Today GM made some announcements about the upcoming Chevy Silverado E all-electric pickup truck. Both CEO Mary Barra and President Mark Reuss had a little chit-chat online revealing that Barra will be the keynote speaker at the CES Show in Las Vegas in January 2022. From there the discussion turned to the Silverado E.

First, it and the electric GMC Sierra will get glass roofs. “The brand confirmed the Silverado electric pickup will feature an available segment-leading fixed-glass roof for retail models, offering expansive visibility, increased headroom, and an enhanced experience of spaciousness for both the front and rear passengers,” GM said. “This is the first application of an available fixed-glass roof on a GM pickup in the full-size truck segment.”

The Silverado E is finding a whole new customer base

GM feels that interest in the EV pickup is coming not from current Silverado and Sierra owners but from a whole new base according to Reuss. So it looks at this as an opportunity to sell even more trucks and the services and accessories that go with them. 

Both GM pickups will feature 24-inch wheels and the four-wheel steering that will also be found in the Hummer EV. So you might be seeing some Silverado pickups doing the crab walk. As for the glass roof, it is already a popular option with the Rivian R1T while getting plenty of positive comments for the feature on the Tesla Cybertruck. 

The Siverado E will get over 400 miles of range

GM is also touting the pickup’s range, which will be over 400 miles with a full charge. Ultracruise will also be available, covering 95-percent of driving situations. And GM is venturing out past its current product production.

It plans to “disrupt” the insurance business with a new approach to insuring your Sierra and Silverado. GM will be getting into the locomotive building business, too. It will offer both electric and fuel cell options for this new venture. And it will have fuel cell systems to use internally and to other businesses. 

GM wants to be “the leader in the EV space”

This all seems like a great foundation for GM’s goal of becoming “the leader in the EV space.” But unfortunately, the problems with the Chevy Bolt hangs heavy over those plans. While the Bolt has been lauded since first hitting the market in 2017, now each and every one of them will need its batteries swapped out in a massive recall. 

And GM’s attempts at synergies with both Nikola and Lordstown show hamfisted attempts to speed up the EV development timeline. And GM’s future is Rivian’s today. It has beat both GM and Ford to the EV truck market. 

But GM has the ability to throw more money and manpower at development than any other company can. So now that it has charted the EV course, it won’t be long before the consumer gets to be the final say.