The Hummer EV Can't Be Called GM's Or GMC's 1st Electric Pickup Truck

No, we're not just talking about the Chevrolet S-10 electric pickup truck, but the GMC Model 3 from 1913.

By: Steven Loveday

Oct 23, 2020 at 11:09am ET

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There's a lot of hype about the "first" all-electric pickup trucks coming to market. It all started with the reveal of the Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck. This is because there hasn't been an electric pickup truck on the market for years. However, GM had an electric truck in 1913 and another more recently.

For GMC, the Hummer EV will be its second electric pickup truck, though the first was actually a Rapid Motor Vehicle Company product that GMC "inherited." It was available in 1913 and, very interestingly, called the Model 3. The Model 3 name actually designated the electric truck's payload capacity (it was a 1.5-ton truck), with the Model 1 being less capable and the Model 12 being the largest and most capable.

According to The Drive, the rebadged GMC Model 3 carried a hefty price tag of $32,200. In 1913, that was big money, and it didn't even include the nickel-iron batteries. Those came separately from Edison Storage Battery Company. Despite the situation and the pricing, the Model 3 was quite popular. In fact, it accounted for nearly 40 percent of GMC's sales in 1913.

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We've reminded you before that electric cars actually preceded gas cars. However, once the internal combustion engine came along and found success, EVs went away for many years. GM's second electric pickup truck, the Chevrolet S-10 EV, was introduced in 1997, updated in 1998, and then discontinued. It was fully electric and marketed primarily to fleet owners.

The S-10 EV used a lead-acid battery pack and had a combined city/highway range of just 47 miles. It took this truck 13.5 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph, and its top speed was governed at 70 mph. Later versions had a nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), more range, and better performance. Compare those specs to the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

Source: The Drive