Every major pickup truck maker offers three basic versions of its rigs – basic fleet, luxury family hauler, and rugged off-roader.

Some even succeed in combining luxury and off-road prowess.

Here’s one of them, which combines some serious comfy kit with serious off-road items from none other than American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), which describes itself as “the leading store for high-quality off-road vehicle parts” and also does a pretty rugged-looking Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison model, which I have also tested.

So let’s drive.

2026 Sierra 1500 AT4X: American Expedition Vehicles Upgrades

The Sierra was born in 1999 as a more macho variation of Chevrolet’s light-duty pickup truck, built on GM’s GMT800 platform with some simple nose and taillight redesigns. Now into its fourth generation, introduced in 2019, the truck got a substantial GMC-specific redesign outside in 2022, resulting in a more square-jawed face. And now we get the AEV upgrades as a separate version of its Sierra 1500 AT4X model, which already gets some off-road kit.

Road Tests Of Some Competitors: Ford F-150 Lightning | Rivian R1T | Tesla Cybertruck | Ram 1500 HEMI

Big Red’s stacked vertical face looks ready to shred some mud, with a tall black barred grille under a decorative faux hood scoop, side intakes over a body-color and black bumper with tow hooks and inset fog lights.

There’s a prominent AEV-upgrade boron steel skid plate, one of five under this truck. C-shaped LED DRLs frame projector headlights. 

Those are AEV stamped steel front and rear bumpers with front winch capability are shaped to improve approach and departure angles off road. There’s AEV badging on bumpers. Off-road rocker panel protectors help shield the sills and frame rails, while we did not have the optional bolt-on step assist, handy when not off-roading.

Black cladding frames AEV racing-inspired Salta wheels with 12-spoke design and recessed valve stems wearing 33-inch off-road Goodyear Wrangler rubber. It includes offroad-capable Multimatic DSSV spool valve dampers easily visible through lots of fender-to-tread clearance – a 2-inch factory lift. There are no running boards here, so its its 11.5-inch center ground clearance is preserved.

In back, GM’s trick Multipro tailgate, done in contrasting black, has an integrated step.

The whole rig is almost 232-inches long and stands 6-foot, 5-inches tall at the crew cab roof.

2026 Sierra 1500 AT4X Interior: Worth The Climb

With no running board, you grab the leather-wrapped grab handles, or the steering wheels, and pull yourself up into black leather seats with white piping, plus AEV buffalo-embroidered head restraints over AT4X accents, with deep rubber all-weather floor liners.

You sit very tall in these massage, heated/cooled seats, with memory presets for the driver. The stitched leatherette-topped dashboard design, with thick red stitching on door armrests and steering wheel, is refreshingly different than its sister Chevrolet Silverado. Some of the leather in here has a woodgrain effect – cool – and seats front and rear get that piping. That said, there’s basic black plastic in the lower door and dash trim, with some basic GM switches and buttons here and there.

The paddle shifters behind the wheel are small, and only work if you slap the center console electronic shifter into Manual mode. They are joined by intuitive audio controls. I appreciated the steering wheel heat button up front on some frosty Florida mornings.

The 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is clear and concise, with a basic 140-mph speedometer and 6,000 rpm tach, or other designs that include simple digital speed, or a simpler speedo and tach. All come with choices in information, including off-road angle and drive status in the middle, or customizable insets like a compass. There’s a big head-up display as well.

The dash center is a wide 13.4-inch touchscreen with navigation, audio, seat heat/cool and other menus including HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It has a real volume knob, while voice command handles navigation, audio, phone and more. Underneath there’s a big engine start/stop button, dual-zone climate control with big temperature knobs, and nine buttons to handle differential lock, power tailgate, hill descent control and more.

The wide center console gets a cellphone recharger slot, plus lots of storage space, usable cupholders, trailer brake bias control and a deep center armrest storage area with more USB ports. The rearview mirror can be switched to a widescreen rear camera view, while the center display can access a gander at the cargo bed, trailer hitch or front/side/top-down and more views.

Seat massage settings are adjustable via a knob on the bottom cushion, displayed on the center screen, although you can not actually adjust them from the screen. Controls for headlights, driving modes and 2- and 4-wheel-drive settings are down low on the left of the steering wheel, which are not easy to see. 

Again, it’s a climb into the rear bench seat, but there’s lots of head and leg room, a drop-down center armrest, a/c vents, outboard seat heaters, and more USB ports. Under the split flip-up seat bottoms are storage areas, plus more inside the seatbacks, along with a power rear window.

