For full disclosure, the following is a trick question: What do the 2022 Chevrolet Spark, 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata, 2022 Nissan Versa and 2022 Toyota Corolla have in common?
Yes, they’re all compact cars, economy wonders to sports-oriented little machines that can.
But the Spark, which weighs 2,310 pounds, the MX-5 Miata (2,341 pounds), Versa (2,599 pounds) and Corolla (2,910 pounds) share industry lightweight honors for another peculiar reason. They all weigh less than the battery of a 2022 Hummer EV.
The pending monster electric pickup truck’s Ultium battery in the top-trim Edition 1 weighs 2,923 pounds. It’s 32 percent of the Hummers’ curb weights of 9,063 pounds, according to information submitted by General Motors to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If the massive battery pack’s comparison to entire cars isn’t shocking enough, the new Hummer weighs 2,500 pounds more than the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. The Hummer has a tri-motor drivetrain; the Lightning has dual motors.
While the Hummer’s battery hugeness is impressive, it’s status quo considering some of the truck’s spec. It’s touted as advancing from zero to 60 miles per hour in about three seconds. It’s also marketed with 1,000 horsepower and 350 miles of range
And perhaps the most alarming new Hummer statistic? Its MSRP is $110,295.
The Hummer, which ceased production more than a decade ago as an oversized utilitarian sport utility vehicle, will have a towing capacity of between 7,500 and 11,000 pounds and a payload capacity between 1,500 and 3,500 pounds.
The original Hummer was discontinued in 2010 and was a symbol of excess. Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger purchased the first two H1 models (Hummer 1), the civilian models of the military Humvee vehicles, in the late 1980s.
A few years later, the original AM General manufacturer was purchased by GM. Hummer trucks were coveted by celebrities, and in 2006 the carmaker sold 71,524 units, its top year.
The new Hummer is predicted to go on public sale in the fall of 2022.
James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.
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