This gives the F-150 Lightning a significant advantage.
General Motors has an electric pickup game already with the GMC Hummer. It’s a very expensive hand, as the Edition 1 is currently unavailable. Technically, deliveries have not started yet. The Rivian is nearly $40,000 less and in customers’ hands. The F150 Lightning will be available soon at $70,000.
Enter the electric Chevrolet Silverado. We have only seen teasers so far of the new pickup. However, its official debut is just a month away. Chevrolet will be featured on the cover of the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas in January. It should be a serious competitor to Ford’s Lightning. Automotive News says that it may take up to a year for trucks to reach showrooms.
Doug Parks, GM’s Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, is believed to have said the word. Parks said during the Deutsche Bank AutoTech Conference that production of the electric Silverado would start in the early 2023. This is a surprise, as previous reports suggested that production would begin in early 2023. We reached out to Chevrolet to confirm and get additional information on Silverado EV production. If we receive any new information, we will update this article.
Ford would have almost a year without any competition if production is increased to 2023. It is already attracting a lot of interest, with Ford stating that it has almost 200,000 reservations for its Lightning. Production will begin next spring with prices starting at $40,000 for a fully-equipped model and going up to $90,000.
The Chevrolet Silverado will use GM’s Ultium platform, and borrow tech from GMC Hummer. However, it won’t have the same 1,000-horsepower (746 kilowatts) powertrain. The truck will have a top-tier battery pack that should give it a 400-mile range. It will also feature all-wheel drive and available four-wheel steering. The pricing should be comparable to Ford’s Lightning model.
When the Silverado EV debuts at CES, all our questions about it will be answered.