General Motors is on a roll and the North American powerhouse plans to supercharge its electrified ambitions by spending upwards of $27 billion to develop thirty new global EVs by 2025. One of these new debuts will be a Chevrolet-branded pickup truck similar in size to the recently-revealed GMC Hummer.
Whilst its name has yet to be confirmed, it’s rumored to carry on the Silverado moniker. Our very own Michael Gauthier got the low-down from GM’s recent investor conference which displayed a glimpse of the unrevealed, full-size truck behind GM chief EV officer Travis Hester. Keen to see what it looks like? Well, let’s shed some light and investigate further before the truck’s official debut.
Aggressive Appearances
While some rivals have embraced a radical approach with their upcoming EV pickups, Chevrolet has struck an eye-catching blend of traditional truck mixed with a hint of Corvette DNA. The front facia has body-coloured contouring in place of a conventional grille and a lattice-like lower section with black plastic cladding. A unique lighting arrangement features split-level headlamps: the main beams are positioned low, whilst the LED daylight running lamps are mounted high up.
The profile reveals tense sheet metal sculpting with flared fenders and many subtle creases. The deep sills and angled rear pillars are reminiscent of those on the new Hummer EV, and unlike the Silverado, there is no separation between the bed and the cabin.
Under The Skin
For the interior, expect utilitarian practicality, quality materials and immersive digital displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen. The latter will feature Google’s voice assistant, navigation and app ecosystem, ditching the current in-car setup found in many other GM vehicles. Super Cruise will help take the stress out of commuting, with hands-free driving and automatic lane changing available on compatible roads.
Read: GM Shows Off New EV Platform, Teases Cadillac Lyriq And Confirms Chevy Bolt EUV
GM’s BT1 800-volt electric vehicle architecture will provide a stiff platform with optimized weight distribution and a low center of gravity. It also forms the basis for future Chevrolet, GMC-Hummer and Cadillac electric SUVs and trucks, and like the new Hummer, an SUV variant will debut at a later date.
‘Ultium’ Performance
GM’s ultra-flexible Ultium EV architecture will offer performance that will leave today’s trucks for dead. If GMC’s Hummer EV3X is anything to go by, we could potentially see 800 horsepower/9,500 lb-ft of torque, three electric motors and all-wheel-drive for a 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) time in as little as 4 seconds.
Of course, those figures would be for a range-topping version; regular models will make do with a single motor/rear-wheel-drive setup or dual-motor/all-wheel-drive and an estimated driving range of 300 miles (~483 km) to a full charge. The high-density battery pack will have 350 DC kW fast-charging capability, and future improvements will yield 450 miles (~724 km) of charge.
Electrified Rivals & Reveal
Rivals include the upcoming electric Ford F-150, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T and Lordstown Endurance. Nikola’s Badger EV pickup was also to be a competitor; however, General Motors have abandoned their original deal with Nikola, and the Badger’s road to reality has evaporated.
Also See: Everything We Think We Know About The 2022 Toyota Tundra Pickup
GM’s Factory ZERO plant (formerly known as Detroit-Hamtramck) for dedicated EVs will handle production, which has now been brought forward by 11 months as part of the company’s zero-emissions strategy. While GM avoided sharing details on the timeline, we’re told that production has been moved up from 2025 with an unveiling possibly as early as 2022, so watch this space!
Would you consider this truck over more traditional ICE offerings? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Note: The illustration was made by CarScoops’ artist Josh Byrnes and while based on a prototype that was partially teased, it is in no way related to or endorsed by Chevrolet