Everything about Hummer totally explained
» This article is about the Hummer brand. For the Hummer H1, see Hummer H1. For other uses, see Hummer (disambiguation).
Hummer is a
brand of
off-road vehicles sold by
General Motors, also known as GM. The H1 version is based on the military
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee). The
H2 and the
H3, were introduced as smaller civilian market versions.
In most countries, some Hummers are considered to be trucks, rather than regular
SUVs, as they don't meet environmental protection standards. For example, in
New Zealand and
Australia, a truck licence is needed in order to operate some of the heavier models.
History
Hummers were originally built by
AM General Corporation, which was formerly
AMC Jeep's General Products division, in its
South Bend,
Indiana assembly plant. AM General had planned to sell a civilian version of the Hum-Vee as far back as the late 1980s. In 1990, two matching white Hum-Vees were driven from
London to
Beijing over the rough roads of central
Soviet Union. The Hummers made the trip with ease, for they were built to drive on off-road terrain. The highlights of this journey were broadcast in the
United States on
ESPN. This publicity would pale in comparison to the attention that the HMMWV received for its service in the following year.
In 1992, AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Hum-Vee) vehicle to the public under the brand name "Hummer". According to sources, they began doing so after
Arnold Schwarzenegger asked them to; apparently, he was impressed by a convoy of HMMWVs that drove by during his filming
Kindergarten Cop in 1990.
In 1998, AM General sold the brand name to General Motors, but continued to manufacture the vehicles. GM is responsible for the marketing and distribution of all Hummers produced by AM General. In the next few years, GM introduced two new homegrown models, the
H2 and
H3, and renamed the original vehicle H1. AM General continued to build the H1 until it was discontinued in 2006, and is contracted by GM to produce the H2. The H3 is built in Shreveport, LA alongside the
Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, with which it shares the
GMT-355 platform (custom modified and designated GMT-345).
As of 2006, Hummer has gone international with selected importers and distributors in
Europe and other markets.
Since
October 10 2006, GM has been producing the Hummer H3 at its
Port Elizabeth plant in
South Africa for international markets. Hummers at the Port Elizabeth plant are built both for local South African consumption and exported to
Australia in the 2008 model year. In Europe, the Middle East, and
Japan, the
H3 is also already available. As of October 2006, Hummer vehicles are marketed by about 300 dealers in 34 countries. 173 of those are in the U.S.
The H2 is also assembled in
Kaliningrad,
Russia, by Avtotor, starting in June 2004. The plant produces a few hundred vehicles annually, and its output is limited to local consumption (five dealers in Russia initially).
GM CEO
Rick Wagoner has said the Hummer brand of trucks will run on Biofuel Powertrains at last year's
Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has subsequently had one of his Hummers converted to run on biofuel and now promotes this approach.
Off-road abilities
As of May 2008, Hummer is the only brand in the United States whose entire model range lineup comes standard with a low-range transfer case, relatively high-ground clearance, and off-road tires. Additionally, no two-wheel drive Hummers are offered at this time.
Racing
Team Hummer Racing was created in 1993 and showcases the Hummer's abilities. Led by off-road racing legend
Rod Hall, Team HUMMER competes in the Stock classes of both BitD and SCORE, which feature production-based vehicles with stock frames, stock suspension designs and production-based engines. Only specialized racing shock absorbers, tires and other minor modifications are allowed, along with the required supporting components and mandatory safety equipment. Minor modifications are allowed to the powertrain, although the rules stipulate it must be based on the stock engine and transmission combination.
The team's latest victories came in April 2008, when Team HUMMER swept the stock class races at the Terrible's Town 250..
Team HUMMER has tallied one of the most impressive records in production-class racing, earning 11 class wins at the Baja 1000.
Dakar Rally
A highly modified, two-wheel drive Hummer was raced by
Robby Gordon in the 2006 and 2007 (8th place)
Dakar Rally.
Hummer H1 compared with HMMWV
The Hummer H1 is basically a
HMMWV built for civilian use; it has no armor or weapons fittings. However the
powertrain,
chassis, body, suspension, etc., are the same. The H1 differs from the HMMWV in having a civilian interior, including
trim, comfortable seats,
stereo radio, and
air conditioning as standard options. As a result of its commercial use, features introduced in the civilian Hummer have been incorporated into improved military versions. The H1's electrical system is 12-
volt, with the two
batteries wired in
parallel. The HMMWV runs on a 24-volt system, where the two batteries are run in series.
Owner efforts
Since all Hummer vehicles have heavy-duty capabilities, they've been employed by owners for aid in large disaster situations.
Hummer Owners Prepared for Emergencies (HOPE)
was created by the efforts of The Hummer Club, INC. and the American Red Cross. Together, the two organizations train Hummer owners with
CPR and First Aid skills, and basic off-highway skills so that they may assist victims during a disaster situation.
Licensing
GM has been very active and effective in licensing the Hummer. Various companies have licensed the Hummer trademarks for use on
colognes, flashlights, bicycles, shoes, coats, hats, laptops, clothing, CD players and other items.
Starting in the early Nineties, when AM General started selling to the civilian market, Hummers began making appearances in the Film and Television industry. Some earlier and noticeable appearances include
Jurassic Park, which featured several different SUV style vehicles,
seaQuest DSV which used the
Hummer H1 in place of
Humvees, and
Earth 2 which featured a large, "
solar-powered" Hummer Concept truck as their main mode of conveyance. More recently noticeable appearances include, being driven by the chief of the crime lab Lt.
Horatio Caine (played by
David Caruso) and in the 2007
Transformers movie the
Autobot known as
Ratchet transforms into a search and rescue
Hummer H2.
Criticisms
Criticism of Hummers includes all the criticism of
SUVs in general, although at a higher degree. See
Criticism of sport utility vehicles.
Specific extra criticisms of Hummers include:
Poor fuel economy: Along with other heavy passenger vehicles, Hummers have relatively poor fuel economy. For instance, the H2 in one engine configuration averages about 15 mpg (US) (16 L/100 km) on highways, (10 mpg or 24 L/100 km on the street), and has a curb weight of over 6000 pounds (2722 kg).
; Safety: Crash data for Hummers is less complete than for other SUVs. Because of its weight, it takes longer and farther to stop in emergency braking situations. There is a lack of standard safety features, including child safety locks, child seat tethers, side air bags and stability control. Large blind spots make parking difficult and possibly dangerous.
Size: Some Hummers are significantly bigger than other SUVs; this can cause problems parking, driving and fitting in a garage.
Safety and ecology: Safety and ecological perceptions from other road users has attracted a lot of criticism. Eco-terrorists have specifically targeted Hummers.
Models
There are three current and possibly two future models in the HUMMER line:
Production models
Further Information
Get more info on 'Hummer'.
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