That 6-foot-long bed has lots of room (2,286-lb. cargo capacity) and tie-downs, while its Multi-Pro, meaning the upper segment that drops independently has a step for easier loading of small stuff, or using a built-in waterproof Bluetooth speaker system underneath for tailgating. 

This is an imposing rig, but there’s a high level of tech as well as luxury for passengers.

2026 Sierra 1500 AT4X: Ready For Off-Road Adventures

OK, no matter how much off-road gear is woven into this Sierra’s DNA, some folks just may not do worse than a sandy parking lot. For those who do really take it off-road, it includes front and rear e-locking differentials, all that ground clearance, 35-inch mud-terrain tires, 2-inch suspension lift, Multimatic DSSV dampers, specific front upper and lower control arms and steering knuckles, larger steel transfer case and other skid plates.

That lifted suspension and knobby rubber could have harshened the ride on and off road, but this rig was quite refined on the highway – and darn nice over some lumpy, hillock-filled fields and weedy, potholed old Navy base back lots. Traction in 4-wheel-drive high and off-road drive mode was solid, with no slip over grass. The ground clearance and clipped AEV bumpers gave a great approach angle, allowing an easy traverse of grassy old Navy drainage ditches. In 4-wheel-drive low, dirt and grass fields presented no challenge, while a mid-field swale was shrugged off too – down, through and up with no harsh suspension rebound and great ground clearance. We saw some steep angles going up and along some shallow hills, and the Sierra stayed planted.

But what about daily commuting?

There’s an available 3-liter Duramax diesel with 305-hp, 495 lb-ft torque and tow 8,800-lbs. We had the 6.2-liter with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm, running through a 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel-/all-wheel-/4-wheel-drive high or low with Normal, Sport, Off-Road and Terrain drive modes – they adjust transmission shift points, throttle and StabiliTrak.

Driven mostly in Normal mode and rear-wheel-drive on the highway with cruise control, we barely scratched 15 mpg, and saw as low as 11 mpg after some dirt-dogging, even with auto-shut off at stops, which was fairly transparent on restart from a stoplight.

The V-8 gave quick throttle response and precise upshifts in Normal mode en route to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds/5.8 in Normal/all-wheel-drive Auto. It gave a nice exhaust note thanks to its active system, and minimal road noise, mostly from the tires.

Set in Sport mode/rear-wheel-drive, we got some wheelspin en route to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, while 4-wheel-drive Auto saw great traction off line en route to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. This rig can tow up to 9,000-lbs. – better exhaust rumble in Sport. The truck was entertaining to drive, with great passing power – slap the gearshift aft for Manual mode, and the tiny paddle shifters worked well.

To compare, a test I did back in a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Crew Cab 4×4 saw 60 mph in 5.7 seconds in 2-wheel-drive in Normal mode, while switching to Sport and all-wheel-drive auto made for a quick launch to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds with rapid shifts in the power band – it averaged about 16 mpg, with only some tire and light wind noise at highway speed.

Under the skin lives independent coil-over-shocks up front, and a solid axle with semi-elliptic/variable-rate/two-stage multi-leaf springs in back. Both get two-speed transfer cases for four-wheel-drive with high and low range and locking differentials. The result is a firm ride, but with decent buffering over sharper bumps – nothing rattling. Unladened, it swallowed speedbumps with no tail hop.

It was fairly agile for a 5,890-lb. truck, tackling turns well with some body roll, power shifting front and rear in 4-wheel-drive auto to help it get through. Go to rear-wheel-drive only and I could power squeak the rear rubber coming out of a corner, but it’s easy to handle – for a truck. The suspension didn’t get upset by a bump mid-turn. The disc brakes had a nice bite high on the pedal, responsive and controllable with no fade after repeated hard use, hauling its weight down from 60 mph. Pedal engagement was high up, with progressive bite and no drama. And again, steering was precise and well-weighted in Sport mode, with a decent turning radius.

For safety, the Sierra includes front and rear park assist, lane-change alert with blind zone and rear cross traffic warnings via seat buzzers. There’s lane-keep assist that gently nudged steering to stay between the lines, auto-high beams and adaptive cruise control with full start/stop/resume.

A base rear-wheel-drive GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab starts at $40,495. Our 1500 AT4X AEV started at $79,400. The AT4X AEV Edition option is $6,910, with skid plates, bumpers, wheels and all the other AEV stuff; the 6.2-liter V-8 is $1,500; Volcanic Red Tintcoat was $645; and active exhaust $395, for a total MSRP of $89,945.

