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Opinion: GMC Hummer EV’s EPA documents reveal that it’s still a vehicle of consumption and excess
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when GM announced that it would start its new Ultium battery-powered electric vehicle push with the GMC Hummer EV. It just felt a bit strange. I mean, a Bolt EV redesign is right there, and so is the Silverado EV. Why then, would GM start its oh-so-serious push into modern electric vehicles with the EV version of the truck which — seemingly by fate — ramped its production just as GM was killing off the EV1 program?
Now, the Hummer EV’s EPA documents have been filed (credit to Car and Driver for first reporting on the filings), and they show that the hulking all-electric vehicle stayed really true to the spirit of its gas-guzzling predecessor. Considering its size, weight, and efficiency, the Hummer EV could be described as a vehicle that is, for all intents and purposes, made to be a symbol of excess and consumption. Granted, the documents only reference the Hummer EV’s 1,000-hp, $110,295 Edition 1 version, but the specs are pretty telling.
As per the EPA documents, the Hummer EV Edition 1 is equipped with an Ultium battery pack that has a usable capacity of 212.7 kWh. That’s a huge pack, over twice as large as the batteries on two Tesla Model X Plaid vehicles. It also dwarfs the battery packs used by other all-electric pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T. Even Rivian’s once-announced 400-mile battery pack, which the company announced several years ago, only featured a planned capacity of 180 kWh.
According to the filings, the Hummer EV Edition 1 would achieve a combined EPA range of 329 miles per charge or a very modest 47 MPGe combined. This is very much in character for a Hummer, of course, but one should not forget that the Rivian R1T received some criticism among the EV community when the R1T received a 70 MPGe rating. Compared to the R1T, which is hardly the most efficient electric vehicle today, the Hummer EV is a flat-out guzzler — it’s just eating up electrons this time around.
A lot of the Hummer EV Edition 1’s inefficiency may likely be due to its weight, which was listed in the EPA documents as a whopping 9,063 pounds. What’s interesting is that a good portion of the vehicle’s curb weight is consumed by its battery pack, which weighs 2,923 pounds. That’s heavier than a whole Toyota 86. This, in a way, makes the Hummer EV a rather interesting vehicle, at least safety-wise. Stopping over 9,000 pounds of metal and batteries after it goes 0-60 mph in just 3 seconds takes is no small task, after all, and one can only hope that GM has extra safeties built within the vehicle to ensure that it’s as safe to operate as possible.
It’s almost ironic, or at least poetic to some degree, to see the Hummer EV become a vehicle that is just as excessive (and wasteful?) as its fossil fuel-powered predecessor. Considering its lack of efficiency and its huge battery pack, one can almost wonder if GM intentionally designed the vehicle to be as unfriendly to the environment as possible. That being said, one almost cannot help but root for the Hummer EV. The Hummer brand, after all, ended up being canceled in the past due to low sales, and a lot of it was due to the vehicles’ bad fuel efficiency.
Hopefully, such will not be the fate of the Hummer EV.
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News
Tesla owners in Sweden get direct attention from pro-union groups
As part of their efforts, the group has started distributing informational leaflets to Tesla vehicles across Stockholm, urging them to pressure the electric vehicle maker to sign a collective agreement.
Amid Tesla Sweden’s ongoing conflict with trade union IF Metall, a group of pro-union supporters has begun directing their attention to actual Tesla owners.
As part of their efforts, the group has started distributing informational leaflets to Tesla vehicles across Stockholm, urging them to pressure the electric vehicle maker to sign a collective agreement.
Leaflets on parked Tesla vehicles
As noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report, participants of the protest place yellow information slips on parked Tesla vehicles across parts of Stockholm. The slips resemble parking notices that contain information related to the unions’ ongoing strike against Tesla Sweden.
Participants involved in the activity said the leaflets were intended to inform consumers rather than target individual owners. The action was carried out in public areas, with leaflets placed on windshields of parked vehicles. When vehicle owners are present, organizers said they provide verbal explanations of the labor dispute.
Tesla has not commented publicly about the matter as of writing.
Recurring demonstrations against Tesla
The leaflet distribution effort follows weekly demonstrations that have taken place outside Tesla’s workshop and office in Upplands Väsby, where protesters typically gather to express support for a collective agreement. Those demonstrations have included informational outreach to customers and workers and, at times, police presence, according to prior reporting.
