Not all electric vehicles are created equal. Some are far more efficient with their electricity usage. So when early reports emerged claiming the 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup could only manage a measly 47 MPGe combined, we decided we need a new term for EVs that could be equivalent to gas guzzler. In another recent study, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) showed the Hummer EV is actually worse for the environment than a gas-powered car like a Chevy Malibu. But does that really matter?

The study measured grams of carbon dioxide per mile when counting for emissions from the grid. Since 60% of electricity in the US is produced by "dirty" energy sources like coal. This study was not kind to the Hummer EV , but GMC isn't ready to take this criticism without offering a retort.

"The study cited ignores important real-world benefits of bringing to market performance-oriented EVs like the GMC Hummer EV. For example, 75% of the customers who have reserved a Hummer EV have never owned an EV - many are or were pickup owners," a GMC spokesperson told CarBuzz.

This is a crucial distinction, as the ACEEE measured the Hummer EV against a completely incomparable vehicle like the Malibu. Very few people will trade out of a Malibu (or a similar vehicle) into a Hummer EV, making it a rather irrelevant comparison. Instead, it would be more realistic to measure the Hummer EV against the original Hummer H1. In this measurement, the Hummer EV comes out way ahead with 340 grams per mile versus 889 grams in the H1 (lower numbers are better in this case).

"If there's value in convincing non-EV owners to adopt electric vehicles, the GMC Hummer EV (and other performance-oriented EVs) is accomplishing more to bring EV skeptics into the fold and [acquaint them] with this new technology than the glass-half-empty criticisms like the one in this study ever will," the spokesperson added.

Though the Hummer is far from the most efficient EV on the market, it's still better for the environment than a comparable diesel-powered heavy duty pickup. Comparing it to an EV in a completely different market segment, like a Chevy Bolt or Tesla Model 3, is silly and irrelevant exercise. Just like with gas-powered cars for the past century, there will still be efficient and inefficient vehicles in the electric era.