General Motors announced on Monday it has begun production of the Hummer EV in SUV form at the Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center. The automaker announced the start of production at a GMC business update event on Monday, where the Hummer EV was touted as the “most sought-after vehicle in the world.”
The GMC Hummer EV was first unveiled back in 2020 in truck form. An SUV format was also teased at the same time, with a full reveal coming a few months later. The truck version entered production later that year with GM delivering the first unit just before the end of 2021. Demand for both the truck and SUV versions have been brisk, with GM eventually deciding to stop taking new reservations last September after the wait list grew to more than 90,000 customers.
That waitlist might not seem like a lot when GM produces over 6 million cars per year, but Hummer EV production has been extremely slow, with as few as 12 units rolling off the production line at one point last year, leading to just 864 Hummer EV deliveries in 2022. The rate of production and deliveries should increase in 2023 with the addition of the Hummer EV SUV, with GMC saying the first customers should expect to receive their Hummer EV SUVs before the end of the first quarter.
Their long wait list paired with a low rate of production means both the 2023 and 2024 model years has already been allocated, leading Duncan Aldred, global vice president of GMC and Buick, to claim the Hummer EV is “the most sought-after vehicle in the world right now.” (via The Detroit News)
Even though Hummer EV production was slow, the electric truck was still delivered to customers with problems. It has already faced three recalls. One was for malfunctioning taillights, another was because the massive 230kWh battery pack might not be properly sealed, and the third was a voluntary recall for a potential battery connector issue.
Customers are also paying more the Hummer EV. Last year GM increased the price of all trim levels of the Hummer EV in both truck and SUV form by $6,250 due to an “increase in the price of commodity parts.”
