Here's How Long A GMC Hummer EV Battery Will Probably Last
GMC's new electric Hummer pickup is a beefy crab-walking tank of an EV. It's huge, fast, and has a price tag in the low-six figures to boot. At 9,640 lbs, the Hummer weighs as much as roughly six baby humpback whales (via Car and Driver). Despite its heft, the GMC is actually relatively efficient when it comes to energy use. GMC estimates that extended range models can go up to 350 miles on a charge. The non-EV Hummers of yore were rolling punchlines of inefficiency and single-digit fuel economy.
Underneath the Hummer is the Ultium platform, General Motors' modular EV technology, which will power most of its electrified fleet well into the future. GM plans to use that platform on everything from delivery vans to the yet to be released EV Silverado.
Stats and figures are one thing, but what it would be like to own a Hummer EV in the long run is something else. Battery life and replacement costs are often at the forefront of a buyer's concerns when shopping for EVs. If a cell fails or the entire battery needs to be replaced after the warranty runs out, that could leave the owner with a hefty bill. It's unlikely one will find an entire Ultium platform in a junkyard with a healthy battery.
Is the Hummer in for the long haul?
According to GMC, batteries will be covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. That's a fairly lengthy window where GM will cover problems with the battery. For comparison, Tesla covers the Model X and S batteries for 150,000 miles or eight years.
If you want to keep your Hummer longer, GM estimates that the new Ultium architecture's battery will last between 150,000 and 250,000 miles, according to statements by Tim Grewe, GM's Director of Electrification Strategy and Cell Engineering, per Car and Driver.
That range is well within the lifespan of traditional vehicles. 250,000 miles isn't anything to sneeze at, even for a vehicle that can't crab-walk like the Hummer. Hopefully, that's not an optimistic range. The Ultium platforms are just making their way into the real world. Time will tell how new GM EVs will perform in reality.
That should relieve some potential buyer's fears about the effective lifespan of the Hummer. Hopefully, as EV technology advances and becomes more commonplace, battery replacement won't be so costly.