Tag: Future Classics

GMC unveils electric Hummer pickup truck

Hummer EVHummer EV
Roof panels can be removed for open-air driving adventures | GMC photos

GMC has unveiled what it is calling “its new supertruck,” the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, an electric-powered off-roader pickup that appears to be General Motors’ answer to the variety of Jeeps and to the forthcoming Ford Bronco.

The electrified Hummer is scheduled to go into production in the fall of 2022. 

“The GMC Hummer EV is revolutionary, defying what the industry thinks of as a pickup truck,” Duncan Aldred, vice president of the Buick and GMC brands, was quoted in the news release. 

He added that the Edition 1 version of the truck “will make Hummer EV’s  unprecedented capability and zero-emissions a very special proposition for customers.”

Edition 1 vehicles, with a base price of $112,595, will be done in white exteriors with 5-seat “Lunar Horizon” interiors featuring a 13.4-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch driver information display.

Roof panels in place
There a ‘frunk’ up front that can store removable roof panels

But the most striking feature may well be an “Infinity Roof” with removable transparent “Sky Panels” that can be stored in the “frunk” at the front of the vehicle. Edition 1s also will have a power-rear backlight, power tonneau cover for the bed and a MultiPro tailgate.

Edition 1 Hummer EV trucks will feature an Extreme Off-Road Package with 18-inch wheels wearing 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires, underbody armor, rock sliders, underbody cameras, as well as adaptive air suspension and 4-wheel “CrabWalk” steering with a diagonal-drive mode.

The trucks will have a 3-motor propulsion system with 1,000 horsepower and what GM figures to be 11,500 pound-feet of torque. GMC expects 0-60 mph acceleration to be achieved in 3 seconds. Range is foreseen to exceed 350 miles, GMC added.

The trucks also will offer “Super Cruise,” a hands-free driving mode for 200,000 miles of roads that have been readied for such technology.

If the Edition 1 price comes as a shock (pun intended), GMC added that the base price for the Hummer EV with a 2-motor system will be $79,995, $89.995 for a model with adaptive air ride and CrabWalk, and $99,995 for one with the 3-motor system. Those versions will be available, respectively, in Spring 2024, Spring 2023 and Fall 2022.

“The Hummer EV will be the first full-electric vehicle in GMC’s portfolio and is powered by General Motors new Ultium battery system,” GMC noted. 

Batteries will be produced in Lordstown, Ohio, in a joint venture with LG Chem, and the trucks will be assembled in Hamtramck, Michigan.

For more information, visit the GMC Hummer EV website.

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Moke returns with updated beach car

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British resort and beach vehicle returns as the new Moke | Moke International Limited photos

“Moke is an iconic British brand that has always evoked feelings of fun and freedom,” said Isobel Dando, chief executive of Moke International Limited, as the brand announced its return September 16.

“The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Brigitte Bardot have all been captivated by the personality and unique styling of these iconic cars. We’re excited to relaunch the brand into a new era and introduce Moke to the next generation.” 

“Brigitte Bardot epitomized Riviera chic in her Moke,” the company noted. “The brand has since been enjoyed and championed by fun-seekers including Kate Moss and DJ Khalid. To date the car has also appeared in four James Bond films.” 

Car in Coconut White with ‘hood’ in place

The original Mokes, called Mini Mokes because of their Austin Mini underpinnings, were designed —by none other than the famed Alec Issigonis — for dropping behind enemy lines from aircraft. But in civilian hands they became sort of the British version of the dune buggy, motor vehicles designed primarily for use in resort communities. They were built in England from 1964-1968, and then  in Australia and finally, until 1993, in Portugal after rights were sold to Italian motorcycle manufacturer Cagiva.

“The Moke became one of the best-loved symbols of the 1960s,” the company said. “Becoming the mode of travel for the inhabitants of the most exclusive coastal resorts in Europe, the Caribbean, US and Asia. To this day, it remains the beachhouse-to-waterfront shuttle of choice.”

Rights to Moke were acquired in 2015 and the company is led by Dando with Mark Truman in charge of engineering and production. Both are experienced British automotive managers, with experience at such companies as Aston Martin, BMW, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover.

“My role at Moke is to preserve the integrity and spirit of the original Moke whilst incorporating the very best of today’s technologies that match the requirements of a new generation,” Truman is quoted in the company’s announcement of the first batch of 56 vehicles for British buyers. Base price is £20,000 ($25,965).

While maintaining much of its traditional styling, the new Moke offers more interior space and has a contemporary 4-cylinder, 67-horsepower, fuel-injected engine, the buyer’s choice of manual or automatic transmission, and has updated suspension and brakes. Power brakes and a heated windshield are standard equipment. 

Top speed is reported to be 68 mph.

The launch features the 56 units of the limited-edition Moke 56 as well as the Moke Classic. The vehicle is available in 14 colors. The company says it already has a waiting list of Caribbean resorts and private buyers who live along the British coast. Plans call for sales in Europe, the US and other markets to begin in 2021.

For more information, visit the Moke International website.

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