GMC has confirmed that its all-new electric Sierra pick-up truck will be launched in the top tier Denali trim only, and provided a detailed preview at the front grille via a short video teaser.
The electric Sierra will be the third addition to General Motors’ electric truck line, following as it does the GMC Hummer EV, unveiled in April, and the Chevrolet Silverado that will make its debut at CES in January. As GMC’s counterpart to the Chevy Silverado, the Sierra will be built atop the same Ultium platform. Though unconfirmed, the Sierra EV is also expected to feature the fixed glass roof and rear-wheel steering setup showcased on the Silverado.
Despite the Sierra sharing much of its underpinnings with the Silverado, GMC’s video teaser prominently features the Hummer EV, elements of the design of which can also be seen on the Sierra. The most notable is the cascading light bars adjacent to the headlamps, presumably used as an exterior charging indicator. Other notable front-end design features include the inverted ‘L’ headlamps, and an illuminated grille and lighting sequence.
Though drivetrain details have yet to be revealed for either the EV Silverado or Sierra, Chevy’s confirmation last month that its flagship pick-up would boast an “estimated range of more than 400 miles” (more than 640 kilometres) has led to speculation that the weightier, fully-loaded Sierra will boast a range around the 350-mile / 560 km mark, in-line with the Hummer EV.
General Motor’s reasoning for the Denali launch, a premium hallmark of the GMC brand since its introduction on the 1999MY Yukon, is that this trim will showcase “premium materials and capability customers have come to expect from GMC trucks.”
“Sierra Denali holds tremendous equity for GMC and our customers,” GMC vice president Duncan Aldred explained in an official statement. “We now have an opportunity to evolve Sierra’s capabilities and technologies, as afforded by transitioning to an all-electric propulsion while also elevating the luxurious design and comfort associated with Denali.”
Ahead of its launch next year, the new Sierra EV will be built at GM’s Factory ZERO facility in Michigan, into which the American conglomerate invested US$2.2 billion to fully renovate the facility for EV production.
