Hummer

Hummer

Type	Automobile
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Industry	Automotive
Products	(H1) pickup truck, SUV (H2, H3), Sport utility vehicles
Parent	AM General (1992-1998) General Motors (1998-2009) Sichuan Tengzhong (2009-Present)

Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles by Sichuan Tengzhong^[1], earlier owned by General Motors. The original Hummer H1 was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee). However, the Hummer H2 and the Hummer H3 were based on other, smaller civilian-market vehicles.

History

AM General

Hummers were originally built by AM General Corporation, which was formerly AMC Jeep's General Products division,^[2] in its Mishawaka, Indiana assembly plant. They were created under a contract for the United States armed forces. The first model, the Hum-Vee, was built in a variety of military-based equipment and versions. These included troop carriers, gun turrets and radar. The U.S. military, on receiving their quota, have adapted some of the vehicles, including modifications to facilitate a directional microwave crowd control beam (Active Denial System). AM General began to make plans to sell a civilian version of the vehicle after the military model received so much public interest in 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 Hum-Vee received for its service in Operation: Desert Storm the following year. Also, a privately-owned Hum-Vee was modified into the first Snow-Vee, including the addition of caterpillar tracks, a new rear compartment and a new engine. This vehicle was designed for use in and just below the Arctic Circle, and the Antarctic.

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".

General Motors

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,^[3] 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).

2006 Hummer lineup: H3, H1, and H2 (L-R)

By 2006, the Hummer also began to be exported and sold through importers and distributors in 33 countries.^[4] On 10 October 2006, GM began producing the Hummer H3 at its Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa for international markets.^[4] The Hummers built there at first were only left-hand drive, but right-hand drive versions were added and exported to Australia and other markets.

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).

On June 3, 2008, one day prior to GM's annual shareholder meeting, Rick Wagoner, GM's CEO at that time, said the brand was being reviewed and had the possibility of either being sold, having the production line completely redesigned, or being discontinued.^[5] This was due to the decreasing demand for large SUVs as a result of higher oil prices. Almost immediately after the announcement, a pair of Indian automakers, including Mahindra & Mahindra, expressed interest in purchasing all or part of Hummer.^[6] GM President Fritz Henderson stated several interested parties approached GM regarding the Hummer business.

Sichuan Tengzhong

On June 1, 2009, as a part of the General Motors bankruptcy announcement, the company revealed that the Hummer brand would be discontinued. However, the following day GM announced that instead it had reached a deal to sell the brand to an undisclosed Chinese company.^[7][8] On June 2, 2009, CNN and The New York Times identified the buyer of the Hummer truck unit as China-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company.^[9][10] Later that day, Sichuan Tengzhong confirmed the sale on their own website.^[11]

On June 26, 2009 Chinese state radio announced that the bid by Sichuan Tengzhong to buy Hummer would be blocked on environmental grounds and that the National Development and Reform Commission would also block the bid as Sichuan Tengzhong "lacks expertise in car production".^[12] However, on October 09, 2009, General Motors announced that they have sold their entire stake in the Hummer brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery and a group of private investors (Mr. Suolang Duoji, a private entrepreneur with holdings that include the Hong Kong-listed thenardite producer Lumena, will hold the remaining 20 percent stake.). Sichuan now owns 80% of the company, Autoblog reports. The sale will net GM around $150 million, although the transaction still has to be approved by both U.S. and Chinese regulatory agencies, which could come later this year or in early 2010. ^[13]

Tengzhong is expected to keep Hummer a U.S.-based company. Though an exact location had not been selected, Hummer global headquarters are expected to remain in the United States.^[14] Under the terms of the agreement, Tengzhong would have initially contracted production and major components to General Motors.^[15] GM's sale of Hummer to Tengzhong will not include any HMMWV or "HUMVEE" military technology, since HMMWV technology and production are owned exclusively by AM General, not General Motors.^[16] The deal includes manufacturing to continue in the two plants that GM already uses to produce the Hummer trucks through June of 2011, with a possible extension until 2012.

Models

Customized Hummer H2 The Hummer H3

There are three current and possibly two future models in the Hummer line:

Production models

• Hummer H1 (discontinued)
  • Hummer H1 Alpha (discontinued)
• Hummer H2
  • Hummer H2 SUT
• Hummer H3
  • Hummer H3T
  • Hummer H3x
  • Hummer H3 Alpha

Concept vehicles

• Hummer HX

Modified vehicles

• Hummer H6^[17]

Civilian model details

Hummer H1

The first car in the Hummer Range, was the Hummer H1 based on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Hum-Vee). Originally released in 1992, this vehicle was designed by American Motors' AM General subsidiary for the U.S. Military. Five years prior, AMC had been bought by Chrysler.

Hummer H2

The Hummer H2 is the second vehicle in the Hummer range. There are two models available: H2 SUV and H2 SUT.

Hummer H3

The H3 is the smallest of the Hummer models and is based on the GMT355 platform shared with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks.

