Electric Pickup Truck Showdown: Rivian R1T vs. GMC Hummer EV

Опубликовано: 26 Апрель 2022
на канале: Car Mechanic

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We get behind the wheel of both the new GMC Hummer EV and the Rivian R1T electric pickups for a head-to-head comparison. How do these first-to-market American electric pickups stack up?

If the words “battery-electric vehicle” (BEV) bring up images of a small, slow, and quirky product like the Nissan Leaf, you may be in for a big surprise in the months ahead. Literally, quite big.

The number of BEVs on the road will jump from a baker’s dozen at the end of the 2021 model year to more than 50 by late 2022. And that will include an assortment of large, long-range, high-performance products like the new Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV.

They are, in fact, the first two of what could be, by mid-decade, anywhere from seven to 10 all-electric pickups. A list that eventually will include the Tesla Cybertruck, the Ford F-150 Lightning, battery-powered versions of the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ram 1500, and an assortment of startup offerings, like the Bollinger B2.

Set to reach showrooms before the end of the year, the Rivian and GMC Hummer pickups will make their debuts in First Edition limited-edition form, the two automakers clearly intent on showing everything that their new products are capable of.

I got my first chance to find out what they offer — and how they compare during a recent back-to-back drive of the debut models of both the R1T and the Hummer EV.

Common Ground

Let’s start by looking at what they have in common. The initial versions won’t come cheap. The Rivian R1T Launch Edition starts at $73,000, while the GMC Hummer Edition 1 carries a base price of $112,595 — making it the most expensive factory pickup ever.

The Rivian and the Hummer share the ability to travel at least 300 miles per charge.

Each is based on an entirely new, skateboard-like platform placing batteries and motors below their load floors. That offers a number of advantages in terms of the way their cargo and passenger compartments are laid out. With no driveshaft to worry about, the R1T features a “Gear Tunnel” storage compartment below the cargo bed and ahead of the rear wheels.

The two products also take advantage of the tremendous torque that electric motors can deliver. That means 0-60 launch times of around 3 seconds, the ability to not just go off-road but also to handle some serious rock crawling, and plenty of muscle to do what you expect from a full-size pickup.

While neither company has released all their final specs, Rivian broadly promises a combined towing and cargo weight of at least 11,000 pounds. The Hummer is expected to offer similar, if not bigger, numbers.

No Clones Here

Plenty in common, yes, but there are substantial differences, as well. While nowhere near as over the top as the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck, the Hummer is, from a design perspective, far more flamboyant than the relatively conservative R1T.

It picks up key design cues from the classic Hummer H1 — which was itself largely based on the military’s old HUMVEE. There are the relatively slab-sided body panels and the upright windshield.

The grille also will provoke a sense of déjà vu, but since there’s no need to send cooling air into an engine compartment, the original slats are replaced by a massive, seven-segment light bar.

Rivian’s pickup is more traditional in shape, and you might mistake it for a conventional gas-powered truck, at least from its silhouette. Upfront, however, R1T is far more distinctive, with its own lightbar wrapping into the forward quarter panels, as well as cute-but-quirky oval headlights.

Rivian designers managed to squeeze in storage space in all sorts of places, including both the Gear Tunnel that runs the entire width of the pickup, as well as a large “frunk” under the hood. The R1T yields a useful 68 cubic feet of storage, in all, along with a 54-inch cargo bed.

The Hummer offers plenty of storage nooks of its own and a 5-foot cargo bed.

The two also diverge when it comes to cabin design. There’s a clean, almost Scandinavian look to the R1T, with the Launch Edition’s open-pore wood and vegan “leather” giving it more of the feel of a luxury vehicle. The Hummer has a more rugged and militaristic appearance — as its heritage would suggest.

Rivian’s truck features a nearly all-glass roof. GMC takes things a step further, allowing you to remove its glass roof panels for a more open-air experience.

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