Summary
- The GMC Hummer EV’s headlights act as a charge indicator, filling up as the vehicle charges.
- At night, the blue glow from the Hummer’s headlights can be irritating to neighbors and cannot be turned off from inside the vehicle.
- Some owners have struggled with the inability to turn off the headlights during the charge process.
There’s so much to talk about regarding the 2024 GMC Hummer EV, that a single review wouldn’t suffice. And honestly, although I had an entire week to live with this massive thing in SUV form – allowing it to suck all the energy from my house along the way – there are still a ton of features I just didn’t have time to explore.
Things like Crab Walk, the Watts to Freedom (WTF) launch control sequence (I tried it once, and it’s massive fun), or the fully removable tops. Although I did remove the front ones for a short run, and it felt like driving my 1990 T-Top Nissan 300ZX. Super cool, considering the Hummer is as large as a Ford Super Duty.
But through all its glory, the Hummer EV also comes with its share of annoyances. There’s one feature on this bus-sized electric vehicle (EV) that I personally couldn’t stand, and it has to do with how its LED headlights act during its charge cycle.
The Headlights Tell You The Truck Is Charging, And How Much Range Is Left
On paper, the idea of having headlights act as a way to know your EV is being charged, and how much range is left is honestly very cool. The Hummer EV’s headlights act like a sequential bar, and the more the vehicle is charged, the more the bar fills up. As people walked by on my street, the Hummer attracted attention not just by its size, but by its pair of alien-like headlights reminding everyone it was in charge mode. Definitely cool.
But then things became a tad irritating when the sun went down. As I approached the living room curtains before going to bed, I couldn’t help but notice a constant blue glow in front of my house. It was coming from my driveway, from, you guess it, the Hummer’s headlights. And as the Hummer’s battery got more charged, the glow was more prominent due to that bar filling up over time.
I figured, wow, what a gimmick, but it’s a Hummer EV. After all, everything about this vehicle is over the top. You expect such douchebag features to come with the experience of owning one of the most opulent vehicles on the road. Besides, most Hummer EV owners will own a garage, right? So I figured this wasn’t much of an issue.
And You Can’t Turn Off The Feature
Until I got a text from one of my neighbors living across the street. His bedroom happens to be facing my house. And since the Hummer’s charge port is in the rear, I had to park the rig backwards to reach my level two home charger located on the side of my house. “Hey Will, is there a way for you to turn off the blue lights on the Hummer? It’s really annoying from over here”, he wrote.
He was right. At night, those headlights can be a pain, lighting up my entire driveway and street, and reflecting onto my neighbor’s house. So I hopped inside the truck and attempted to fiddle with its exterior lighting options. Yet, no. From inside the truck, it was impossible for me to turn off this feature.
I’ve looked this up, and if I’m to base myself on the online forums out there, it seems other people have had to struggle with this as well. Some owners mention lights that only stay on for 90 seconds, while others, like me, have had them on during the entire charge cycle. I reached out to GMC about this and will update this article once I have more information. If you know how to turn off this annoying feature in your Hummer EV, then please, leave us a note in the comments.
