GMC building an electric pickup is not news; the soon-to-be-arriving Hummer EV SUT will carry GMC branding. But GMC is also building a more mainstream, conventional EV truck, a battery-electric Sierra. And the brand just gave us the best look we’ve gotten so far with a teaser video of its front end.
What do we know about the Sierra EV? GMC is referring to it as the electric Sierra Denali. So the EV is likely to at least debut at GMC’s top-tier luxury trim level. Like with the combustion Sierra, it should be twinned with the electric Silverado. So the Sierra Denali EV should get GM’s Ultium battery packs, providing up to 400 miles of range and features like a glass roof and four-wheel steering. GMC will build the truck at their new Factory Zero assembly plant in Detroit.
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GMC has not provided exact dates for the Sierra Denali EV reveal and start of production yet. But GMC says it will be the brand’s third electric vehicle to arrive after the Hummer EV SUV, which is due in early 2023. So a reveal in mid-2022 — a few months after the Silverado EV debuts in January — with deliveries starting in mid-2023 feels like a reasonable projection.
How popular will a Sierra EV be? We can expect it to be quite popular. Truck buyers interested in the new technology will want something resembling a conventional full-size truck. And those trucks can also attract luxury buyers who liked the idea of a full-size pickup but could not stomach the carbon footprint. Ford was forced to shut down ordering on its electric F-150 Lightning after reservations exceeded production capacity.