The Hummer brand was a victim of its own success, or maybe that’s its own excess.
The brand was known for its SUVs that were larger in your mind than they were on the road. The uber-tough image couldn’t save it from the recession and GM’s bankruptcy. But could it come back as a green brand? A new report says that GM might be considering Hummers that hum and whirr instead of clatter.
“I love Hummer,” said GM President Mark Reuss at a press conference last week, according to Bloomberg. Does that mean that an electric Hummer is a sure thing? “I’m not sure. We’re looking at everything.”
Sure, that’s far from a “yes”, but it’s also a long way from the usual firm no response that auto execs normally give to absurd ideas.
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So for now, call it an interesting idea. Many automakers are using separate brands for their electrified lineup, like Mercedes-Benz EQ and Volkswagen’s ID. Sales of crossovers are on a seemingly endless rise (though we’ve heard that one before), and the Hummer name still has a lot of recognition, so perhaps an electric Hummer isn’t all that far off. Reuss has said that the automaker could potentially offer any of its lineup, even the big trucks, with an electric driveline. Which could open space for Hummer’s return.
Even the original face of Hummer, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, is now on the electric bandwagon. That’s right, the Terminator has an electric G-Class. So he might just be available as the face of an electrified modernized Hummer brand too.
From GM Inside News