As the President and CEO of UpAuto, which retails Subaru, Honda, Volkswagen and Buick GMC vehicles, Michael Carmichael likes to test drive many of the demos on his company lots. He said typically he’ll drive one for two days to two months, and a couple pickup trucks that have impressed him are the 2025 Sierra Dinali EV and the 2025 Hummer EV.
“They’re just full lux EVs,” he told me. “This Sierra is the real deal. The biggest difference between a Tesla and the Sierra EV – and quite frankly all of GMs EVs – is that Tesla went so minimalist to optimize design and eliminate cost. GM has really focused on practical luxury that is highly user friendly. There is nothing in this truck that is over the top. It’s a top-of-the-line EV pickup truck relatively speaking, whereas you get into any Tesla and there’s no cold seats. Are you serious? This is real truck. The same with Hummers. They’re real vehicles.”
What he likes about the Sierra compared to the Hummer is the range, 750 kilometres versus 500.
“I don’t need that much, but there’s just something calming in an EV knowing that,” he said. “I’ve still got 250 kilometres of range. I’m going to easily get to all my destinations where I can recharge. Even if I get stuck (on the highway) for two hours while they clear the road, I’m not concerned. So that’s where the big difference is. The Hummer still has enough with 500 kilometres, but you still enter that anxiety bandwith. Getting over 700 I’m still in a whole other level of comfort driving an EV.”
He told me the Hummer, which was in huge demand in the 90s, is still relevant today.
“No one ever takes them offroad, or at least a very small percentage,” Michael said. “This thing can do unbelievable things, just as the H1 and H2 were able to do. People drive them because they are different. The new Hummer is an awesome truck. They’ve been priced right, and it’s way more versatile than the Cybertruck. That’s the one thing I was thinking when driving the Sierra.”
He said the Sierra is priced at about $125,000, while the Hummer is slightly higher.
“GM has put some big incentives just to keep them moving,” he said. “You’re average new pickup truck is $80,000 and you’re burning $750 of fuel a month easy, so you’re going to save $8,000 a year. What’s the delta on the payments if I rationalize all the fuel costs and no maintenance? With pickup trucks you’re doing brakes probably more frequently than you would in a car. You’re going to save money driving buying an EV, hands down. When you get into EVs, the only way you can stratify it is by price. I have a basic Yukon Elevation that is $100,000. If you’re looking to buy a truck, you’re going to be in and around $100,000-$120,000, so it doesn’t take much to get beyond that and you’re not paying fuel.
“I love driving my Yukon, my gas pickup, but I really like driving this EV. I was totally surprised. The range is the biggest, but I’m a huge fan of Super Cruise. That’s a total game changer for me. It’s like Lane Keep Assist, which will beep or turn the wheel a bit, but this is (more robust). It can change lanes safely. It will respond faster to situations than you or I would.”
Perry Lefko is the Content Manager of The Car Magazine. He can be reached at [email protected]. Feel free to forward any story suggestions or comments.
