According to its just-released sustainability report, GM is planning a full-size electric Chevrolet pickup truck with 400 miles of range. The report describes the “Chevrolet BET Truck, which will be the brand’s first electric full-size pickup, offering 400+ miles of range on a single charge.”
GM CEO Mary Barra said last November that an electric pickup was coming in late 2021, and most assumed she was referring to the Hummer EV, but it’s possible she was speaking about this unnamed Chevy pickup. When the automaker unveiled its new EV platform earlier this year, the company said it was targeting range of up to “400 miles or more” for its electric vehicles. The company said it was changing the chemistry of its battery cells to reduce the amount of cobalt they use and make them more cost-efficient.
The electric Chevy pickup will be one of 20 electric vehicles GM plans to release by 2023. There’s no further description of the truck in the sustainability report, and no word on when it will be available. It will be interesting to see what range the electric pickup gets when towing, a feature that many customers expect from legacy automakers like GM.
GM competitors have already announced plans for their own electric pickup trucks. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled its Cybertruck last November, expected to come in three versions, with 250 miles, 300 miles, and 500 miles of range, respectively. Its starting price is $39,900, and is slated for release in late 2021. And Ford said last month an electric version of its F-150 pickup will go on sale in 2022.