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One of the most surprising aspects of the 2025 GMC Hummer EV pickup is that this 9,000-pound electric giant can move from a stop to 60 mph in 3 seconds. The second cool feature is the Club Walk. The truck will have front and rear wheels facing in the same direction, visible left and right.
Apparently, these party tricks weren’t enough for GMC, the curator of today’s Hammer brand. The automaker has found ways to improve both the Hummer functionality. This means that the giant truck will fire even faster, allowing you to maneuver all 18 feet of its length more accurately, and also manipulate its ability to offload tighter turns.
GM has bolstered the track with a 2026 model year software update. The ’26 Hummer will be coming later this year so we’re waiting a bit, but as some of the improvements will be sent to previous models in the air, the current owner will not be completely ruled out. The Hummer is GM’s first software-defined vehicle. This means that new features and performance will be added or unlocked via software.
The hardware for improvement has been in place since 2022. The Truck’s advanced platform and electrical architecture allow you to continue improving and add functionality in the software. As GM collects more data about the vehicle, it also reveals how to unlock more performance and capabilities.
More neck snapping boot
By optimizing software and propulsion calibration, engineers say they shaved from 0.2 seconds from startup time on the 2026 Hummer EV pickup. With a large 24-module battery pack and two motors in the rear and one motor in one front, there are 1,160 horsepower and about 1,200 lb-ft of torque, the improvement spells out new time, reaching 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.
This is limited to the 2026 model at least for now. This starts with limited production driving of the Hommer EV Carbon Fiber Edition Pickup and SUV, based on top three times trim. It has the ability to unlock additional performance of future previous models.
The launch of maximum acceleration Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode has not been changed. Double press the traction control button to make sure WTF mode is required, the haptic seat starts to vibrate with predictions, listen to the sound amplifier, and the graphics brighten up. The vehicle is prepared low, the battery temperature is optimized, the message tells the driver to place his left foot on the brake, the right foot on the accelerator, and the digital drive coach tells him to release the brakes and “floor.” The vehicle crouches down and releases. Your neck snaps backwards. You can’t help laughing loudly as the G-force hits your body.
Time to laugh
While the engineers experienced it as passengers while repeatedly firing on the prototype, the gauge showed an acceleration of 0.8-g as the truck quickly reached 96 mph. At the next launch, the vehicle was bent over the hunter, so there were some wiggling and hops, the nose advanced upwards, and quickly reached 101 mph. The impact is like a complete forced blow from the rear. Comparison: The GMC Sierra EV with Maximum Power Mode requires 4.5 seconds to hit a 60 despite sharing hardware with the Hummer.
For an engineer like Aaron Phau, not only does achieving 2.8 seconds feel different, but it’s also an emotional achievement that being under the 3.0 second mark. “It’s an exciting day in the lives of a development engineer,” said the vehicle performance manager for a battery electric truck.
You can stay in mode as long as you need it, and you can make repeat releases. The only degradation is that when the range falls below 50%, performance feels slightly reduced, says Phau.
Once you’ve finished your fun, leave WTF mode and the vehicle returns to normal drive height for daily driving.
So how did GM do that?
Inverter limits have been increased to extract more power from the battery to the drive unit. The engineers also re-adjusted the slip targets to manage wheel slips and torque with extra power. Additionally, the ride comfort has been improved thanks to the electronically controlled semi-active damper control. The spring rate remains the same, but the amount of damping force increases, allowing more forces to be applied to manage vertical movement. GM has also changed the way the control unit unlocks more power.
The GMC Hummer SUV cannot use faster firing. It’s not just that the 20-module battery pack is small due to its small footprint. It’s not that the SUV is leaning forward. You could reach 60 miles in 3.5 seconds.
There is also a boost system for the Sierra EV and the Chevrolet Silverado EV, but these trucks have different suspensions and cannot be reduced to the same extent as the Hummer.
Add king crab to menu
One of the most eye-catching Hummer tricks is the crabwalk, which allows the truck to move forward with diagonal passes, as the four wheels are pointed in the same direction. King Crab Off-Road Rear Steer Mode turns the front and rear wheels in opposite directions, and the rear wheels rotate very quickly, for example, with sharp angled operations around the tree. The rear end of the vehicle helps avoid two-point or three-point turns. Also, if you get stuck on loose rocks and try again with more traction, it will be easier to find a good placement. The camera view shows the location of the wheels and the terrain covered.
With King Crab, drivers can place their trucks more accurately and run them more accurately. We rode along off-road courses where wide tracks sharply turned trees that would require multi-point turns without this feature.
Regular crab walks are useful if you slide down a groove. It helps to bring the truck backwards without the rear end slipping off. However, King Crab is a feature of a tight turn where all four wheels work to find the grip. Mike Burns, a ride-and-handling engineer, is another tool to make off-roading more enjoyable.
Mystery Mode Solve
Like a Club Walk, press the button on the Drive Mode Dial to enable Crab King. The Club Walk is located at 9 o’clock. King Crab is 3am for the 2026 model. Over the Air Update will be active on older models. For them, the King Crab is in the same position, filling the current model’s “mystery mode” spot with a triangular graphics, which are retaining spots for future features. This is the feature.
Why not create a more extreme rear wheel steering standard to not always give the truck a tight turning radius? Most people always keep it, but sometimes you don’t want it, such as backing up with a trailer you want it, Burns says.
The GMC Sierra EV pickup is offered on Crab Walk, and the Chevrolet Silverado EV has a similar system called Sidewinder Mode, but you don’t get King Crab. According to Burns, it is exclusively for Hammer, which boasts unexpected and unparalleled capabilities. “No other one has these features.”
The King Crab is standard on the 2026 model and on the entire 3x pickup and SUV trim. We will also be out to all Hummer EV pickups and SUV owners from 2022 to 2025 through broadcast updates later this year.
2026 GMC Hummer Update
For the 2026 model year, the Hammers will also add two-way charging, allowing for vehicle-to-vehicle charging capabilities.
The 2026 Hummer will be enhanced with three new exteriors and three new interior colors, a new off-road wheel design, a high-resolution infotainment screen and a lane change to the hands-free driving super cruise.
The 2026 Carbon Fiber Edition truck and SUV features unique matte grey exterior and Ember interior, unique 22-inch carbon fiber wheels, all-terrain tires, carbon fiber inserts on the hood, mirror caps and skid plates, black approach shields and tonneau covers. Production will begin at zero factory later this year. No pricing has been announced.
As for rumors about bringing the Hummer home with an internal combustion engine, if GM is working on it, it’s news to engineers like Phau.
Photo by the manufacturer
