GMC Sierra Electric Truck: U.S. release planned in Early 2024 [Update]

Update: ‘Production’ and ‘Price & Release Date’ sections updated.

After General Motors announced the Chevrolet Silverado EV in April 2021, it was only a matter of time before an equivalent GMC electric truck came into focus. On October 20, 2022, the new GMC electric truck made its online debut as the GMC Sierra EV. Here’s everything we know about the new GMC electric truck:

Design

Instead of a new type of silhouette like the Tesla Cybertruck, the GMC electric truck features a conventional shape, similar to the Silverado EV, that should make it appealing to all customers. There are many visual differences from gas- and diesel-powered GMC models if you look closer, though.

Front

At the front, GMC has used a grille that replaces the air intake with a smoother surface. The company has come up with not one but three different grille designs, a simple one for the Elevation trim, a rugged pattern for the AT4, and a clean nose for the Denali and Denali Edition 1 trims. Functional grilles in the middle and lower sections of the face serve the cooling needs of the powertrain and core components. The hood is set high and features two pronounced haunches, giving the Sierra EV a tough and confident look.

The front light concept isn’t the conventional type with just a set of normal headlamps and fog lamps. GMC designers have integrated lights into the edges of the faux grille as well as the brand logo in the center. A tall, 7-shaped DRL along with three horizontal, ribbed-pattern lights elements flank the blanked-off grille. The two light modules positioned beside the mid-level grille are the headlamps. Further below, almost on the same horizontal axis as the bottom grille, are a set of compact fog lamps.

The bumper design slightly varies as per the trim. The AT4 trim gets a noticeably more rugged look, with its two red tow hooks giving it instant recognition even from a distance. Plus, there’s also a bold red GMC logo on the faux upper grille.

Side & Rear

On the sides, the Sierra EV has angular wheel arches with amber lights integrated into them. The wheels are almost conventional and don’t scream EV with excessive aero covering. At the rear, vertical combination lamps feature a 7-shaped light guide to match the DRLs at the front.

Overall, GMC has opted for an attention-grabbing exterior but with a clean and minimalist theme. The no-frills styling on the electric truck is nothing new to the world of EVs, but it is new territory for GMC, especially when talking about the Denali trims.

Interior

The interior of the GMC electric truck is visibly a class above the gas- and diesel-powered models. The dashboard is comparatively sleeker, and the slender AC vents splitting its width into two is a neat touch. The driver won’t be fiddling through buttons for climate and infotainment controls in the Sierra electric, as GMC designers have integrated most controls into a huge, portrait touchscreen that measures 16.8 inches diagonally. Thankfully, the infotainment system does have a physical volume knob, integrated into the touchscreen in a similar manner to the Ford F-150 Lightning’s infotainment.

The 11-inch fully digital instrument cluster complements the expansive touchscreen in the cockpit area. All four trims include these screens, which greet the driver with special 3D graphics. There’s also a multi-color head-up display that projects information on an area measuring 14-inch diagonally. However, we are yet to know if all the trims include this feature.

A panoramic fixed glass roof provides the occupants an open-air ambiance, expansive visibility, and increased headroom. The glass is tinted and features UV and IR coatings to help keep the cabin comfortable. The Denali Edition 1 trim includes open-pore wood trim on the center console for a premium feel. The center console has seven tiers of storage, making the maximum utilization of the space freed from the omission of a transmission tunnel.

Super Cruise

Another highlight of the Sierra EV is the trailering-capable Super Cruise, which allows hands-free driving on more than 400,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada. A 3-year Super Cruise subscription is standard in the AT4, Denali, and Denali Edition 1 trims.

In the Elevation trim, Super Cruise is an optional feature. However, GMC says on its website that it will offer Super Cruise in the Elevation trim as an optional feature in a future model year, not the launch model year. Do note that Super Cruise is a semi-autonomous driving assistance system in which the driver needs to pay attention on the road.

Trims

GMC has introduced the Sierra EV in four trims: Elevation, AT4, Denali, and Denali Edition 1. Each comes with visual and functional differences, targeting different types of customers.

Platform

The GMC electric truck sits on GM’s BT1 electric truck platform that underpins the GMC Hummer EV twins as well as the Chevrolet Silverado EV. BT1 is neither a body-on-frame nor a unibody, Nichole Kraatz – Chief Engineer, Battery Electric Trucks, GM, told GMAuthority. Kraatz said it is a different type of architecture in which there’s a body having a floor, the battery pack forms “a good portion of the structure,” and “those two are connected after the body exits the body shaft.”

Specifications

Performance & Capabilities

GMC will retail the Sierra EV in multiple performance and range configurations. The 800-volt Ultium battery pack of the 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 delivers a range of 400 miles. GMC has employed two motors, one on each axle, which produce 754 horsepower and 785 lb.-ft. of torque in a ‘Max Power’ mode. A 0-60 mph sprint with the Max Power mode enabled takes just 4.5 seconds. All these figures are company estimates.

