GM's forthcoming challenger to the Tesla Cybertruck and electric Ford F-150, the GMC Hummer EV, will just have to wait.
According to sources familiar with the matter, General Motors has motioned to alter the battery-electric Hummer's big reveal event scheduled for May 20. The unveiling had been planned for GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, which is converting over entirely to electric vehicle production, but complications stemming from the global novel coronavirus outbreak have rendered the automaker's reveal plans untenable.
When asked about the matter, GM spokespeople declined to comment.
GM hasn't yet officially announced how they'll reschedule the GMC Hummer's debut. It's undecided whether or not they still intend to unveil it on May 20, perhaps through a live-streamed remote event, or if it will debut later in the year.
Here are several factors that went into the decision to adjust the Hummer EV reveal:
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced GM to send its employees home for the time being, so needless to say, the automaker has likely been unable to produce a driving, functioning prototype. During GM's high-profile EV Day in the first week of March, just as the coronavirus was invading Michigan, the Hummer EV pickup truck and SUV on display were merely clay models. Considering that GM reveal events almost always have included a functioning pre-production model, it's unlikely that these static displays of the Hummer EV would be up to standard for such a high-profile reveal.
In addition, with the virus still spreading at a rapid clip - and especially in the state of Michigan, which has the fourth-highest rate of infection in the US - there are concerns that holding a live event, even just for dealers, members of the media, and other VIPs, could result in further spreading the disease. General Motors, taking a serious approach to the Covid-19 pandemic, understands this.
It's expected that Michigan will hit its infection peak very soon, assuming the state hasn't already, but of course, a "cool-down" period will be necessary to make sure the pandemic subsides as much as possible before the state can return to business as usual.
The GMC Hummer EV will relaunch GM's legacy "Hummer" name in the US market, after some years of absence. The model line is expected to include both a pure-electric pickup truck and an electric SUV, to go up against the likes of Rivian's R1T and R1S, not to mention Tesla's Cybertruck, Ford's pure-electric F-150, and other challengers from LMC and Bollinger. It's expected to be a low-volume full-size electric vehicle with a price tag closer to $100,000 than to $50,000.
Confirmed details mention that the top-end Hummer EV will have 1,000 horsepower, and rather dubious 11,500 lb-ft of torque. With that in mind, this mighty truck deserves a mighty reveal, and when the time is right, we'll likely get just that.