Same 1,000 horsepower, same 300-mile range, but more ground clearance and less weight.
Most people who drive the GMC Hummer EV come away feeling some mix of awe and disappointment. It’s a gimmicky, mediocre EV ruined by its excess, just like the Hummer H1 that inspired it. We might as well have just turned those into EVs. But as it turns out, when North American Electric Vehicles does that, you end up with a truck that’s better in almost every way, at least off road.
Them’s fighting words against an electric truck with superlative specs. A Hummer EV has up to 1,000 horsepower, 16 inches of ground clearance, and a claimed max range of 381 miles (that the EPA will never verify). Getting all that in one vehicle however comes at a price: It totes around up to 205 kilowatt-hours of batteries, which weigh a ton and a half on their own. Its resulting 9,000-pound curb weight compromises handling, ruins efficiency, and increases its odds of maiming itself with a misstep on the trails.
But NAEV’s H1 EVs don’t have that problem, because they’re far lighter than the GMC.
NAEV told us its “Cyber-Hummers” weigh in between 4,500 and 6,000 pounds depending on battery size, which range from 75 to 150 kWh. Those Tesla-sourced packs are housed down low in the frame just like in the GMC, making them drive “two orders of magnitude better” than stock, according to NAEV.
Dumping power into Tesla drive units, Cyber-Hummers can put out 1,000 hp too, which are still good for zero to 60 in under 3.5 seconds. (Maybe it’ll even do wheelies.) Those drive units can be spec’d with locking differentials, complementing a staggering 18 inches of ground clearance, and off-road-calibrated traction programming.
Range is strong too, with NAEV estimating up to 300 miles. Because it borrows its charging systems from Teslas, Cyber-Hummers have NACS charging ports that give them access to the biggest charging networks in the country. They also get all-new interiors, complete with enough touchscreens to enrapture an iPad Kid.
NAEV says its conversions are completely turnkey, and that you can order one without a donor truck. But you’ll have to wait at least six months, and be able to fork over at least $99,000—about what you’d pay for the GMC. They’re only gonna make 18 of them next year too, and while NAEV plans to double production every year through 2026, there are only gonna be so many to go around. Especially when Hummer EV owners cash out their trust funds to buy a spot in line.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
