Tesla-powered Hummer H1 EV weighs half as much as GMC Hummer EV

• A restomod Hummer H1 EV with Tesla batteries has entered the chat
• The Hummer H1 EV weighs only about 4,500 pounds
• The Hummer H1 EV is said to have about 300 miles of range from its 75-kwh battery

A Canadian company already established as an EV conversion shop is building an electric Hummer that’s lighter than the one General Motors is currently selling.

North American Electric Vehicles (NAEV) aims to take former military Humvees—the vehicles once sold as the original civilian Hummer H1—and equipping them with secondhand Tesla powertrains to create what it calls the Cyber-Hummer. And it claims this restomod, which it says it will start delivering this summer, weighs 4,500 pounds.

That’s about half the weight of a new GMC Hummer EV and about 2,000 pounds less than the leanest factory-built H1.

NAEV’s initial Executive Edition configuration has a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain producing a claimed 1,000 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. A 75-kwh battery pack will afford up to 300 miles of range, it claims. The company plans to provide both NACS and CCS charging compatibility.

Much of the weight savings come from removal of the stock cast-iron suspension components and geared hubs, as well as the transfer case, transmission, fuel, and exhaust systems—none of which are required with this EV conversion—NAEV founder Jeffrey Kotulak told Green Car Reports.

The stock suspension is replaced with what NAEV calls a “hybrid” independent suspension system including some new in-house components. The Cyber-Hummer still sports 15 inches of ground clearance for off-roading, though, and it rides on all-terrain tires mounted to 20-inch alloy wheels.

NAEV uses secondhand Tesla components, while the Humvees are sourced from surplus auctions, Kotulak said, adding that this use of secondhand vehicles and components is a sustainable choice.

NAEV Cyber-Hummer

With curb weight of less than 6,000 pounds, NAEV’s Hummers can also be registered as Class 1 vehicles with an on-road title, Kotulak noted.

However, as older vehicles designed for military use, these Hummers were not designed to modern standards of safety, occupant protection, or accident avoidance.

That’s the tradeoff for a Hummer that treads lighter than the GMC Hummer EV, which is so heavy and inefficient that it joined gas guzzlers on an American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) list of “meanest” vehicles for the environment.

The Executive Edition has a starting price of $139,900. NAEV also plans to offer Baja and Commander versions priced at $98,900 and $119,900, respectively. Builds take six months after an order is placed, and aims to build 328 units annually, Kotulak said.