General Motors leans further into the EV arena with an electric GMC Sierra.
Next year, GM will formally enter the electric arena with the GMC Hummer EV pickup. This truck will be a halo for the brand, at least when you consider its price. Cheaper versions are coming, but at launch the Hummer will set you back at least $112,595 for the Edition 1. After that version rolls out, the “regular” EV2 models will starts around $80,000. While GMC is by no means eliminating internal combustion from its portfolio anytime soon — and even in the six-figure range, the Edition 1 reportedly garnered 10,000 pre-orders, making it surprisingly popular — GMC needs less expensive models if the EV shift is really going to stick. Enter the (expected) follow-up: An electric GMC Sierra.
According to what one dealer told the Detroit Free Press, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. “There will be an all-electric Sierra pickup, but no timeline yet. But the plan is to make it electric,” said Lynn Thompson, president of Springfield, Missouri-based Thompson Buick GMC Cadillac. To be clear, no GM spokesperson explicitly confirmed an electric GMC Sierra just yet.
However, there’s little reason to doubt Thompson’s claims, as he said executives laid out plans to nationwide dealers to launch an electric GMC Sierra. While the Hummer EV appeals to lifestyle types who aim for an adventure rig more than just a tool, there’s still a price void and a use case for a more affordable option. Again, relatively few truck shoppers are willing to stomach a six-figure price tag when they strictly need a truck for work.
Where could GM build it?
If executives hold firm to their reported claims, it seems like we’ll see an electric GMC Sierra around 2022. General Motors is investing heavily into EVs, pouring $2.2 billion into its Hamtramck, Michigan facility, dubbed “Factory ZERO”. The company could build the electric Sierra alongside the Hummer EV at that plant. Since the Hummer is popular to the extent GM may expand production, though, EV trucks may roll out of the same Fort Wayne, Indiana plant as the standard Sierra and Chevy Silverado. In time, many expect Chevrolet to field an electric pickup of its own.
