Mean, green: Electric Hummer on the way

American brand synonymous with excess, machismo and the military is set to build the most unlikely zero-emission cars to take on brands such as Tesla.

Hummer is set to return to the highways as an electric four-wheel drive to rival the likes of Tesla’s Model X and Cybertruck.

The brand best known for hulking three-tonne 4WDs, Gulf War heroics and stretched pink limousines has turned a new leaf.

The 3.8-tonne Hummer H1 was based on military vehicles battle-proven in the Gulf War.

GMC, part of the General Motors family that includes Holden, announced on Thursday it will build a new Hummer “truck” in Detroit.

Set to be revealed on May 20, the new machine will benefit from hype built through big-budget commercials aired during the Superbowl football match on Monday morning.

Hummer released a single teaser image of its upcoming vehicle, which features an illuminated grille.

Hummer says the new machine has 1000 horsepower (745kW), making it more powerful than any car currently on sale.

GMC claims it will reach 60 miles per hour (just short of 100km/h) in three seconds, and that it will have more pulling power than conventional turbo diesel utes.

US media estimate that the machine will have about 1900Nm of torque, or about four times that of a Toyota HiLux.

Global Buick and GMC vice president Duncan Aldred says the electric Hummer takes the brand to new heights, describing the car as “revolutionary”.

Golf legend Tiger Woods in a military Hummer.

Hummer started selling cars to the US public in 1992, marketing a civilian version of the HMMWV or “Humvee” military vehicle as the Hummer H1. Smaller H2 and H3 models followed, with the latter on sale in Australian between 2007 and 2010.

The new electric model will join a tide of high-performance electric utes from brands including Ford, Rivian and Tesla aiming to capitalise on an emerging market segment.

Originally published as Mean, green: Electric Hummer on the way