The American giant General Motors (GM) is working on the design of a plug-in hybrid version of its full-size Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, according to the American magazine Auto Week.
Citing confidential sources, the media maintains that this project has been put on the fast track and would be part of a reorientation of the manufacturer's electrification plan. Among the changes made, GM would abandon the marketing of a compact electric pickup truck which would have had a size similar to that of the Ford Maverick. The Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans would also not be replaced by an all-electric model closely derived from the BrightDrop van.
According to the article byAuto Week, this decision is explained by the reluctance of traditional van customers to make the electric transition due to the autonomy greatly affected by towing. Note that Ram will be the first active manufacturer in this segment to offer a plug-in hybrid pickup truck. The 1500 Ramcharger, which goes on sale next year, features a 3.6L V6 that acts as a generator to power a 92 kWh battery when it runs out. The power of its two electric motors reaches 663 hp and it can tow up to 6630 kg.
At the same time, GM's first response to the Ford F-150 Lightning is still waiting at Canadian dealerships. Production of the Silverado electric pickup truck, unveiled two years ago, began at a snail's pace a few months ago and the first examples are expected to arrive in the country in the first half of 2024. On the side of Sierra electric, GM targets next summer.
One thing is certain, it will be interesting to see what technical avenue General Motors will take to make these plug-in hybrid pickup trucks attractive. Electric autonomy will undeniably be its key argument.
