2004 Hummer H2 on 2040-cars

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Hot Wheels' 2022 Green Speed cars bring EVs to small scale

With more and more EVs hitting the market, it was only a matter of time before the new breed of cars would find representation in diecast form. For 2022, Hot Wheels is coming out with a new Green Speed series that puts the spotlight on a diverse lineup of electric cars. The five-car series features a fun mix of EVs from different manufacturers and in a wide range of styles. Some are completely bone stock. For a traditional luxury sedan, there's a Lucid Air in silver, complete with glass (or in this case, clear plastic) canopy. For fans of Teutonic 4-door "coupes" there's the Audi RS e-Tron GT in Daytona Gray. Ticking the truck box is a Hummer EV in a yellow that can only be described as a throwback to the H3. But because this is Hot Wheels, there are "hot-rodded" variants in the lineup as well. Rather than just a regular Nissan Leaf, they've elected to cast the carbon fiber-bodied NISMO RC 2.0 race car. Likewise with Ford, instead of the standard Mustang Mach-E, they've gone with the Mustang Mach-E 1400 drift car. This isn't the first time Hot Wheels has put out a Green Speed series. The line debuted in 2016 but reflected the limited EV choices in the real car market at the time. The only non-fantasy cars in the series were a first-gen Tesla Roadster, a Tesla Model S, and Chevy Volt. Hot Wheels revisited the line again in 2019, this time adding a Tesla Model 3 and a Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Hot Wheels also makes other mini EVs that don't fall into this specific line of models. If you want to collect 'em all, there's the second-generation Tesla Roadster concept, Cybertruck, Jaguar I-Pace, Pininfarina Battista, Porsche Taycan, and a Volkswagen ID R. Similarly, Matchbox has released a version of the Tesla Roadster with sustainable packaging to boot. If you must have an old school gasoline burner, Hot Wheels has plenty of options for you too, like, say, this snazzy FJ60 Toyota Land Cruiser. The 2022 Hot Wheels Green Speed series should be on shelves at your local retailers now. Related Video:

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV revealed, priced the same as the truck

Following up on the 2024 GMC Hummer EV pickup truck's big reveal back in October is the SUV variant. And it looks pretty much the way you would expect. From roughly the doors forward, it's the same as the blocky pickup. But the back half now has an enclosed cargo area, a full-door tailgate and full-size spare mounted to it. Besides the tweaked looks, the SUV is physically shorter. The full dimensions haven't been revealed yet, but the wheelbase is 8.9 inches shorter than the truck at 126.7 inches total. The overall length is likely reduced even further, since the tail is much shorter than the truck's with the rear wheels close to the bumper. Both of these changes will greatly improve breakover and departure angles, plus make the vehicle generally more maneuverable on and off road. GMC boasts that with four-wheel-steering, the turning circle is just 35.4 feet, about a foot and a half tighter than the truck. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Powertrains are identical to that of the truck. The EV2 and EV2X get two motors making 625 horsepower. Higher EV3X and Edition 1 trims have three motors making 830 horsepower. Electric range varies between about 250 miles to 300 miles depending on specification. Extremely fast 800-volt, 300-kW DC fast charging is available and included on all but the base trim level. An Extreme Off-Road Package is available on EV2X and above that adds 18-inch wheels with 35-inch mud-terrain tires. You'll also be able to get the ground-clearance-increasing air suspension and four-wheel steering with the famous Crab Mode. Super Cruise will be standard on every GMC Hummer EV. Pricing and trim levels are nearly identical to the pickup truck, with only the Edition 1 varying. The base model starts at $79,995, and each trim and price is listed below. Prices are listed without the destination charge because that figure has not been revealed yet. EV2: $79,995 EV2X: $89,995 EV3X: $99,995 Edition 1: $105,595 ($110,595 with Extreme Off-Road Package) The Edition 1 SUVs will be available first with sales starting early next year. The EV2X and EV3X will go on sale that spring, and the base EV2 trims will go on sale in spring 2024. GMC is taking reservations now, and they can be made at this link. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

For EV drivers, realities may dampen the electric elation

The Atlantic, a decades-old monthly journal well-regarded for its intelligent essays on international news, American politics and cultural happenings, recently turned its attention to the car world. A piece that ran in The Atlantic in October examined the excesses of the GMC Hummer EV for compromising safety. And now in its latest edition, the magazine ran a compelling story about the challenges of driving an electric vehicle and how those experiences “mythologize the car as the great equalizer.” Titled “The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Vehicles,” the story addresses the economics of EVs, the stresses related to range anxiety, the social effects of owning an electric car — as in, affording one — and the overarching need for places to recharge that car. Basically, author Andrew Moseman says that EV life isn't so rosy: “On the eve of the long-promised electric-vehicle revolution, the myth is due for an update. Americans who take the plunge and buy their first EV will find a lot to love Â… they may also find that electric-vehicle ownership upends notions about driving, cost, and freedom, including how much car your money can buy. "No one spends an extra $5,000 to get a bigger gas tank in a Honda Civic, but with an EV, economic status is suddenly more connected to how much of the world you get to see — and how stressed out or annoyed youÂ’ll feel along the way.” Moseman charts how a basic Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck might start at $55,000, but an extended-range battery, which stretches the distance on a charge from 230 miles to 320, “raises the cost to at least $80,000. The trend holds true with all-electric brands such as Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid, and for many electric offerings from legacy automakers. The bigger battery option can add a four- or five-figure bump to an already accelerating sticker price.” As for the charging issue, the author details his anxiety driving a Telsa in Death Valley, with no charging stations in sight. “For those who never leave the comfort of the city, these concerns sound negligible," he says. "But so many of us want our cars to do everything, go everywhere, ferry us to the boundless life we imagine (or the one weÂ’re promised in car commercials),” he writes. His conclusions may raise some hackles among those of us who value automotive independence — not to mention fun — over practicalities.