In the latest setback, General Motors has ditched the base trim level for the Hummer EVs, according to a new report from the autoblog GM Authority. The legacy automaker has delayed and slowed its EV initiative in recent months as the industry continues to slide.
GM Authority has learned that there will be no "base" 2 trim level for the Hummer EV, as was originally announced. As background, the 2 trim was supposed to arrive for the 2024 model year for both the Hummer EV Pickup and Hummer EV SUV, but it seems as though the automaker changed its plans. Moving forward, there will be no 2 model for the 2025 model year.
For GM guys and gals who were promised Hummer EVs with base trims and lower prices (starting around $79,995 and offer 250 miles of range), the report from GM Authority does not bode well for EV price affordability.
This also comes as GM delayed the launch of its Toledo EV Propulsion Systems plant in Ohio by nine months. It will start operating in late 2024. GM said it will "retime the launch of Electric Drive Unit at the plant to Q4 2024 in order to better align with Orion Assembly's planned production schedule."
Furthermore, GM has announced production delays of EV trucks at its Orion assembly until late 2025, including the Chevy Silverado RST and GMC Sierra Denali EVs.
Consumer appetite for EVs is rapidly cooling. And legacy automakers have felt the brunt of the slowdown.
Last week, Ford Motor said it was postponing production of a new three-row SUV as it pushes the delivery date from late 2025 to 2026 and will focus on hybrid options across its entire North American lineup.
Even Tesla Motors, the leader in the EV space, is experiencing a slowdown in sales.
"Tesla is going from the golden era to a really challenging era," said Mark Fields, a former CEO of Ford Motor.
As legacy automakers face waning demand and mounting delays in debuting EV SUVs and trucks, Tesla's Cybertruck is in massive demand, and production is being ramped up.
