GMC Hummer EV EarthCruiser previews overlander upgrades

GMC on Thursday revealed an overlander concept based on the Hummer EV Pickup. It makes its formal debut on Friday at the 2023 Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado.

The concept is called the Hummer EV EarthCruiser, and the name signals a partnership with overlanding company EarthCruiser. The Australian company specializes in building vehicles of all sorts designed to handle extended stays on rough terrain, and has been represented in the U.S. with a division in Bend, Oregon, since 2013.

While GMC doesn’t plan to put the concept into production, the automaker said a similar upfit will be available next year at EarthCruiser. The company is currently taking reservations. Pricing hasn’t been mentioned.

Among the key modifications is a roof-mounted “house” that’s made from carbon fiber and integrated into the chassis of the Hummer EV Pickup. The vehicle measures 90 inches inches tall when the house is folded flat or 117 inches when fully extended.

The house’s own roof is lined in solar panels and there’s a standalone 6.0-kwh battery that GMC estimates can provide seven days of off-grid power, including with appliances like a built-in refrigerator running around the clock.

GMC Hummer EV EarthCruiser concept

Inside the house, there’s a bed big enough for two, as well as a kitchen with an induction cooktop. A flat-pack toilet and outdoor shower (indoor is also possible) are also on the list of amenities.

Overlanding, the practice of traveling across remote areas, often for weeks or even months at a time, is growing in popularity, and the wave of electric pickups and SUVs arriving on the market offers new opportunities for the overlanding community.

One of the major opportunities provided by EVs in the overlanding space is precise torque control that can make navigating tricky terrain easier. The vehicle’s battery also provides energy to power all those devices designed to make things comfier out in the wild, and with solar panels the battery can be charged whenever the sun is out.

The Hummer EV Pickup arrived for 2022 and the latest 2024 model has received some tweaks that boost its range to a maximum 381 miles. The SUV body style also joins the lineup for 2024, though its range tops out at 314 miles due to a smaller battery.

Pricing for the 2024 Hummer EV Pickup starts at $106,945, and pricing for the 2024 Hummer EV SUV starts at $100,395. Both figures include destination. GMC isn’t taking any more reservations for the vehicles as it attempts to fill the many orders it already has on hand.