Plug-in Hybrid

Raser Technologies of Utah wants to use technology similar to that in the Chevy Volt to make the Hummer a 100 MPG fuel sipper. Details are unclear, as Raser plans to debut the prototype on April 20–23 at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. But Raser is saying that using their E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) powertrain technology, the Hummer plug-in hybrid will run up to 40 miles per day on its battery alone, then a small 4 cylinder combustion engine will kick in to generate more electricity.^[18]

Off-road abilities

As of June 2009, 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

Rod Hall in the 2005 Baja 1000. Robby Gordon's Dakar Rally H3.

Team Hummer Racing was created in 1993 and showcases the Hummer's abilities. Led by off-road racer 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. Specialized racing shock absorbers, tires, and other minor modifications are allowed, along with the required supporting components and mandatory safety equipment. Team Hummer stock-class H3 driven by Hall finished first in class with the H3 in the 2005 Baja 1000.

The team's latest victories came in April 2008, when Team Hummer swept the stock class races at the Terrible's Town 250.^[19]

Team Hummer has tallied one of the most impressive records in production-class racing, earning 11 class wins at the Baja 1000.

In addition to Team Hummer, AM General also partnered with Carnegie Mellon University for the DARPA Grand Challenge Robot Racing competition. Red Team's entry in the 2005 race, Sandstorm, was a modified H1 and drove further than any other vehicle. Red Team's entries in the 2007 race were both modified H1s and finished 2nd and 3rd in the race.

Dakar Rally

A highly modified, two-wheel drive Hummer was raced by Robby Gordon in the 2006, 2007 (8th place) and 2009 Dakar Rally.

Licensing

GM has been active in licensing the Hummer. Various companies have licensed the Hummer trademarks for use on colognes, flashlights, bicycles,^[20] shoes, coats, hats, laptops,^[21] clothing, CD players and other items.^[22]

Starting in the early-1990s, 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 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 CSI: Miami, being driven by the chief of the crime lab Lt. Horatio Caine (played by David Caruso), during the 6th season of CSI: Miami, they received all new 2008 H2's with redesigned interior and in the 2007 Transformers movie the Autobot known as Ratchet transforms into a search and rescue Hummer H2.

Production facilities

• AM General Hummer H1 Assembly Plant, Mishawaka, Indiana – 500,000 square foot plant opened 1984 to build HMVEE and began production of the Hummer/H1 in 1992
• AM General Hummer H2 Assembly Plant, Mishawaka, Indiana – 673,000 square foot plant opened 2002

• General Motors South Africa Struandale Assembly Plant, Port Elizabeth, East Cape, South Africa - built in 1996, expanded to 75 625 square metres in 2006 to build H3
• General Motors Shreveport Operations, Shreveport, Louisiana – additional 296,000 square feet added to plant built by GM (1981) in 2005 to accommodate the production of the H3

• Avtotor Kaliningrad, Russia – licensed version of H2 starting 2008

Owner efforts

Since all Hummer vehicles have heavy-duty capabilities, they have 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. GM paid the Red Cross $4 million to participate in the organization.^[23]

Criticisms

Criticism of Hummers include many criticisms of SUVs generally, though often to a greater degree given their size and fuel economy. Specific extra criticisms of Hummers include:

Size

Hummers (specifically the H1 and H2) are significantly bigger than other SUVs; this can cause problems parking, driving and fitting in a garage.^[24]

Safety and ecology

Safety and ecological perceptions from other road users has attracted a lot of criticism.^[25][26] The Hummer (usually the H2) has been singled out and attacked as a symbol of ecological irresponsibility, sometimes using violent means.^[27][28][29]

Poor fuel economy

Even compared to other heavy passenger vehicles, Based Hummers without additional Duramax V8 engine have very poor fuel economy. Because the H2 is built to the over-8500-lb GVW class, its fuel economy is neither published by the EPA nor counted toward Corporate Average Fuel Economy.^[30] For instance, H2 in one engine configuration averages about 14 mpg_-US (17 L/100 km; 17 mpg_-imp) on highways, 10 mpg_-US (24 L/100 km; 12 mpg_-imp) in the city, and has a curb weight of over 6,000 lb (2,700 kg), making it technically illegal (though allowed in practice) for use on some streets.^[31]

Safety

Crash data for Hummers is less complete than for other SUVs. Because of its weight, it takes longer and further to stop in emergency braking situations. As a Class 3 truck, Hummers are exempt from many DOT safety regulations.^[32] The H1 lacks 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.^[32]

A Hummer H3 showing its chops in Moab as an H1 waits its turn

Design focus

Many have criticized the H2 for being based too closely to GM's Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon. Unlike the military lineage found in the H1 or Humvee, the Hummer H2 and H3 were designed to look like the original while including many unique off-road capabilities not found on any other GM vehicles.^[33]

Similar models

Replica versions of the Hummer can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a real one.

Kits or turnkey allow a pickup truck to become a Hummer look-a-like.

Examples include:

• Badlands R/T
• Kitcar Wombat - formerly Humbug
• 4X4 Bodies Urban Gorilla

See also

• Criticism of sport utility vehicles
• High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Hum-Vee)
• Jeep
• Unimog

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hummer vehicles

• GM's Hummer homepage
• AM General official site