In addition to Max Power, the driver can choose from Standard, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, and My Mode drive modes. Regenerative braking with adjustable strength and one-pedal driving is available in the Sierra EV. A rear-wheel steering system reduces the turning circle and improves maneuverability. It is standard on the AT4 & Denali Edition 1 trims and optional on the Elevation and Denali trims. The 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 offers a payload capacity of 1,300 lbs. and a towing capacity of 9,500 lbs.

Like the Hummer EV Pickup, the Sierra EV has a CrabWalk function that allows diagonal movement of the vehicle, which can be useful in tricky off-road situations. CrabWalk is standard in the AT4, Denali, and Denali Edition 1 trims. 24-inch wheels with 35-inch tires are standard in Denali Edition 1 and optional in Denali, which has 22-inch wheels with 33-inch tires as standard. Elevation settles for 18-inch wheels with 33-inch tires, while AT4 sports 18-inch wheels with larger 35-inch tires and offers 2-inch additional ground clearance.

Cargo area

The 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 is a Crew Cab-only configuration, with a 5-foot, 11-inch cargo bed behind the cab. A MultiPro Midgate, standard in Denali Edition 1 and optional in all other trims, allows expanding the available cargo length to 9 feet. The wall dividing the cab and the bed is foldable. folding it down along with the rear seats frees up plenty of extra storage, allowing customers to carry longer objects which is not possible in a traditional truck of this category.

A MultiPro Tailgate, which, with the load-stop open, expands the cargo length to 10 feet, 10 inches. GMC includes this feature in all the trims of the Sierra EV.

With a gas engine not occupying the space under the hood, GMC has used the free area to offer extra storage space. This frunk, officially called ‘eTrunk,’ is a lockable and weatherproof storage compartment with two drains and a 120-volt power outlet. It has enough space to fit a large hardside suitcase or three duffle bags.

Charging

All Sierra EV trims can take the maximum benefit of an 800-volt charging station, accepting direct current at up to 350 kW. Just 10 minutes of charging is enough to add a range of 100 miles.

A Power Station Pro feature, standard on the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, allows offloading 10.2 kW of power through any of the pickup truck’s 10 outlets (120V and 240V) to power other devices and also another EV. If fully charged, the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1’s battery pack can power a home’s essential devices for up to 21 days. Power Station Pro is optionally available on the Elevation, AT4, and Denali trims.

Production

Production of the GMC Sierra EV will take place alongside the Hummer EV models at the Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan. Factory Zero is a facility GM repurposed and retooled with a $2.2-billion investment for EV production. It is the company’s EV-exclusive facility with contiguous battery assembly. From a later stage, production of the GMC Sierra EV will launch at GM’s Lake Orion Assembly in Michigan as well.

During GM’s Q1 2023 earnings conference call on April 25, 2023, Chair and CEO Mary Barra said that transformation work to build the GMC Sierra EV (and Chevrolet Silverado EV) at the Lake Orion Assembly is ongoing. The renewed factory will be able to roll out 600,000 electric trucks annually when it reaches peak production.

Price & Release Date

The GMC Sierra EV will start arriving at U.S. dealers in early 2024, starting with the Denali Edition 1 trim. The Denali trim will follow in spring 2024. The lower AT4 and Elevation trims will join in late 2024 and early 2025, respectively, which means they’ll most likely be part of the 2025 GMC Sierra EV.

Prices of the GMC Sierra EV (eventually) will start at around USD 50,000 (plus USD 1,695 DFC). In the Denali Edition 1 trim, which is the first in the launch order, the new GMC electric truck costs USD 107,000 (plus USD 1,695 DFC).

About half a year ahead of launch, GM has started testing the Sierra EV with undisguised test mules on American roads. Recently, GM Authority shared spy shots of a white unit with a non-illuminated, chrome GMC logo on the front mask. Except for the missing badges on the door panels and tailgate, the white unit looked showroom-ready. Expect to see more such prototypes on the streets later in 2023.

Reservations

GMC started accepting reservations for the 2024 Sierra EV Denali First Edition with a refundable USD 100 deposit on October 20, 2022, at 5 p.m. EDT. Reservations closed the same day, and all that prospective customers can do is join the waitlist.

Target customers

The Sierra EV has plenty in common with the Hummer EV. However, according to a CNBC report dated October 20, 2022, GMC expects it to draw a different type of customers. Duncan Aldred has said that the Hummer EV Pickup attracts people from many brands and even different vehicle segments, including exotic sports cars, while the Sierra EV will appeal to traditional truck buyers, as per the report.

The vice president of Global Buick and GMC has revealed that 70% of Hummer EV (presumably Pickup and SUV included) reservation holders are first-time EV customers. An interesting piece of information in the case of the Sierra EV is that about 75% of reservation holders are new to the GMC brand.

TopElectricSUV says

The GMC Sierra EV offers a fine balance between the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Hummer EV Pickup. It’s more luxurious than the Chevy model and borrows some of the Hummer EV’s capabilities, giving electric pickup customers a balance between comfort and quality and performance and capabilities.

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Featured Image Source: GMC