One of the coolest features about the new GMC Hummer electric vehicles is CrabWalk—but we have yet to see it in action out in the wild. Well, at least, until now.
Basically, “Crab Mode” allows all four of the Hummer’s wheels to cant to the side so that, when throttle is applied, the beefy EV moves diagonally. It takes four-wheel steering to a completely new level, and the whole goal is to use this mode to more easily maneuver around tough obstacles when you’re off-roading. I imagine that it will also make quite a nifty party trick.
But someone sent in a clip to The Fast Lane Truck on YouTube that shows off this mode on a public road for the first time. You can watch it below:
Until now, everything we’ve seen has been released directly by GM and has either been created digitally or filmed on a closed circuit; you kind of have to take all that with a grain of salt, since that’s not showing anything out in the wild.
This new clip, though, shows a line of Hummer EV trucks crab walking through congested traffic. It’s equal parts charming and creepy, kind of like how I’ve always felt watching dancers move in sync. It shouldn’t be possible to move like that, but it is.
Whatever the case may be, it’s fun to have seen these trucks doing their little dance on the road after what looks like a successful day driving through the dirt. We have yet to see what the CrabWalk feature looks like when it’s implemented mid-obstacle on an off-road trail, but it’s likely only a matter of time.
But it also makes for a fun little experience on the road, too. I’d love to see the faces of folks who are totally unfamiliar with this feature when they witness the crab jig on the road for the first time.