Remember the Hummer H3T? We forgive you if you don't - the midsize truck was only around for two model years. But it seems General Motors is keen to enter that segment again, with insiders claiming the automaker may introduce a smaller electric pickup in the coming years.
People close to the matter told Bloomberg that while the more compact Hummer is still a design concept, it is being seen as a priority project and has a strong chance of entering production. Like the Hummer EV Pickup and Hummer EV SUV, the newcomer will be sold under the GMC brand.
According to the unnamed sources, GM views Hummer as a strong brand with an equally strong fan base. A cheaper, smaller Hummer will appeal to a broader market and drum up more sales. A compact offering could also see the Hummer infiltrate the European market, where General Motors has plans to sell electric vehicles.
It's interesting to see the automaker take this approach again. In the early 2000s, Hummer introduced the more compact H2 and H3 models to cater to a broader audience. While neither had the charm or bravado of the original H1, both proved popular with the Beverly Hills brigade and hip-hop stars.
However, this love affair with Hummer soon ended, as environmental concerns clouded the brand image. To make matters worse, surging gas prices and a global recession arrived around the same time, causing sales to plummet. GM had no choice but to kill the brand off in 2010.
But its return as an electric sub-brand under the GMC banner has been a success, as these battery-powered behemoths now offer buyers all the things people loved about the original, but with zero emissions. It's just one way General Motors is hoping to tackle the EV market, with the recently-revealed Celestiq targeting the upper echelons of clean motoring.
GMC itself has declined to comment on the matter, but we've been expecting a smaller Hummer truck for some time now. In 2020, General Motors president Mark Reuss said the company will roll out myriad electric pickups in the future. We've already got the aforementioned Hummer EV Pickup, and the Silverado EV and recently teased GMC Sierra EV Denali are heading our way.
The smaller, cheaper Hummer hasn't been confirmed, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, if GM gets it right, the next model could be a well-priced alternative to the Rivian R1T, which is proving a hit with consumers thanks to a fine blend of performance, technology, and practical size.
