GM Teases Electric Chevy Silverado Pickup Again: What We Know So Far

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From where we’re sitting right now in mid-2021, it looks like the EV truck race comes down to two companies: Tesla and Ford. Tesla announced its Cybertruck in 2019, while Ford announced the F-150 Lightning this year. So far, though, we’ve heard almost nothing from Stellantis and GM about plans for an EV pickup truck. With polling showing a statistical dead heat between Cybertruck, Lightning, and a hypothetical and unseen Chevy electric pickup, it was becoming increasingly surprising that we hadn’t seen an electric Silverado beyond one small press release in April with no details other than a range figure they were aiming for.

Now, Chevy is finally taking another small step toward a public announcement.

I saw “small step” because the company hasn’t really announced anything yet. There’s just the outline of a pickup and some simulated video showing one of the capabilities Chevrolet intends to include in the upcoming Silverado electric. In other words, the company is still falling very short of what we typically see in an official wide-scale announcement because there’s no prototype or concept vehicle, very limited details, etc..

That having been said, there are still a few things we’ve learned from the limited announcement.

What We Know So Far

First off, it’s going to be all-electric. The title of the website says “All-Electric Silverado,” as does the little teaser video, and several other details on the page. While we don’t know specific details about how Chevy intends to lay out the battery and drive systems, we do know that the company is intending to go electric and not make it a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen truck.

Second, we know that Chevy is going to use its Ultium battery system for the pickup. This means it will use the same modules as the Hummer EV and other upcoming EVs, and won’t be based directly on the Chevy Bolt EV or EUV vehicles. Instead, it will follow the now-standard “skateboard” architecture that we’ve been seeing more and more companies embrace.

This also tells us that the electric Silverado is going to be very similar to the F-150 Lightning in its drivetrain layout. Transverse motors front and rear will move the vehicle, abandoning the longitudinal front-engine, rear-drive layout common in pickups today. All-wheel and rear-wheel drive are likely to continue to dominate the segment, as most pickup buyers wouldn’t want a front-drive vehicle.

Another thing Chevy has revealed is that the vehicle will be built in Factory Zero. Previously known as Detroit-Hamtramck, the well-known GM factory (located on a site where the original Dodge factory was) will be converted to produce only EVs. GM has also announced that it intends to build the electric Hummer variants, the Silverado, and the Cruise Origin. Beyond retooling to produce EVs, GM also plans to power the facility with renewable energy by 2023.

So far, only one feature of the electric Silverado has been officially announced: 4-wheel steering. GM trucks (Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, which are nearly identical, as well as Suburbans) had 4-wheel steering available from 2002 to 2005 using a system known as Quadrasteer. The system was originally a $7000 option, but prices got as low as $1000 for the option before it was discontinued.

Bringing this option back, especially now that it’s technically easier than making a solid rear axle steer, makes a lot of sense, as it greatly increases maneuverability and trailer maneuvering. With an electric vehicle, this should be easier and cheaper to implement. Because the Ultium architecture uses transverse motors going through a transaxle, CV joints, etc., there is a lot less difference between the front and rear suspensions and drive systems than most pickups today, which use a solid rear axle. Computer technology has also gotten a more advanced and cheaper, allowing the rear-wheel steering to not be nearly as expensive on that front as well.

Another thing we know from a press release earlier this year is that Chevy is aiming for 400 miles of range, which is likely to require a fairly large battery pack for reasons we’ll explain further down.

Finally, we know from the silhouette of the teaser that the truck will have a traditional truck shape, without the radical departure from this that we’ve seen Tesla take. The Silverado nameplate wouldn’t go on a truck that’s smaller than a 1/2 ton, so we shouldn’t expect an electric Colorado or anything in the size range of Ford’s Maverick just yet.

Some Educated Guesses Based On This

Based on what we know for sure, we can make a few educated guesses.

First, it seems likely that Chevy will be sticking with the body-on-frame architecture their trucks (and most others) have been using for over a century. The modular approach allows GM to use the same cab and bed as its gasoline and diesel-powered trucks, allowing it to save a lot of money and avoid redesigning a whole truck around it. Yes, the frame with a battery pack and drive units will be very different from the other trucks, but being able to keep the rest of the truck sharing parts with its gas siblings allows it to benefit from economies of scale that a unique design wouldn’t be able to.

Another thing we can expect to see is fairly normal Silverado styling, and for it to be similar to what’s on sale today in gas-powered form. The Silverado (and, by extension, the GMC Sierra) platform just got a new generation in 2019, so a new generation of pickup truck for 2022–2023 would be a little premature.

Chevrolet may do what it did with the Avalanche, and give it a significantly different nose, which then serves as the first truck with that new aesthetic. This would mean that the truck is significantly similar elsewhere on the body to the present generation Silverado, but looks very different on the front and possibly with ground effects or plastic cladding on the sides that give it a different look. Then, when the next generation of Silverado comes out, they can all have that same look, regardless of drivetrain.

Eventually, we should also expect a GMC version of the truck with different badges and a slightly different nose and hood.

Either way, don’t expect anything truly wild from Chevrolet and GMC on this. They have a customer base they’re trying to get to switch to electric, and they’re also looking for ways to keep costs low. The end result won’t be the most aerodynamically efficient vehicle out there, but it will be something Chevrolet’s customer base will actually want to buy, and that’s not a bad thing. Every EV that replaces the production of an ICE car is one we can tally off in the “win” column.

If that’s not your cup of tea, that’s totally fine. There’s always Rivian and Tesla if you want something a little different in your driveway!


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Jennifer Sensiba

Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to get off the beaten path in her "Bolt EAV" and any other EVs she can get behind the wheel or handlebars of with her wife and kids. You can find her on Twitter here, Facebook here, and YouTube here.

Jennifer Sensiba has 1930 posts and counting. See all posts by Jennifer Sensiba