The history of the polarizing Hummer, from notorious gas-guzzling SUV to zero-emission electric pickup of the future

Hummer main — Hummer H2 SUT.

AP Photo/General Motors

General Motors revealed its very first electric pickup truck on Tuesday — the GMC Hummer EV.
The original Hummer H1 hit the streets in 1992, and GMC’s new truck is the first new Hummer since GM shut down the brand in 2010.
This all comes as several manufacturers — including Ford, Tesla, and Rivian — plan to roll out electric pickups in the near future.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

After some coronavirus-related setbacks and months of hinting, GMC finally revealed the 2022 Hummer EV on Tuesday. The electric pickup truck’s debut comes a full decade after General Motors discontinued the Hummer brand amid rising gas prices and a decline in demand for the military-inspired SUV.

It’s a surprising move, considering the Hummer’s reputation as an unabashedly excessive gas guzzler. The 2006 Hummer H3, for example, has a rated 16 mpg combined by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

But an increasing number of automakers are embracing EVs and entering the electric-pickup market. Tesla’s Cybertruck, Rivian’s R1T, Ford’s electric F-150, and Bollinger’s B2 are all slated to begin production or launch within the next couple of years. GM is set to begin production on the Hummer EV “Edition 1” model in late 2021.

The Hummer revival also follows the recent trend of carmakers resurrecting old and beloved nameplates. New versions of the Toyota Supra, Ford Ranger, and Land Rover Defender were all unveiled in recent years, and a new Ford Bronco — eliminated from the company’s lineup in 1996 — hit the market this summer.

In honor of the Hummer’s new life as an EV, here’s a look back at the brand’s history.

Much like the Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender, and Mercedes G-Wagen, the Hummer traces its origins back to a military vehicle.

humvee 2 — A military HMMWV.

Emmanuel Ocbazghi

In 1983, an American Motors subsidiary called AM General won a $1.2 billion contract to develop a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle, otherwise known as an HMMWV.

Humvee 1 — An HMMWV is offloaded from a Military Airlift Command C-130 Hercules aircraft during exercise.

Corbis Historical/Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

Nicknamed the Humvee by soldiers, the burly vehicles were used as command centers, ambulances, and troop carriers for the US military starting in 1985.

Humvee Convoy — A convoy of Humvees in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.

DOD/Getty Images

Source: Time

Soldiers referred to the HMMWV as “jeeps on steroids,” since the ultra-capable Humvee could ascend 60% grades, roll through 30 inches of water, and climb up a 22-inch step.

US Army humvee — US marines drive their Humvees vehicles during a military exercise.

REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

Sources: Time, Dupont Registry

In 1992, AM General released the first civilian version of the Humvee, the Hummer, which came to be known as the Hummer H1 after GM bought the brand in 1999.

Sources: History, Autotrader

Essentially a barely modified Humvee, it weighed roughly 7,000 pounds — or far more than two Honda Civics combined — got around 10 mpg, and retained military-specific appointments like hoops up front that would potentially allow it to be dropped from a plane.

Sources: Edmunds, The Los Angeles Times, Autotrader

It was a force off road due to its locking differentials, high-torque diesel engine options, and central tire inflation system that allowed drivers to adjust tire pressure on the go.

Source: General Motors

The H1 was a fairly niche vehicle, and sales figures reflect that — during its 14-year run, fewer than 12,000 H1s were sold.

Source: Hemmings

In 2002, GM introduced the smaller Hummer H2. It featured similar styling to the H1, but came with a lower price tag.

2003 Hummer H2_0 — Hummer H2.

RMSotheby’s

Source: History

While the H1 shared a great deal with the military-spec Humvee, the H2 was built on a platform cobbled together from the Chevy Tahoe and GM’s heavy-duty pickups.

Humvee and H2 — A Hummer H2 parked alongside a military Humvee.

John B. Carnett/Getty Images

Source: Autotrader

The H2 weighed several hundred pounds less than its predecessor, and boasted slightly better fuel economy at an estimated 10 to 13 mpg.

Hummer h2 5 — Hummer H2.

Toby Talbot/AP

Source: Edmunds, The New York Times

While it wasn’t as robust or capable as the H1, the H2 sported some impressive specs — it could climb over a 30-inch wall, take on 20 inches of water, and tow 7,000 pounds.

Hummer H2 offroad — Hummer H2.

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

A pickup version, called the H2 SUT, which stands for “sport-utility truck,” arrived on the scene for 2005. It had a pickup bed and started at $53,055.

Hummer SUT — Hummer H2 SUT.

Ted Soqui/Getty

Source: Car and Driver

Introduced for 2006, the third version of the Hummer — called the H3, unsurprisingly — strayed further from the brand’s military heritage.

Source: Carfax

It was smaller and more affordable than previous Hummers — based on the Chevy Colorado pickup platform, the H3 stood 16.8 inches shorter and 6.5 inches narrower than the H2.

Hummer h3 3 — Hummer H3.

Lionel Flusin/Getty Images

Source: Car and Driver

It could be had for as little as $29,500 and, like the H2, featured a pickup alternative called the H3T.

Hummer H3t concept — An early Hummer H3T concept.

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Source: Kelley Blue Book

With an EPA-estimated 20 mpg, the H3 boasted nearly double the fuel economy of the H2.

Hummer H3t — Hummer H3T.

Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images

Source: Car and Driver

The H2 was sold through the 2009 model year, while the H3 wasn’t phased out until the demise of the Hummer brand in 2010.

Hummer h3s dealership — H3s sit unsold at a Hummer dealership in Colorado.

David Zalubowski/AP

Source: Advance Auto Parts

Amid broad financial struggles, rising fuel prices, and plummeting sales for the gas-guzzling Hummer lineup, the General shuttered the brand just 11 years after acquiring it.

Hummer Dealership — H2s sit on a dealership lot in 2004.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

In the years since Hummer shut down, tuners have used the H1 platform to build some truly off-the-wall custom trucks, like this 500-horsepower model created by Mil-Spec Automotive.

Milspec H1 — Mil-Spec Automotive Launch Edition.

Mil-Spec Automotive

Source: Mil-Spec Automotive

And in 2017, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a huge fan of the original Hummer, unveiled an electric H1 prototype built by Kreisel Electric. Earlier that year, he helped the company present a zero-emissions Mercedes G-Wagen.