the electric truck that GMC made long before Hummer



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The presentation of Hummer EV put GMC at the forefront of the race to launch a big electric pickup. And if it arrives on the market before Cybertruck “As the manufacturer promises”, it will be the second time that GMC is ahead of Tesla.

Model 3. Tesla’s best-selling vehicle isn’t the first to use that name. How it counts The guide, the General Motors Company used the same branding for one of the models in its original series of electric trucks, which it acquired in the early 20th century from the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company.

In 1913, GMC sold eight models of electric trucks, which differed from its gasoline trucks because they had names with numbers instead of letters:

These numbers referred to double the load capacity of each vehicle. The Model 1 was the smallest truck in the catalog, with a half-ton load capacity. The Model 12 was the largest truck, with a 6 ton capacity. And the Model 3, logically, was one of the medium models, with the capacity to carry 1.5 tons of cargo.

These electric utility vehicles started at $ 1,200 at the time, the equivalent of $ 32,200 adjusted for inflation. And if that seems little, it is because the nickel-iron batteries were purchased separately from the Edison Storage Battery Company.

Despite their price, the fact that they were noticeably quieter and required less maintenance than gasoline had its appeal. 239 were sold that year, 39.8% of GMC’s full-year sales.

However, as manufacturers have perfected their combustion engines, electric vehicles have lost traction. Early nickel-iron batteries were rapidly degrading and prohibitive, and by the end of 1916 electric vans and trucks accounted for only 3.2% of GMC’s sales, forcing the brand to stop producing them. Until now, 104 years later and with the GMC Hummer EV as the flag.

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