In a comment, one of the protesters stated that even Tesla owners must be concerned about the unions’ conflict with the electric vehicle maker. “You may think it doesn’t concern you, as you only drive a car. But it does, as we all have a responsibility for the rules in Sweden.
“We are not looking to hunt down individual Tesla owners. Rather, this is a way to spread opinion and increase pressure on Tesla. It should have some impact if several Tesla owners come in and say that you should sign a collective agreement,” one of the protesters stated.
Tesla has landed a massive deal to expand its charging infrastructure for heavy-duty electric trucks — and not just theirs, but all manufacturers.
Tesla entered an agreement with Pilot Travel Centers, the largest operator of travel centers in the United States. Tesla’s Semi Chargers, which are used to charge Class 8 electric trucks, will be responsible for providing energy to various vehicles from a variety of manufacturers.
The first sites are expected to open later this Summer, and will be built at select locations along I-5 and I-10, major routes for commercial vehicles and significant logistics companies. The chargers will be available in California, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.
Each station will have between four and eight chargers, delivering up to 1.2 megawatts of power at each stall.
The project is the latest in Tesla’s plans to expand Semi Charging availability. The effort is being put forth to create more opportunities for the development of sustainable logistics.
Senior Vice President of Alternative Fuels at Pilot, Shannon Sturgil, said:
“Helping to shape the future of energy is a strategic pillar in meeting the needs of our guests and the North American transportation industry. Heavy-duty charging is yet another extension of our exploration into alternative fuel offerings, and we’re happy to partner with a leader in the space that provides turnkey solutions and deploys them quickly.”
Tesla currently has 46 public Semi Charger sites in progress or planned across the United States, mostly positioned along major trucking routes and industrial areas. Perhaps the biggest bottleneck with owning an EV early on was charging availability, and that is no different with electric Class 8 trucks. They simply need an area to charge.
Tesla is spearheading the effort to expand Semicharging availability, and the latest partnership with Pilot shows the company has allies in the program.
The company plans to build 50,000 units of the Tesla Semi in the coming years, and with early adopters like PepsiCo, DHL, and others already contributing millions of miles of data, fleets are going to need reliable public charging.
🚨 Pilot working with Tesla to install and expand Semi Chargers is a perfect example of two industry leaders working together for the greater good.
As more commerce companies expand into EVs, Semi Charger will be more commonly available for electrified fleets, making efforts… pic.twitter.com/VPLIYyq15b
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 27, 2026
Tesla is partnering with other companies for the development of the Semi program, most notably, a conglomeration with Uber was announced last year.
Tesla lands new partnership with Uber as Semi takes center stage
The ride-sharing platform plans to launch the Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program, which it calls a “first-of-its-kind buyer’s program designed to make electric freight more affordable and accessible by addressing key adoption barriers.”
The Semi is one of several projects that will take Tesla into a completely different realm. Along with Optimus and its growing Energy division, the Semi will expand Tesla to new heights, and its prioritization of charging infrastructure.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company opens Vegas Loop’s newest station
The Fontainebleau is the latest resort on the Las Vegas Strip to embrace the tunneling startup’s underground transportation system.
Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has welcomed its newest Vegas Loop station at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
The Fontainebleau is the latest resort on the Las Vegas Strip to embrace the tunneling startup’s underground transportation system.
Fontainebleau Loop station
The new Vegas Loop station is located on level V-1 of the Fontainebleau’s south valet area, as noted in a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. According to the resort, guests will be able to travel free of charge to the stations serving the Las Vegas Convention Center, as well as to Loop stations in Encore and Westgate.
The Fontainebleau station connects to the Riviera Station, which is located in the northwest parking lot of the convention center’s West Hall. From there, passengers will be able to access the greater Vegas Loop.
Vegas Loop expansion
In December, The Boring Company began offering Vegas Loop rides to and from Harry Reid International Airport. Those trips include a limited above-ground segment, following approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority to allow surface street travel tied to Loop operations.
Under the approval, airport rides are limited to no more than four miles of surface street travel, and each trip must include a tunnel segment. The Vegas Loop currently includes more than 10 miles of tunnels. From this number, about four miles of tunnels are operational.
The Boring Company President Steve Davis previously told the Review-Journal that the University Center Loop segment, which is currently under construction, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026. That extension would allow Loop vehicles to travel beneath Paradise Road between the convention center and the airport, with a planned station located just north of Tropicana Avenue.
Tesla owners in Sweden get direct attention from pro-union groups
Tesla lands massive deal to expand charging for heavy-duty electric trucks
