GM to Revive Hummer Name on New Electric Pickup Model
January 10 2020 - 3:34PM
Dow Jones News
By Mike Colias and Suzanne Vranica
General Motors Co. is resurrecting the Hummer name on an
all-electric pickup truck to be sold under the GMC brand, according
to people familiar with the matter, reviving a once-popular yet
controversial badge that was phased out a decade ago.
GM has enlisted NBA superstar LeBron James to promote Hummer's
return, including a plan to air a commercial during the Super Bowl
next month, said one of these people and another person with
knowledge of the advertising plans.
The new Hummer model, which is expected to go on sale by early
2022, is likely to be sold in small volumes as a rugged, jeep-like
pickup truck for off-road enthusiasts, said people briefed on the
strategy.
The vehicle will be among the first of several large,
battery-powered SUVs and pickup trucks that GM is expected to roll
out over the next several years.
As of now there are no plans to establish Hummer as a
stand-alone brand, which it was before GM discontinued it in 2010
in the wake of the company's bankruptcy, these people said.
Rather, the Hummer electric pickup will be sold as an individual
model within GMC, these people said, a pricey, premium truck brand
that has emerged over the past decade as a bigger contributor to
GM's bottom line.
GM's move to bring back the Hummer as an electric-model is an
unexpected twist for a name that became a symbol of gas-guzzling
excess. Hummer went from heady sales growth as a status symbol in
the early 2000s to a frequent target of environmentalists later in
the decade, as gas prices spiked and sales tanked.
The planned Hummer truck is the latest example of Detroit's auto
makers broadening their truck and SUV lineups to boost
profitability, while largely purging lower-margin passenger cars
from their lineups.
Auto makers and startup companies also are rushing to bring
electric trucks and SUVs to the U.S. market, convinced there is a
niche of buyers willing to pay a premium.
Tesla Inc. has reported strong interest in its Cybertruck, a
futuristic-looking vehicle scheduled to arrive by late 2021. Ford
Motor Co. is working on an electric F-150 pickup. Michigan-based
Rivian Automotive plans to roll out an electric pickup and SUV by
late this year.
GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV derive the bulk of
their profit globally from large SUVs and pickup trucks, analysts
say, and are betting there is room for more models in their
showrooms.
The companies have been trying to capitalize on the nostalgia of
nameplates from their past as they broaden their offerings of
trucks and SUVs.
Ben Foldy contributed to this article.
Write to Mike Colias at Mike.Colias@wsj.com and Suzanne Vranica
at suzanne.vranica@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 10, 2020 15:19 ET (20:19 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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