To prove the worth of the all-new GMC Hummer EV, General Motors has decided to take it racing. It’ll make its debut in the inaugural season of Extreme E in 2021.
Partnering with Chip Ganassi Racing, the Hummer EV for Extreme E will have 550 horsepower, a unique grille, graphics, and bodywork.
“I can’t think of a better fit than showcasing the look of GMC’s Hummer EV in Extreme E with Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. vice president, Performance and Motorsports. “Both GMC Hummer EV and the Extreme E series are designed to be revolutionary — to challenge perceptions of electric vehicles and to showcase their true capability.”
Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price will be piloting the Chip Ganassi Racing Hummer EV.
Extreme E is the first event of its kind, and features a 5 race schedule for 2021. Some of these look quite challenging.
- Desert X Prix: AlUla, Saudi Arabia: April 3-4, 2021
- Ocean X Prix: Lac Rose, Senegal: May 29-30, 2021
- Arctic X Prix: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland: Aug. 28-29, 2021
- Amazon X Prix: Para, Brazil: Oct. 23-24, 2021
- Glacier X Prix: Patagonia, Argentina: Dec. 11-12, 2021
While we can’t say for certain, we think this might be the first time GMC has had a racing team.
This type of proving work isn’t unique. Ford took its 2.7-liter EcoBoost to the Baja 1000 one year to test it. Ford also has taken several generations of Raptor to the same race to prove its worth.
Endurance racing is a chance for engineers to see what works and what doesn’t, and how systems hold up under the extreme rigors of actual performance racing.
If GMC wants to have its truck known as the first super truck, entering it into events like this is one way to do that. Assuming, of course, it doesn’t all fall apart.
We’ll surely be bringing you more coverage as the first race draws near at the beginning of April.
