Off-roading and electric vehicles, as it turns out, are like chocolate and peanut butter: two great tastes that taste great together. Electric motors deliver torque instantaneously, making it easier to clamber up, over, past and through all sorts of terrain; in addition, they're quiet and produce no nasty emissions, enabling drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in the nature they left home to experience.
Given that, it was only a matter of time before the overlanding world started getting serious about EVs. Sure, there may still be some friction points — electric vehicles may not pack as much range as gas or diesel rigs — but electric powertrains also can bring advantages. You can carry spare fuel on an internal combustion off-roader, but once it's gone, it's gone. A solar panel may not add range fast, but it's quicker than refining your own gasoline.
Well, it's time for one giant leap for EV-kind. One of the biggest names in the field, EarthCruiser, is joining forces with GMC to create an off-road camping package for one of the most exciting trucks in recent memory: the GMC Hummer EV Pickup.
The brands are playing things close to the vest — so far, the sole image they've released is the shadowy teaser seen up top — but it's clear enough to make out a couple details. There's a very prominent array of solar panels atop the rig, which presumably run the living area's on-board electrics but could potentially also be used to ferry juice to the truck's battery. The hint of a flat oval-shaped window above the windshield likely hints at a sleeping berth up front. And the low overall profile suggests the roof will pop up when stopped to provide standing room inside.
The GMC collab appears to be a spinoff of EarthCruiser's EV Camper development program announced earlier this year, which, while still in its early stages, is far enough along to have its own section of the brand's website. Based on the teaser and the info on the EV Camper, it's likely the Hummer's camper is a slide-in package that integrates with the truck's existing five-foot bed, rather than a complete unit that attaches to the chassis as with EarthCruiser's Terranova line.
Assuming the Hummer EV version is true to the finished product, its size suggests the finished camper may be an excellent fit for all sorts of overlanders — not just electric ones. After all, EarthCruiser says the EV Camper will be "lightweight" and "designed for "EV, hybrid, and conventional gas-powered trucks," and if it's capable of fitting inside a five-foot truck bed, it could be capable of working with midsize trucks like the Toyota Tacoma as well as full-size rigs.
GMC and EarthCruiser say the Hummer EV Pickup overlander concept will be fully revealed this summer — and if we were bettors, we'd wager they'll do so at the Overland Expo PNW 2023 that runs from July 7–9 in Redmond, Oregon, just 20 minutes down the road from EarthCruiser's American headquarters in Bend. Here's hoping they'll let us take it out for a spin...
