GM sold 11,275 Silverado EVs in the U.S. and fewer than 2,800 in Canada in 2025 despite slowing segment demand.
Shared EV architecture complicates eliminating single GM electric truck models.
Ford and Stellantis have pivoted toward gasoline-assisted extended-range electric pickups.
The American full-size battery-electric pickup market lost major players in 2025, with fewer active nameplates and lower overall demand. While several automakers have reconsidered their strategies, General Motors continues to produce its Chevrolet and GMC electric trucks despite very modest volumes.
Sales data illustrate the scale gap. In 2025, General Motors delivered 11,275 Chevrolet Silverado EV units in the U.S., 2,756 in Canada, and 7,996 GMC Sierra EVs – 1,438 in Canada. The company also reported combined sales of 15,788 (874 in Canada) GMC Hummer EV pickups and SUVs. By contrast, GM sold 54,068 Chevrolet Silverados in Canada (588,709 in the U.S.) across all powertrains during the same year, increases YoY in both countries.
Outside GM, volumes remained limited. In the U.S., Tesla sold 20,240 Cybertrucks in 2025, while Rivian delivered approximately 7,500 R1T pickups. Ford recorded 27,307 F-150 Lightning sales before halting production of the battery-only model.
GM’s electric trucks are built at Factory Zero in Detroit-Hamtramck, where the company reduced shifts and laid off hundreds of workers last year in response to slower EV demand. The facility produces the Silverado EV, Sierra EV and Hummer EV models on a shared electric architecture. The American automaker’s later entry into purpose-built electric trucks required substantial capital investment, as GM engineered its electric pickups from the ground up, unlike competitors that adapted internal-combustion platforms.
That common platform is central to GM’s calculus. Analysts note that the company’s large EVs share battery cells, propulsion systems and select interior components. The powertrain used in the Silverado EV also underpins the Hummer EV lineup and the Escalade IQ SUV. Combined sales of those related models totalled 43,174 units in the U.S. in 2025.
Industry observers argue that discontinuing a single nameplate would not substantially reduce fixed electrification costs. Shared components create scale efficiencies; removing one product would spread costs across fewer vehicles, raising per-unit expenses for the remaining models. The Ford F-150 Lightning was the sole model using its electrified platform. The key point is that annual sales dropping to barely more than 10,000 units would severely impact the model’s long-term viability. Despite this, according to GM, there are no specific sales targets tied to the Silverado EV’s continued production, and it has no current plans to discontinue production.
The regulatory backdrop shifted in 2025 and once more in 2026. The accelerated expiration of the U.S. federal EV purchase credit, previously worth up to US$7,500, reduced consumer incentives and contributed to softer electric vehicle demand.
The other two Detroit competitors adjusted accordingly.
Ford Motor Co. ended production of the battery-only F-150 Lightning in September 2025. The Lightning nameplate will transition to an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) configuration that incorporates a gasoline-powered generator to recharge the onboard battery.
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Stellantis cancelled its planned battery-only Ram 1500 REV before launch. The upcoming Ram pickup will instead use extended-range technology. The configuration combines plug-in battery propulsion with a gasoline engine functioning solely as a generator. The targeted range is approximately over 1,000 km with a full battery and fuel tank, including about 225 km on battery power alone.
The decision on whether the Silverado and Sierra EVs will continue centres on economics rather than product capability. As long as shared architecture supports multiple models and battery costs decline, GM retains operational flexibility and, now that it’s alone, a certain monopoly in the segment.
Source: Detroit Free Press
