New Hummer EV was GM's 'moonshot,' features nods to Apollo 11

General Motors may not have designed its first all-electric pickup truck to drive on the moon, but the first edition of its new GMC Hummer EV has a definite lunar look.

Described as the world's first zero-emissions, zero-limits all-electric "supertruck," the 2022 GMC Hummer EV features a three-motor e4WD propulsion system, a 350+ mile (560+ kilometers) driving range on a full charge and a "CrabWalk" diagonal-drive functionality. The Edition 1, set to be available in the fall of 2021, also comes with what General Motors (GM) calls "a unique Lunar Horizon interior."

"The team that designed the Hummer EV took the mandate of going to production with an electric truck on an abbreviated schedule and rallied around it as their 'moonshot,'" a GM spokesperson said, referencing the term derived from NASA's Apollo 11 first lunar landing. "That moonshot translated into the inspiration within the design studio."

Related: NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing in pictures

Each GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 truck will have a white exterior and an interior color palette that features black, grey and gold details that are evocative of the Apollo lunar module and lunar roving vehicle (General Motors' Defense Research Laboratories provided the wheels, motors, and suspension for the NASA rover).

But the Apollo accents in the Hummer EV do not stop there.

"It manifested itself in these 'easter eggs,' with the Sea of Tranquility topography and the lunar and Mars user experiences on the display," the GM representative told collectSPACE.com.

The metal speaker grills for the Hummer EV's Bose Premium sound system are overlaid with a topographical map of the moon's Mare Tranquillitatis, or Sea of Tranquility, the site where Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic lunar landing in July 1969. The design even includes a boot print styled after the treads that were left behind by the two moonwalkers.

The same lunar surface pattern is repeated on the rubber floor mats and on the lining of a pass through compartment in the center console. (The Apollo boot print was included on an early version of the driver's foot rest but was omitted from the final design.)

The space exploration theme also extends to the dashboard displays, which feature graphics depicting the Hummer EV driving over lunar and Martian terrains. In launch control mode, or what GM calls "Watts to Freedom," the propulsion system channels its power into acceleration bursts, including a 0-60 mph (0-100 kph) boost in approximately 3 seconds.

As the vehicle prepares for Watts to Freedom, a series of interior visual and audio cues convey the feeling of a "pre-launch countdown," GM says, including "unique sounds" through the Bose speakers and screen animations. The Hummer EV also lowers two inches to prepare for the "launch," utilizing a lower center of gravity.

One other feature can extend the driver's view from the earth to the moon. The Hummer EV's Infinity Roof offers open-air driving via modular, transparent Sky Panels, providing the vehicle's driver and passengers with a clear view of the sky — and space above.

The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 will have a starting price of $112,595 when it lifts off for sale next year. Reservations for the Edition 1 are full, but GM has started a waitlist for interested buyers.

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