Bottom line: Great power, ride and good handling for a serious off-roader, eager to get dirty and stay outta trouble, with decent tech and plush interior too.

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab AT4X AEV

Vehicle type – full-size 5-passenger crew cab all-wheel-drive pickup

Base price – $79,400 ($89,945 as tested)

Engine type –OHV 16-valve alloy V-8

Displacement – 6.2 liter

Horsepower (net) – 420 @ 5,600 rpm

Torque – 460 @ 4,100 rpm

Transmission – 10-speed automatic transmission

Wheelbase – 158.9 inches

Overall length – 252 inches

Overall width – 81.9 inches w/mirrors

Height – 82.7 inches

Front headroom – 43 inches

Front leg room – 44.5 inches

Rear headroom – 40.1 inches

Rear legroom – 43.4 inches

Cargo bed – 6-foot/71.7 cu. ft. volume

Payload/towing – up to 1,050 pounds/8,900 pounds

Weight – 5,890 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 24 gallons

Fuel mileage – 14 mpg city/16 mpg highway

The post Big, Off-Road Bruiser: Sierra 1500 4WD AT4X AEV appeared first on EV Rider.

The GMC Hummer EV SUV isn’t aimed at early adopter EV fans but rather those that want big, brawny, go anywhere SUVs with swagger; which is exactly what prompted former gasoline Hummer owner Delina Auld to take the plunge into the world of electric vehicles.

She absolutely loved her Hummer H2 but it eventually got to the point that from a repair perspective it was time to trade it in. “It broke my heart. I literally cried when they drove off the lot,” Delina said.

When she heard General Motors was bringing back the Hummer brand as a pair of EVs under the GMC umbrella Delina knew she would have to check out the SUV version.

“I jumped online and I put my reservation down. I was not in the market for an EV in general, but when the Hummer came out and I saw the truck, it intrigued me. So I started immediately researching to see what the design would look like for the SUV, and I saw a couple of prototypes, and I thought, ‘yeah, that’s pretty cool. I think I’m going to have to have one of those.'”

Her patience paid off when she took deliver of a Hummer EV SUV in the exclusive Moonshot Green Matte color, which is unique to the Edition 1. The Edition 1 serves as the SUV launch vehicle. Her’s is believed to be the first Hummer EV SUV delivered in North Florida. It is number 338 of about 2,500 Edition 1s being built.

The SUV’s wheelbase 8.9 inches shorter as compared to its big brother pickup. Despite that, it’s still plenty roomy. The Hummer EV SUV weighs more than 8,600 pounds, making it one of the heaviest EVs out there. That’s down about a thousand pounds from the Hummer EV pickup.

The EPA estimates the SUV version of the Hummer EV is good for about 314 miles of range per charge in combined city/highway driving conditions. In real-world driving conditions Car and Driver says it got 250 miles of range in its 75 mph highway test. The EPA says it gets the equivalent of 53 miles per gallon (MPGe in combined driving.

The Hummer EV has a 170 kWh hour battery pack. GMC says the Hummer can hit a peak charging speed of 300kW at 350kW DC fast chargers. While at home in the garage it can suck down up to 19.2kW per hour, assuming the homeowner adds a circuit, outlet and charger capable of delivering that much power.

Under ideal conditions the Hummer EV SUV can add 100 miles of range in about 14 minutes while DC fast charging at a 350 kW station.

The SUV also has bidrectional charging, meaning it can charge other EVs, delivering 6 kW per hour.

The Hummer has 830 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, which is good for a zero-to-60 run of 3.5 seconds in what GMC calls Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode.

Once put in WTF mode, the SUV will begin to lower. Other chassis settings will automatically adjust and the driver display will show a torque gauge capability graphic building to full torque.

The driver display then tells the driver what braking and accelerator inputs are necessary to initiate the WTF launch sequence.

While driving the Hummer EV SUV I could see how an inexperienced driver could quickly lose control in a tight turn or other sudden manuvering situation. The ride at relaxed speeds was impressive but this isn’t an SUV you can afford to make a mistake with due to its immense power and weight.

I was thrilled to see General Motors bring back t-tops with the Hummer EV SUV. It has panels in the front and the back, plus the front center bar is removable. Although most of us remember removable glass panels being called t-tops, GMC calls its setup an Infinity Roof with Sky Panels.

