Chevrolet will debut its highly anticipated electric Silverado pickup in January. But the company won’t make everyone wait hungry. It served up a free appetizer in the form of an overhead teaser photo revealing the truck’s immense glass roof and hinting at a huge central touchscreen.
Electric Trucks Are Coming
Electric trucks may be the biggest news in the automotive world this year.
Americans buy more SUVs than cars and trucks combined, but the full-size trucks from the big three automakers are routinely the three best-selling vehicles in the country.
Worldwide, automakers are shifting from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric ones at a rapid pace. Two years ago, fewer than a dozen electric vehicles (EVs) were for sale in the U.S. By the end of 2022, there could be over 100.
Electric trucks won’t have taken the place of gasoline-powered models by then, but two of the big three will be selling an EV truck alongside their gas cash cows. Ford went first, showing off the 2022 F-150 Lightning in May.
Hints from Chevy: 4-Wheel Steering, Glass Roof
Chevy won’t be far behind. General Motors CEO Mary Barra will show off the truck in full next January when she gives the opening keynote address at the world’s largest consumer electronics showcase, CES 2022.
In the meantime, Chevy has provided a few hints of what to expect. In August, it released a photo of a wheel with a note that the truck will ride on big 24-inch wheels and offer 4-wheel-steering. GM has another electric pickup in the works – the luxury GMC Hummer EV Pickup – which offers 4-wheel-steering. The Silverado EV’s system will most likely be the same. The Hummer’s so-called “crab walk” mode is advertised as an off-road feature but will likely prove just as useful in tight parking lots.
This week, Chevy offered up an overhead shot of the truck. It shows off an enormous panoramic glass roof with terrific headroom. It provides a partial glimpse into the interior, where a wide touchscreen seems to stretch from the center of the dash to the driver’s instrument cluster, much like the huge screen found in the Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV.
That’s all we know for now. We don’t expect to get details on range, price, and standard features until January.
Lots of Competition
The Silverado will need to compete effectively with the F-150 Lightning. Ford’s EV truck carries a sub-$40,000 starting price for a basic work truck with 426 horsepower and a 230-mile range. But buyers can turn it into a near-luxury truck with 300 miles of range, 563 horsepower, and a price tag over $90,000. The Lightning can act as a backup power source for a home in the event of a blackout.
It will also face competition from an electric Ram 1500, due for the 2024 model year, and a handful of EV trucks from electric startups. New U.S. automaker Rivian became the first to deliver an electric pickup last month, with its R1T.
GM plans a GMC Sierra version of the Silverado EV as well.
Some Truck Buyers Skeptical
Americans are all-in on trucks, but manufacturers have some persuading to do to get them to buy in to electric trucks. Research shows that many drivers are skeptical that an electric pickup can do everything they ask their trucks to do.
The Big Three are likely to continue selling gasoline-powered trucks alongside their electric trucks for years as America tries to make the switch to electric infrastructure. If Chevy can post respectable payload and towing figures with the Silverado EV, that could go a long way toward persuading skeptics.
Future Electric Trucks: What’s Coming in 2022 and Beyond
