General Motors Officially Developing an Electric Pickup Truck

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Saying that pickup trucks are popular in the United States is a major understatement. For over four decades, the Ford F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. More stringent emissions regulations, high gas prices, congested roads, none of these things have hindered pickup trucks from selling like fresh hot dogs at a ball game. Clearly, pickup trucks are popular, and automakers want to make sure they have an option when the electric future arrives, which is why General Motors has officially announced plans to come out with an electric pickup.

GM Looks To Stay Ahead Of Ford

At the end of April, Ford announced that it was investing $500 million into electric truck startup Rivian. The partnership between the two companies would see them work together on an electric truck that would be built on Rivian's "skateboard platform." In an effort to keep up with its chief rival, GM's CEO Mary Barra told Automotive News that the automaker would develop an all-electric truck.

The outlet spoke with Barra during a conference call regarding GM's first-quarter financial results. "We intend to create an all-electric future that includes a complete range of EVs, including full-size pickups," said Barra. Other than that, all the CEO said was that the automaker would share more information on its plans "when competitively appropriate."

Last time we heard about a possible electric truck from GM was in January. At that time, a report came out that claimed an executive at GMC stated that the automaker was considering the possibility of adding an electric truck to its lineup. With Barra's official statement, it looks like GM's serious about coming out with an electric truck.

What An Electric Future Looks Like For GM

GM's president, Mark Reuss, who was appointed at the beginning of the year, planned to double the automaker's resources for electric cars and self-driving vehicles. Under its new plan, GM is looking to come out with 20 new electric cars by 2023. Cadillac with carry a lot of the grunt with the brand's EV program, planning to come out with a new car every six months through 2021. So an electric pickup truck sounds like a realistic goal for GM to achieve.

GM and Ford aren't the only two companies working on an electric pickup, but they're definitely two of the largest and most well known. But while Ford has a partner that has already proved what it's capable of doing when it comes to an electric pickup truck with the Rivian R1T, GM sounds like it's all on its own.

Interestingly, a previous report from February claimed that GM was considering investing in Rivian. Obviously, it looks like things fell through, as Ford is the one that landed the partnership. So whether GM partners with another brand or develops an electric truck on its own remains to be seen. GM, after all, did come out with the Chevrolet Bolt without any help. Either way, electric trucks are coming, and GM is going to have an entry.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods