GM Electric Truck?

[WadeTyhon]

A couple websites have noted that during the Silverado reveal this week, GM discussed having 6 engines/powertrains for the Silverado. But at the event they only actually revealed 3 of them. ( 6- and 8-cylinder gasoline and diesel )

What are the remaining 3?

They didn't discuss the e-assist at the event but I think this is a shoe-in. Ram has announced their own 48v hybrid will be standard going forward. The Silverado and Sierra e-assist hybrid just started selling nationwide last year, so this is likely one of the remaining 3.

So what are the other two?

"We're not talking about that now," responded Tim Herrick, the Silverado's executive chief engineer, at least a dozen times to followup questions from reporters.

"We looked at all possible propulsion units" while designing the new pickup, he said. "There's nothing that doesn't fit" into the truck's basic architecture.

When asked by a reporter about battery electric pickup trucks coming from 'one of the disruptors' Dan Ammann said:

I think you will see -- last Saturday, we started to tell just the very first part of the story of this next generation of trucks... This architecture, we think, enables us to do a whole lot of things for a long period of time in the future.

Basically every GM rep or executive on hand hinted that the new platform was designed to accommodate a plug-in, full hybrid, or electric variant.

With GM strongly proclaiming that electric vehicle platforms will be profitable (R&D and all) by 2021, I think we will get our first announcement of a plug-in pickup from GM in the next year or two. It will likely be launched some time in the early 2020s.

This will likely line up with Tesla releasing their own pickup truck. (Gotta love a competitive marketplace!)

And poor little Bob Lutz with the sputtering VIA motors will die a slow, agonizing death lol. (Unless GM absorbs them like Lutz always expected them to do.)

https://www.greencarreports.com/new...erado-pickup-planned-for-all-powertrain-types

https://twitter.com/john__rosevear/...erado-pickup-planned-for-all-powertrain-types

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/12/2019-chevrolet-silverado-offer-plug-in-hybrid-model/

 

[Cypress]

my predictions on GM gameplan: wait until Tesla announces a vehicle spec and launch plans, then beat them to market. Thus riding the free marketing buzz as countless media outlets do the inevitable comparisons.

 

[WadeTyhon]

my predictions on GM gameplan: wait until Tesla announces a vehicle spec and launch plans, then beat them to market. Thus riding the free marketing buzz as countless media outlets do the inevitable comparisons.

Yeah, they definitely took this approach with the Bolt. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they do it again with their future electric pickup. The fact that they've already prepared for the inevitable electric drive train probably means they could launch a plug-in truck as quickly as they need to.

 

[Domenick]

If they could be the first to market with a plug-in there's no doubt they would benefit from all kinds of press and get first-mover advantage. They even have all that Voltec (PHEV/Bolt (BEV) engineering to lean on. Trucks are a bit different market over-all, though -- perhaps more conservative -- so I'm not convinced Chevy will move as quickly as they could to bring out a plug-in. I imagine they will wait until their surveys and market evaluations tell them the time is right.

 

[101101]

Is anyone better at talking about of both sides of their mouth. Stunning. Maybe Lutz was just skeptical about Tesla because he didn't want competition?

 

[Pushmi-Pullyu]

I have no doubt that some legacy auto maker will put a small or mid-sized PHEV pickup into production by modifying a current pickup. But I seriously doubt we'll see a BEV pickup that's not designed as a BEV from the ground up.

At least, I hope not!

In the meantime, it's going to be interesting to see how small auto maker Workhorse does with its W-15 PHEV pickup, aimed mainly at commercial sales but open to anyone buying one. Obviously their production is going to be rather limited, so it won't take a high level of sales for them to sell all they can make.



Hmmm, the cab interior of the W-15 is much nicer than I expected for a "workhorse" truck; I expected something far more utilitarian. This has a lot more comforts and luxuries than I expected; much more like a pickup from a major auto maker! Here's hoping they can really deliver at their estimated base price of $52,000.

Go Workhorse!
-

 

[WadeTyhon]

I have no doubt that some legacy auto maker will put a small or mid-sized PHEV pickup into production by modifying a current pickup. But I seriously doubt we'll see a BEV pickup that's not designed as a BEV from the ground up.

At least, I hope not!

In the meantime, it's going to be interesting to see how small auto maker Workhorse does with its W-15 PHEV pickup, aimed mainly at commercial sales but open to anyone buying one. Obviously their production is going to be rather limited, so it won't take a high level of sales for them to sell all they can make.



Hmmm, the cab interior of the W-15 is much nicer than I expected for a "workhorse" truck; I expected something far more utilitarian. This has a lot more comforts and luxuries than I expected; much more like a pickup from a major auto maker! Here's hoping they can really deliver at their estimated base price of $52,000.

Go Workhorse!
-

I like what I'm seeing from Workhorse. The 80 mile range is exceptional and the price is about right. In the short term, a PHEV truck just makes more sense than a BEV or hybrid pickup.

I sent the Workhorse to my dad (who needs a truck for work) and it's at the top of the list to replace his nearly 10 year old Tacoma. I hope Chevy decides to launch a plug-in Silverado or Colorado soon.

 

[Domenick]

Speaking of a plug-in Silverado, this new 2019 model is supposedly capable of being made as a PHEV or all-electric. Color me still a bit skeptical. I personally would prefer buying a truck engineered from paper to be electric, but maybe a PHEV would be attractive on this platform. I still lean toward the (eventual) Tesla Pickup over a GM offering, but I'd have no problem with a Chevy if it outperforms it.

 

[WadeTyhon]

Speaking of a plug-in Silverado, this new 2019 model is supposedly capable of being made as a PHEV or all-electric. Color me still a bit skeptical. I personally would prefer buying a truck engineered from paper to be electric...

I think that's kind of the reason the quotes interested me. Because they designed the truck to be able to handle EV and PHEV options. Rather than shoe-horning plug-in options to an existing vehicle.

"Herrick added “there’s nothing that doesn’t fit” with the 2019 Silverado’s architecture, which leaves the truck wide open to adopt mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and more advanced propulsion methods in the future...

...2019 Silverado’s architecture ensures flexibility if and when consumer preference shifts. For example, he pointed to the “splay” of the truck’s frame rails. Engineers positioned the rails to potentially accommodate powertrains that call for additional components under the cargo box, he told Green Car Reports."

Read more: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/01...gasoline-engines-to-fuel-cells/#ixzz54vjEuDKy

 

[Cypress]

Speaking of a plug-in Silverado, this new 2019 model is supposedly capable of being made as a PHEV or all-electric. Color me still a bit skeptical. I personally would prefer buying a truck engineered from paper to be electric, but maybe a PHEV would be attractive on this platform. I still lean toward the (eventual) Tesla Pickup over a GM offering, but I'd have no problem with a Chevy if it outperforms it.

I would prefer a truck engineered from modern CAD and using digital simulation and analysis, rather than paper. But sounds like they did engineer it to be electric. But also capable of other drive trains.