The race to make all-electric pickup truck has started and GM is now being dragged in.
A GMC executive confirmed that they are considering including all-electric vehicles in their GMC SUV and pickup truck lineup.
Tesla has been hyping an electric pickup truck for a while now and some other startups are also promising options to hit the market relatively soon.
Established automakers who rely on pickup sales to make a profit are now feeling the pressure.
Last week, Ford apparently became to first to flinch as it tentatively announced that it will make an all-electric F-Series truck, but it didn’t release any details nor a timeline.
A day later, GM CEO Mary Barra said ‘stay tuned’ about something to compete with a Tesla Pickup truck.
A week later, Duncan Aldred, vice president of the GMC brand, told CNBC that the brand is considering “electrifying its heaviest trucks.”
That said, the plans don’t sound like they are very far along.
They are set on which program to electrify first, but the executive said that the higher-end models are more likely to go first:
“For his part, GMC chief Aldred told CNBC that battery technology still carries a fairly hefty premium that makes it difficult to target mainstream segments, unless a carmaker like GM is willing to accept lower margins. As a result, the executive said, automakers would likely target higher end products.”
Aldred wouldn’t confirm if development is currently underway.
Last week, GM confirmed that it’s moving away from hybrids to focus on all-electric.
GM has a few electric vehicles based on the Bolt EV platform planned for the next few years and its next-generation EV platform, which should enable greater performance, is planned for 2021 and it should start with an electric Cadillac.
The automaker had confirmed electric sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and even minivans coming to market on the new platform, but it has yet to announce an electric pickup truck, which is an important profit center for the company.