Demand for General Motors’ (GM) Chevrolet Silverado EV seems to be building among fleet owners. During the Q2 2022 earnings call, GM CEO Mary Barra shared fleet customers are requesting more than 200 Silverado EV units on average.
“The Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra led the industry in total full-size pickup sales in 2020 and in 2021. We continue to lead in 2022 by a wide margin,” Barra said about the fossil fuel version of the Chevy Silverado.
The Silverado EV is poised to follow in its ancestor’s footsteps.
The GM CEO later added: “And looking ahead to early spring 2023, anticipation for the Chevrolet Silverado EV continues to build.”
General Motors has received 150,000 Silverado EV orders, hinting at the potential demand for the truck. The company unveiled the all-electric pickup truck in January. It is estimated to have 400 miles of range with DC charging up to 350 kW.
Statista reported that the top-selling light trucks in the United States last year were the Ford F-Series, Ram Pickup, and Chevrolet Silverado. The Silverado EV will likely be pitted against its oldest competitor, Ford, and its F-150 Lightning. It might even go up against GM’s Hummer EV truck.
However, the advent of electric vehicles has provided an opportunity for other brands to enter the US pickup truck market. Several EV startups have already entered the changing pickup truck industry, like the Rivian R1T. Tesla plans to break into the market, too, with the Cybertruck. And Volkswagen found a way to break into the US pickup truck market with the Scout brand.
The pickup truck market in the United States seems to be expanding. Each truck manufacturer is also adding new, more useful features to their EV pickup design. They want to cater to specific customers and their needs. It will be interesting to see how EV trucks improve the traditional pickup’s design, utility, and features.
