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GMC Hummer EV could have had the Chevrolet Avalanche's Midgate

One of the many rumors swirling around the GMC Hummer EV claimed the truck would resurrect the Midgate inaugurated by the original Chevrolet Avalanche. Although we now know there's no way to fully knock down the partition between the cab and the cargo box, the firm revealed the rumor wasn't entirely false. "There was [a Midgate] early on. We opted for the functionality of the drop glass in the back. With the package layout and things like that, it was not advantageous to pursue that one. And, the five-foot bed was kind of the industry standard in regards to price of entry in that segment," explained John Mack, the Hummer's exterior design management, during an interview with Muscle Car & Trucks. The Hummer will go on sale with a five-foot box, and it doesn't sound like a longer bed will be available, so a modern version of the Midgate would have made the model more versatile by giving users the ability to fold down the partition behind the rear seats to carry bulky items, like plywood and ATVs. It's a feature that would have inevitably made the truck more complicated to build, however, because it adds moving parts that need to be sealed. Hinges, seals, and latches in turn add weight, and complexity almost always invites high manufacturing costs. As an electric pickup built with newly-developed components, the Hummer already has enough of each. Motorists who need to carry something that's significantly longer than the cargo box aren't entirely out of luck. As Mack pointed out, the rear window drops into the partition, so owners will have the ability to haul surfboards, lumber, or anything else that's relatively long and reasonably thin by simply pushing a switch. Alternatively, the only thing limiting cargo space when the roof comes off is the sky — or, depending on where you live, bridges. Mack didn't reveal when the Midgate was dropped. GMC launched the Hummer project in April 2019, and it previously released early design sketches that show how the truck transitioned from a sketch to a prototype. As of writing, nothing suggests the Midgate will make a comeback in the near future on any member of the General Motors portfolio. It was introduced in 2001 on the first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche, which went on sale in the United States for the 2002 model year. It later spread to Cadillac's luxed-up variant of the truck, the Escalade EXT, and to the short-lived GMC Envoy XUV.

Low gas prices bring the Hummer back to life

It took more than the high cost of gas to kill off the Hummer brand, but the military/civilian vehicle's near-endless need for fuel didn't help sales when gas prices started to climb. Turns out, there is still a thirst for the gas-devouring vehicle in the US. The evidence is anecdotal at best, but since we know prices at the pump can change car shopping behavior in America, the idea that more people want a Hummer now than they have these past few years doesn't surprise us at all. Gas prices in the US are currently sitting at $2.926 a gallon, on average, much lower than the $3.186 per gallon they were a year ago and below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2010. According to the Washington Post, this is causing a slight uptick in used Hummer H1 sales. With a fuel consumption rate of around 12 miles per gallon, every penny drop in gas prices has a big impact on the H1's running costs. Read more on the newfound Hummer lust at the WaPo, including how online interest in H1s was up 11 percent at Autotrader last month. Late last month, TrueCar issued a report on the recent increase in new vehicle sales of large SUVs and pick-up trucks, thanks to falling fuel costs. TrueCar president John Krafcik said in a statement that, "Hybrid popularity is waning, and the country's love of the full-size pickup truck is remarkable.'' Looks like that love extends to the used lot as well. Anyone know someone who has re-joined the Hummer brigade? News Source: Washington PostImage Credit: Carolyn Kaster / AP Green Hummer Gas Prices hummer h1

GMC Hummer EV recalled over improperly sealed battery pack

Over 700 units of the GMC Hummer EV built during the 2022 and 2023 model years will be recalled due to an improperly sealed battery pack that lets water in. The firm issued a stop-delivery order at the same time as the recall, and it hasn't found how to fix the problem yet. Assigned recall number 22V-771 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes 735 examples of the Hummer EV and 89 units of the BrightDrop Zevo 600 van. These two vehicles are pegged on opposite ends of the automotive spectrum, but they're affected by the same problem: "the high-voltage battery pack enclosure in some of these vehicles may not have been properly sealed," GMC notes, adding that "flanges on the battery pack enclosure may not have been properly primed or electrocoated." Water can wreak havoc in a high-voltage battery pack. GMC told NHTSA that it has found three EVs with this problem: an internal test vehicle that lost power while driving and two customer-owned vehicles that wouldn't start. As of writing, the firm is not aware of any accidents, injuries, or fires related to the issue, and GMC estimates that only about 1% of the recalled EVs are affected. GMC began notifying dealers of the recall in October 2022, and it plans to start reaching out to owners on November 28, 2022. However, a fix hasn't been found yet. In the meantime, the company issued a stop-delivery order and asked dealers not to attempt their own repairs. This isn't the Hummer EV's first run-in with water-related problems. In August 2022, General Motors voluntarily recalled 424 units of the Hummer EV and the Zevo 600 van due to a high-voltage connector that can prematurely corrode. The problem also let water leak into the battery pack, though it sounds like fixing it was reasonably straight-forward and involved applying sealant to the connector. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 First Drive View 17 Photos Green GMC Hummer Truck Electric