The new Hummer EV is a big deal both literally and figuratively. In a new documentary shot by GMC itself, the journey from concept to production goes under the microscope. As the world transitions from internal combustion to all-electric powertrains, this film is a good example of the work that goes into that shift.
Such a radical shift plays nicely with the change that the Hummer brand had to undergo as well. Everyone remembers just how big, slow, and consumptive the old truck was. The new version had to buck that trend without losing its brooding image.
Much of the early part of this documentary highlights how much work went into the design phase even going so far as to talk about the way the infotainment system was made specifically for Hummer.
Read Also: GM To Accelerate Production Of Hummer EV Due To Strong Interest
“The story we discovered while filming was far more fascinating than anything we could have hoped for,” said O’Grady. “We witnessed a bold and passionate team bring GM’s first major entry into this extraordinary transformation of the auto industry. This was an incredible opportunity to go deep behind the scenes of the development process to discover what it takes to bring a vehicle to life, and to capture this moment in automotive history as it happened.”
Of course, much of what they captured is footage of real testing going on. That’s where we get awesome shots of the truck sliding around giant gravel tracks including the jump mentioned above. Considering that the Hummer weighs some 9,000-pounds (4,082 kg), we can’t imagine what that must have felt like.
We also get to see the testing team internationally torture test the EV in some really wild conditions. At one point we see a test vehicle bend its tie rod on the trail before workers fix it in the rain. When you hear someone in the clip say that they took these vehicles out to break them, they meant it.
It’s a long video but does a nice job of highlighting the challenges that come with introducing a brand new vehicle on a brand new powertrain. We can’t wait to get our hands on one and tell you all about it.