“The market needs electric pickup trucks!” That was the EVangelist’s refrain a couple of years ago. Now the mantra of the day is, “The market needs low-priced EVs!” In fact, the market needs both, and another electric pickup (but by no means a low-priced one) is on the way.
The GMC Sierra EV will make its debut in a “premium, limited-edition version” called the Denali Edition 1, with a price tag just under 100 grand. Reservations are sold out, and deliveries are expected to begin in “late 2024.” (The launch edition was originally to be a 2024 model, but somewhere along the way that became 2025.)
Other trim levels are scheduled to appear in 2025.
The GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 is based on GM’s Ultium platform, and boasts a GM-estimated 440-mile range and 800-volt 350 kW DC fast charging. (We suspect that it runs on a sort of split 400/800 volt architecture, like the Hummer EV.)
This is one powerful pickup—it musters 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque (in Max Power mode), and rocks 10,000 pounds of towing capacity and 1,450 pounds of payload.
The lengthy list of features includes: 4-Wheel Steer, which enables a smaller turning circle; CrabWalk, which allows the vehicle to maneuver in tight spaces; Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, which allows you to raise or lower the truck by 2 inches; and Super Cruise, GM’s driver assistance technology. The latter uses mapping to improve its performance, and “is expected to be available on about 750,000 miles of compatible roads in the US and Canada by the end of 2025.”
“Denali has been an industry icon for 25 years and the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 provides customers an exclusive opportunity to be a part of the next chapter,” said Duncan Aldred, Global VP, Buick and GMC. “As a limited-run exclusive trim for launch, the Edition 1 is truly the Denali of EVs and represents the pinnacle of GMC.”
Source: GMC
