General Motors is bringing back the name Hummer.
The automaker will build an all-electric pickup dubbed Hummer to be sold within the GMC brand in early 2022, according to a person familiar with GM’s product plan. The story was first reported in The Wall Street Journal.
NBA superstar LeBron James will promote Hummer’s return, said the person, who wasn’t authorized to speak about the program. GM will air a commercial during the Super Bowl next month.
GM declined to comment on the report.
As the Detroit Free Press reported in October, GM planned to build a new group of premium electric pickups and other vehicles such as SUVs at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, beginning in late 2021. People familiar with the program told the Free Press that GM was considering reviving the long-gone Hummer brand on some of those vehicles.
GM phased out the Hummer name in 2010 after GM emerged from bankruptcy and needed to shed brands. Though Hummer was popular, it was controversial because of its gas-guzzling lineup of SUVs.
The new Hummer model will probably be a rugged, Jeep-like pickup for off-road enthusiasts, the person familiar with the new program said.
It will be a low-volume vehicle, the first of many large, all-electric SUVs and pickups GM will roll out over the upcoming years.
The person familiar with GM’s plans said there are no plans to make Hummer a stand-alone brand.
As the once-thirsty Hummer becomes electric, it could draw a new kind of customer, an analyst said.
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“There could be a huge cohort of people that will now grow up associating GMC with being environmentally friendly,” said George Augustaitis, director of Industry Analytics at CarGurus, an automotive research and shopping website.
