General Motors Indefinitely Delays the Next Generation of its Electric Pickups in Favour of Gasoline and Hybrid Powertrains

• The Chevrolet Silverado EV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC Hummer EV were supposed to be significantly refreshed in 2028.

• This plan has now been shelved in favour of hybrid powertrains and a new generation of V8 engines.

• GM is reportedly eyeing a possible range-extended EV system for its next trucks, like Ram and Ford.

General Motors has put on hold its plans for an updated lineup of electric pickups and SUVs that was supposed to arrive on the market in 2028.

Instead, the automaker will pivot back toward gasoline powertrains, with a new family of V8 engines expected in the next generation of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, due in 2027.

In addition, General Motors will develop a hybrid system to be used in these pickups, which should provide a bit more efficiency.

This change of strategy is caused by slowing electric vehicle sales in North America as well as a much more permissive regulatory framework in the United States that allows automakers to sell more polluting vehicles without incurring penalties, as was the case under the previous administration.

While Ford cancelled the current F-150 Lightning before returning later in the decade with a range-extended EV truck, General Motors will continue production of the Silverado EV, Sierra EV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, and GMC Hummer EV for the time being.

Nevertheless, these models won’t be updated in 2028, when a refresh was supposed to bring lower-priced versions of the trucks to market.

It is unclear yet how this will affect the development of related technologies and systems, such as the next generation of the Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance system, which was supposed to launch with the 2028 Escalade IQ.

Ram also shelved its planned electric truck in favour of a range-extended EV, which is expected to arrive in the coming months as a 2027 model.

This signals a clear shift in the industry away from fully electric pickups, in part due to customer concerns about long-distance towing.

Indeed, a range-extended EV (REEV) features a gasoline engine that can charge the battery once it is depleted, making it possible to drive much longer distances than with a purely electric truck, which is a non-negligeable advantage when undertaking a road trip with a trailer.

Unlike conventional plug-in hybrids, REEVs are always powered by electric motors and the gasoline engine never physically connects to the wheels.

General Motors is reported to be considering its own range-extended electric trucks, but the company hasn’t confirmed this yet.

The automaker is likely waiting to see how well Ram does with its upcoming 1500 REV before investing massively into this new technology, especially since it has already taken a $7 billion hit over its electric vehicle program.

Interestingly, a plug-in hybrid variant of the next Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra is expected, which means GM could market four different powertrain types in its trucks over the next few years: combustion-powered, plug-in hybrid, range-extended EV, and fully electric.

According to suppliers quoted by Automotive News, a new generation of fully electric full-size trucks and SUVs from General Motors is now expected before at least 2030.

Source: Automotive News