"Slow down there, crabby!" (Screenshot YouTube/GMC)
It's pretty common for car designers to name their vehicles after animals. Mustang. Impala. Viper. But this might be the first time that a crustacean has been thrown in the mix!
But with just a press of a button the upcoming Hummer EV (Electric Vehicle) can shift into something called 'Crab Walk' mode. This feature lets something really unusual happen—all four wheels rotate up to a 10 degree angle. Once the wheels are set in place, the car can drive diagonally at low speeds, not unlike a crab scuttling across hot sand on a beach. Wild!
Not only is this pretty neat overall, it also shows how much electric vehicles have evolved. Now they're futuristic cars and trucks that are the very top of the line.
Check out this clip from Mashable of the Hummer EV crab walking down a rocky road. From an aerial view, it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie!
Covering the angles
Like the video suggests, the Crab Walk feature will certainly be effective for off-roading, making it easy to tackle difficult turns and avoid obstacles on rough terrain. The Hummer EV can also use hydraulics (strong liquid pumps) to lift the whole vehicle up 15 cm (6 inches) so it can make it over obstacles on the ground. (So, is this 'Tippy Toes' mode?)
Of course, most people don't drive on real-world Mario Kart tracks. But this Crab Walk mode can actually be useful in day-to-day city driving, especially given the vehicle’s extra-large size (Hummers are really big!). The feature would allow for easy maneuvering in tight spaces such as driveways. Not to mention it would be super handy for tricky parallel parking on a busy street. Trust us, that can be hard!
You'll likely start seeing Hummer EVs doing the crab walk in public by Fall 2022.
Awesome!