This week General Motors was front and center at the 2020 Barclays Global Automotive Conference. At the event, it revealed images of some electric vehicles that will be released between now and 2025. Among those shown was this image of the Chevy Silverado EV. A number of other Silverado EV images were used as background for the event but were not allowed to be photographed. This adds to the many EV pickups in the works-too many to count!

GM has aggressively hyped the upcoming GMC Hummer EV. But it has been mum until now about the companion Silverado EV. Both will share the same GM BT1 EV platform with the GM-developed Ultium battery system. The two EV pickups will be built at the Hamtramck Factory Zero plant. 

GM is doubling down on an electric pickup future as well they should

GM is spending $ billions to do a makeover of the plant as well as the one in Spring Hill, Tennessee. This amount of capital being spent indicates there will be numerous models built at these two plants. So indeed, GM is doubling down on an electric future as well they should. The Hummer and Chevy EV pickup is just the start.

This week the UK upped its date for a gas-powered vehicle ban to 2030 from 2035. Other countries and territories have recently initiated internal combustion bans around 2035. So, whether you’re ready or not it is looking more and more like an all-EV future. 

Among the GM EV announcements at the conference was a refreshed Bolt, a larger Bolt EUV, and vague “crossovers,” “low-roof entries,” and a “full-size pickup,” that is obviously the Silverado. We call it the Silverado, but the full-size Chevy EV pickup offering might be called something else once it is formally introduced. 

Can you even name all of the EV pickups on the way?

Can you even name all of the EV pickups on the way? We know both Ford and Ram are furiously working on their versions. Ford has set 2022 as the year the F-150 EV will see daylight. It has already been announced it will be priced far below $100,000 which other coming pickups are approaching. 

Then, beyond the Detroit three, there are the upstart EV companies. So, there’s Tesla with the Cybertruck, Rivian with its R1T. Then there is the Bollinger B2, Lordstown Motors entry, and possibly Nikola. We say possibly because there is an investigation into the veracity of its claims and developments. Some say it is all vaporware. Time will tell.

The reveal of the Tesla Cybertruck last year has cranked up EV pickup hype

While all of this has been ongoing for a while, the reveal of the Tesla Cybertruck, its crazy reception, and over 600,000 pre-orders from a year ago have cranked up EV pickup hype and sneak peeks. Like this design studio sketch of the Chevy Silverado EV pickup or whatever Chevy chooses to call it. The basic Hummer body will be retained, without the removable top. New fender stampings, interior, and front fascia will all be Chevy-centric. 

Doing without the fancy top and carb-walk features will begin to keep the price down into F-1250 EV territory. It will also help differentiate between the premium GMC Hummer and its more sedate sibling the Chevy EV pickup. Let’s just hope there is as much enthusiasm for electric pickups as all of these manufacturers are guessing there is.