Earlier this week we told you about a study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) which found the GMC Hummer EV emits more carbon dioxide (CO2) than some gas powered cars.
General Motors has now responded to the study, and while they don’t refute the findings, they say that the “performance oriented” Hummer EV will help drive electric vehicle (EV) adoption, which is the ultimate goal.
“The study ignores the real-world importance and benefit of bringing to market performance oriented EVs like the GMC Hummer EV. Seventy five percent of the tens of thousands of customers who’ve reserved a Hummer EV have never owned an EV – many are or were pickup owners. The GMC Hummer EV (and other performance-oriented EVs) are accomplishing more in bringing EV skeptics into the EV fold than any of these glass-half-empty criticisms ever will,” a GM spokesperson told GM Authority.
The study by ACEEE, a nonprofit research organization, showed that the over 9,000-pound Hummer EV produces around 341 grams of CO2 per mile driven, compared to a gas-powered Chevy Malibu which emits around 320 grams of CO2.
The reason is that while the Hummer EV produces no tailpipe emissions, the over 200kWh battery packs is powered by electricity. And since 60% of electricity in the U.S. is generated from fossil fuels, it has a larger carbon footprint than some vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE).
The fact that the Hummer EV might not be as eco-friendly as some gas cars, it isn’t stopping people from paying exorbitant prices to own one. A Hummer EV Edition 1 with 48 miles on the odometer recently sold for $324,500 at auction, more than three times its original price.
Those high prices are being driven by the Hummer EVs relative scarcity. GM is currently producing just 12 units per day, and with an order backlog of over 77,000, it will take the better part of two decades to fulfil all those orders.
