General Motors plans to introduce an all-electric version of its best-selling Chevy Silverado, promising 400 miles of driving range.
Few details are available. The electric Silverado will not be a version of the existing truck with electric motors and batteries. Instead, it will be a completely new vehicle that rides on the company’s Ultium architecture. This modular EV platform puts all battery and motor components beneath a flat load floor. It can be expanded or contracted to build many vehicle types.
The Ultium architecture is the foundation of GM’s upcoming GMC Hummer electric pickup, which claims as much as 1,000 horsepower from up to three electric motors, along with a range of 300 miles or less depending on trim and options.
GM says the new EV “does not impact our current Silverado and commitment to ICEs in the near term. In fact, we have significant updates in terms of design and capability coming very soon, which we will announce later this year. Chevrolet will continue to offer today’s loyal truck customers new features, trims, and technologies, while simultaneously growing the Silverado franchise with a compelling all-electric truck.”
ICE is automotive jargon for “internal combustion engine,” like the gasoline engine used in more current vehicles. The company plans both retail and fleet versions of the Silverado EV.
There is no word on the price or timing of the electric Silverado. GM plans to phase out most gasoline-powered vehicles and make its operations carbon-neutral by 2035.
