Making the next generation GMC Hummer a pure EV was a box-set worthy twist for a brand name better associated with brutish machismo. But the Hummer EV is coming, discarding the model’s gas guzzling, desert-busting image in favour of a pure electric go-anywhere machine that GMC hopes will be a trailblazer for zero-emission off-roading. In another unpredictable twist, the brand has turned to interior design guru Kelly Wearstler to give the Hummer EV a new home, albeit a virtual one, for the benefit of online media.
The Kelly Wearstler x GMC Hummer EV project pitches the idea of a desert pavilion that’s part Case Study minimalism, part So-Cal Googie. Embedded in the desert landscape, this virtual concept is designed for stashing your silent driving SUV to charge it up ready for the next challenge.
Kelly Wearstler's desert pavilion is designed for the new GMC Hummer EV
A dramatic piece of architecture for a monumental machine
The new Hummer is due later this year, and while it might have softer, smoother manners, the car has lost none of its physicality. Wearstler describes the Hummer as ‘an incredible piece of architecture’, and her desert brutalism is a suitable partner.
Shaping spaces for cars is becoming increasingly crucial as EVs proliferate and vehicles start to serve as mobile battery packs that can give power back to the home in case of emergency. While companies like Aston Martin have focused on spectacular car storage spaces for collectors to hoard their four-wheeled treasures, there are also those looking to minimise the impact of parked cars. At the other end of the spectrum, Volvo have taken a decidedly less epic approach to shaping automotive spaces. Their recent New Garage Design Challenge was won by Tiam Maeiyat with a proposal for a garage that becomes part of the garden and the living space of a home. Intended to shield and charge the family Volvo XC40, the structure uses a rippling green roof with slots for photovoltaic cells and a form that makes the most of tight urban spaces.
The Volvo New Garage Design Challenge by Tiam Maeiyat
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