The Electric Truck Slowdown Continues
Detroit’s electric truck push is running out of steam. Ford’s F-150 Lightning took a back seat to hybrids last year, and Ram’s 1500 BEV never even made it to showrooms. Now GM is following suit, though not pulling the plug entirely.
According to reports, GM has put its next wave of full-size electric trucks on indefinite hold. These were supposed to be the more budget-friendly, updated EV pickups and SUVs. The original 2028 launch window is out the window, and there’s no new date in sight.
Chevrolet
Not Dead, Just Pushed Back
According to Crain’s Detroit Business and reported by Automotive News, GM recently told suppliers to stop work on the next-generation program. The latter reportedly doesn’t expect movement until at least 2030, if at all. The program includes successors to models like the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, and GMC Hummer EV. These vehicles will continue to be produced in their current form at Factory Zero in Detroit-Hamtramck.
Of note, GM isn’t walking away from electric trucks completely. They’ve poured a lot into their EV platform, and there’s no sign they’re scrapping that investment. What’s changing is the approach: more flexibility, less all-or-nothing.
Now, GM is shifting resources back to gas and hybrid trucks, including a new T1-2 platform that’s coming to Orion Assembly. There’s also buzz about plug-in hybrid Silverados and Sierras, and maybe even extended-range EVs, much like what the competition is cooking up.
GM isn’t making any promises about when the next EV trucks will show up, or even what they’ll look like. For now, it’s a waiting game, with market demand, shifting policies, and rising costs all playing a part.
General Motors
Startups Hold the Ground—For Now
With Detroit easing off the gas on EV trucks, it’s the newcomers holding down the fort. The Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T are still the most visible all-electric pickups in the US, both from brands that have been all-in on EVs since day one.
The difference is starting to show. Legacy brands like GM are juggling profits, changing rules, and what buyers actually want – especially when it comes to their cash-cow full-size trucks. EVs are still in the long-term picture, but the timeline keeps getting pushed out.
Right now, this feels like a reset. People still want electric trucks, but not in the numbers automakers were betting on. If anything, GM’s latest move hints that the next chapter for EVs is about hedging bets and keeping options open until the market is ready to catch up.
Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac
About the author
Jacob Oliva
Senior Editor, Autoblog