The first 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV has been auctioned off to benefit conservation nonprofit Tread Lightly, generating $500,000 for the group despite being incapable of treading lightly.

In Edition 1 launch spec with Moonshot Green Matte paint, the first Hummer EV SUV was auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson at the company's Scottsdale, Arizona, event Jan. 28. The auction house waived its fees so Tread Lightly could receive the full $500,000 hammer price, according to a GMC press release.

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV Edition 1 at Barrett-Jackson auction

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV Edition 1 at Barrett-Jackson auction

Those funds will go toward trail restoration projects and educational programs that "promote outdoor ethics and a sense of stewardship in nature," according to the release.

An electric off-roader might be a more considerate way to explore the outdoors, but the GMC Hummer EV does not tread lightly. The pickup version that launched for the 2022 model year weighs more than 9,000 pounds, and the SUV isn't likely in production guise to be significantly lighter.

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV testing in Moab

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV testing in Moab

Considering that, the Hummer EV SUV is shaping up to be the heaviest SUV ever, above the Ford Excursion and the original, military-derived Hummer H1. Not that there isn't some appeal to the electric Hummer; in a first drive, we found that the Hummer EV pickup brings electric vehicle enthusiasm to serious big-truck fans.

After developing the Hummer EV in record time, General Motors has slowed the pace when it comes to rolling out all of the planned variants. GM many months ago said that a price hike will apply to the 2023 GMC Hummer EV, but it hasn't yet delivered any of the versions that kick off the model year. Through calendar year 2022, GM reported that it's only delivered 855 Hummer EV trucks, including the one that it delivered in 2021.

Reservations for the SUV are currently open, with production scheduled to begin later this year at GM's Factory Zero in Detroit.