- GM reportedly pauses next-gen full-size electric truck development.
- Gas V8s, hybrids and range extenders are suddenly more important.
- Current-generation EV trucks stay alive, but future refresh looks hazy.
General Motors spent years telling us electric pickups were the next great American migration. Now the convoy appears to have missed an exit because reports claim GM has indefinitely paused development of its next-generation full-size EV trucks.
According to a piece by Crain’s Detroit, GM had been developing updated and lower-cost successors for the electric Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, and GMC Hummer EV lineup, with production previously targeted for 2028.
Related: GM Pauses Production Of Two Hyped-Up EVs, Sending 1,300 Workers Home
But suppliers were reportedly told the program has been halted, with no replacement timeline offered. Industry watchers now don’t expect fresh full-size GM electric trucks before 2030, and they could end up arriving much later.
That doesn’t mean GM’s current EV trucks are dead. Existing models will continue rolling out of the under-utlilized Factory Zero in Detroit-Hamtramck, the story says, and experts think the Escalade IQ is important enough to Cadillac’s plans to keep in production. But it does suggest GM wants to spend more R&D time and money on products customers are actually buying in larger numbers right now. Ones that run on gasoline.
The company is said to be redirecting resources toward its upcoming T1-2 internal-combustion truck platform, which is expected to power future full-size pickups and SUVs. Orion Assembly, once earmarked for electric trucks, and now thriving after switching to ICE versions, is now reportedly preparing for future gas-powered models.
Hybrids And Range Extenders
Crain’s Detroit sources also claim plug-in hybrid versions of the Silverado and Sierra are in the mix, while GM has discussed range-extended EV tech with suppliers. It’s an idea rivals are already chasing. Ram is expected to launch a range-extended pickup first, while Ford has signaled similar plans after backing away from the idea of renewing the all-electric F-150 Lightning.
No More Federal Handouts, Or Directives
None of this is happening in a vacuum. EV tax credits have been rolled back, emissions rules have softened, and demand for expensive electric pickups hasn’t exactly set sales charts on fire. Big batteries and six-figure stickers remain a hard sell for many truck buyers, though GM refused to comment on the report that its EV plans have been axed.
“We have not disclosed any potential plans or timing for any next-generation battery electric trucks and we’re not going to engage in speculation,” a GM spokesperson told Crain’s Detroit.
GM still says the long-term destination is electric, and it probably is. But right now, Detroit’s most profitable vehicles are trucks, and trucks and their buyers can’t kick their gasoline habit.