The panels are stored in the front trunk while the front t-bar can be stored under the back seat.

Thanks to the SUV’s four-wheel steering, the Hummer has an extremely tight (for its size) 35.4 feet turning radius.

It can also manuever somewhat sideways thanks to what GMC calls CrabWalk mode. CrabWalk mode can only be used in low speed situations of up to 1.2 mph and is meant for off road use or parking in tight spaces.

For the most part Delina has been impressed with the Hummer’s infotainment system. It features gamer-quality animations and didn’t show any signs of lag. It’s also one of the last GM’s to include Apple Car Play and Android Auto as the company has announced it will be dropping the screen mirroring system on upcoming models in favor of Android Automotive, which runs natively.

While Delina is happy with most aspects of the Hummer’s infotainment system she says the audio doesn’t match the price. “I don’t care for the stereo. The speakers just don’t sound great, even though they’re Bose.”

The Hummer EV SUV also doesn’t have HD Radio, which is a startling omission for a vehicle in its price range. The lack of HD Radio may partially explain Delina’s dissatisfaction with the sound quality. HD Radio delivers CD quality sound, which is a cut above traditional FM. HD Radio also enables broadcasters to offer up to three additional HD Radio-only channels in addition to their main channel.

Here in Jacksonville, FL there are more than a dozen HD Radio-only channels.

Outside of some light off-roading on small section of North Florida beach, Delina hasn’t had the opportunity yet to experience her Hummer’s all-terrain capabilities. Off-roading should prove to be where her Hummer really excels.

GMC offers an optional Extreme Off-Road package that has special hardware; including 18-inch wheels on 35-inch all-terrain tires, extra underbody protection, low-mounted cameras for improved visibility while maneuvering, enhanced axles with heavy-duty components, a locking front differential, and rear motors that can electronically mimic a locked differental.

The Hummer EV SUV is likely to give traditional gasoline Hummer fans sticker shock. The cheapest model currently available bases at $96,550 and can quickly top $104,000, although a slightly less expensive base model ($79,995) is expected once production really ramps up.

For driving impressions and much more, watch the video review at the top of this post.

HUMMER EV SUV & PICKUP OFF-ROAD DRIVING SPECIFICATIONS COMPARED

^{^}Max off-road performance specs enabled by available Extract Mode⁴

The post Review: GMC Hummer EV; Hummer H2 Fan Goes Electric appeared first on EV Rider.

As it turns out Tesla ended up picking the perfect name for its Supercharging technology: The North American Charging Standard (NACS).

General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra has announced with Tesla CEO Elon in a Twitter Spaces webcast that starting next year GM EVs will be able to use Tesla Superchargers and starting in 2025 new GM EVs will come standard with a NACS charging port.

The collaboration will expand access to charging for GM EV drivers at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers, and growing, throughout North America.

“Our vision of the all-electric future means producing millions of world-class EVs across categories and price points, while creating an ecosystem that will accelerate mass EV adoption,” said Barra. “This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers. Not only will it help make the transition to electric vehicles more seamless for our customers, but it could help move the industry toward a single North American charging standard.”

The Tesla Supercharger Network will be open to GM EV drivers starting in 2024 and will initially require the use of an adapter. Beginning in 2025, the first GM EVs will be built with a NACS inlet for direct access to Tesla Superchargers without an adapter.

In the future, GM will make adapters available for drivers of NACS-enabled vehicles to allow charging on CCS-capable fast charge stations.

GM will also integrate the Tesla Supercharger Network into its vehicle and mobile apps, helping drivers locate, pay for, and initiate charging at Superchargers.

Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s Senior Director of Charging Infrastructure, added, “Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Giving every EV owner access to ubiquitous and reliable charging is a cornerstone of that mission. We’re excited to work with other industry leaders like General Motors to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger Network via the North American Charging Standard.”

GM continues to work with others in the industry to accelerate the installation of home, work and public charging as part of its Ultium Charge 360 initiative. This includes collaborations with Pilot Company and EVgo that will add more than 5,000 DC fast chargers to the nearly 13,000 existing DC fast chargers in North America, as well as the deployment of community chargers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

GM didn’t say in its news release whether those will be NACS or CCS chargers, although since those announcements were previously made, it’s assumed those will still be CCS stations.

Last month Ford President and CEO Jim Farley made a similar announcement with Musk. With today’s announcement the big three American-based EV manufacturers have committed to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard.

The post GM Follows Ford In Adopting Tesla Supercharger Standard appeared first on EV Rider.