General Motors is reportedly tapping the brakes on its next generation of full-size electric trucks, delaying development of updated versions of its electric pickups and SUVs, reports Automotive News. Affected vehicles include the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, and GMC Hummer EV. Production for the full-size EV trucks had been targeted for 2028. According to multiple reports, the program has been halted with no new timeline, with a next-generation refresh possibly not arriving until 2030 or later.
Related Story
The decision comes as GM, like much of the industry, deals with slower-than-expected EV adoption, while gasoline-powered vehicles and hybrids continue to generate strong demand.
GM will continue building its current lineup of electric trucks at its Factory Zero plant in Detroit-Hamtramck. But attention is increasingly moving toward the company’s next-generation internal-combustion truck platform, set to launch at Michigan’s Orion Assembly.
Cadillac
Cadillac Escalade IQL.
That plant had originally been slated for electric truck production, but plans were reversed as demand for EV pickups failed to match anticipated levels. Instead, Orion is being retooled for gasoline-powered trucks. GM estimates the change will create more than 2,000 jobs and buoy supplier activity in the region.
GM is also said to be exploring other propulsion options, including series-hybrid vehicles, also called extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs). Similar to the former Chevrolet Volt, a series-hybrid uses a gasoline engine strictly as a generator to recharge the battery. Both Ford and Stellantis are already pursuing similar strategies for future pickups.
Related Story
Despite the pause, analysts say GM is unlikely to abandon electric trucks altogether. The company has invested heavily in its EV platform. But the delay echoes the same pattern seen across the industry, with automakers dialing back on more aggressive EV moves as regulatory uncertainty and policy changes continue to plague the market.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.