagen. Kreisel Electric converted the SUV, which normally is a big gas guzzler. It can do 0-60 in just 5.6 seconds.
Arnie’s taken to Facebook, telling critics he doesn’t give a rat’s ass if they don’t like his outspoken opinions on alternative energy. That kind of swagger is a bit of a departure from what people have associated electric car owners with in the past. It’s liberating and empowering. And Arnie’s one of the few people who can pull it off.
Plus, if you don’t recall from the ’90s, Schwarzenegger was a proud Hummer H1 owner. If GM could recruit him as a champion for the new electrified Hummer, it would create buzz. Hell, it’d whip up a full-force storm.
Further, while he was the Governator of California, GM made Schwarzenegger a custom hydrogen-powered Hummer H2 (an H2H, get it?) to help promote the state’s ill-fated Hydrogen highway initiative.
A regular Hummer H2 had an EPA rating of 10 mpg in the city, 13 on the highway. The H2H emitted water vapor. That was in early 2005. So don’t tell me they couldn’t make a serious electric Hummer in 2017.
Making a Business Case
Reviving Hummer as an all-electric SUV brand wouldn’t just be about pride or making a statement. Sure, those are important factors. But making money and moving products is the most important factor.
People actually want big SUVs that don’t spew pollution out the rear. Case in point: the Tesla Model X. When the California automaker introduced its luxury SUV, plenty of people said it wouldn’t sell, at least not like the Model S. They reasoned that anyone interested in going green wasn’t also in the market for a big vehicle.
Tesla is proving the doubters wrong. During the first quarter of 2017, over 40 percent of the company’s vehicle sales were from the Model X. Elon Musk told investors that there were supply issues for the SUV. In other words, if Tesla had more available, it probably would’ve sold them.
Most people heard these sales figures and said “Tesla’s selling a bunch of vehicles!” What they missed is that shoppers want high-end, all-electric SUVs. Other automakers should be paying attention, because there’s a demand some claimed didn’t exist a couple of years ago.
While the Model X has interesting falcon wing doors and a huge tablet for the center stack, Hummer has a unique appeal. Shoppers would get a boxy, meaty-looking SUV, without suffering from the atrocious fuel economy that’s the traditional big drawback for Hummers and the like.
Depending on the exact engineering of an electric Hummer, the SUVs would come with another huge advantage: off-road capability. You can’t exactly take the Model X on a rugged trail. While not everyone needs or wants that kind of capability, there’s definitely a market for it.
Hunting Jeep
Speaking of Jeep, GM could cut into its growing and lucrative market share by bringing Hummer back. Ever since Hummer went away, Jeep has seen a steady increase in sales. It’s the shining star of Fiat Chrysler, having outlasted plenty of competitors.
Ford’s already working on bringing back the Bronco. Toyota’s been flirting with an FJ Cruiser successor. GM doesn’t have anything that would play in that space. Sure, it could resurrect the Chevy Blazer, but with the bad taste of the Trail Blazer still lingering, that might not be the best idea.
Besides, going for an upscale, all-electric, trail-capable SUV would give GM a different, compelling product. As the Hummer tag line used to always say, the brand would be “like no other.”
Jeep is moving extremely slow on electrification, for a variety of reasons. It creates an opening for competitors to jump ahead in that area. In the long run, GM would gain a huge advantage over Fiat Chrysler’s crown jewel.
GM has been pouring considerable resources in to alternative fuels. It started way back with the “skateboard” fuel cell chassis it was toying around with long ago.
It’s continuing with a deepening R&D relationship with Honda, plus the Chevy Volt and Bolt. An electric Hummer would show how serious the company is about being a market leader.
What do you think? Would you buy an electric Hummer?
