• GMC has introduced the first version of its electric pickup, the 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1.
• The model will initially be reserved for the US market. It will make its debut here for 2025.
• The Sierra EV pickup truck will offer a towing capacity of at least 9,500 lb.
• The range of GM’s electric pickup trucks is given at 400 miles, or 644 km.
Birmingham, MI – When we headed to the Detroit area recently at GM’s invitation to take part in a preview presentation of the GMC Sierra EV, we were expecting to see something new, and that’s what we got. But we also got a twist, one we’ve rarely seen even with our many years in the trade.
The GMC Sierra EV is of course the all-electric version of GMC's pickup truck, destined to take on the Chevy Silverado EV and other competitors that are coming on the market, including Ford's F-150 Lightning that's already with us.
So far, so good. This was not our first presentation of this kind, far from it. Not is it unheard of for this kind of presentation to take place a good 18 months before the model launches. Nor was it odd that we were subject to an embargo that prevented us from reporting on the Sierra EV prior to today; nothing new there either.
Canada only in 2025
Here’s the twist: when we received the press release detailing the vehicle's features, there was new information about the Canadian version. Namely, it won't make its debut in 2024, as it will in the United States, but in 2025. What's worse, we're told that the specifications of the 2024 U.S. model may not apply to the 2025 version that will be coming our way.
What follows thus has to do principally with the U.S. version of the GMC Sierra EV, scheduled for 2024. As for the Canadian market, we'll see. We don't have the details of the reasons behind such a decision, but it's a bit insulting to consumers here. Something similar happened in the case of the Hummer EV, but at least it was more understandable for that niche model. Here we’re talking about the GMC Sierra.
Note that given current supply-chain difficulties when it comes to EVs, it’s possible very few would have shipped north of the border for 2024 anyways. Still, it's a matter of principle.
Styling and architecture
As we saw with the Chevrolet Silverado EV, General Motors wants to develop electric pickups that are immediately recognizable and differentiable from their combustion-engine counterparts. Thus, the design of the Sierra EV is in line with this philosophy, even though the brand's signature remains recognizable.
Note the “grille” that lifts up with the hood and gives access to the front trunk, as well as the absence of a separation between the body and the cabin. Yes, it suggests a more unibody-like structure than a frame, but remember this truck is built on the Ultium architecture, which means a brand-new body. GMC promises that this body solidifies the whole and increases robustness.
We also notice an interesting approach to the rear, similar to that of the Silverado. The box, 5 feet 11 inches long, can extend to 9 feet when the wall separating the cab and the box is opened. Also, tilting the multi-function tailgate increases the flat surface to 11 feet.
Note that the first version of the Sierra EV (Denali Edition 1) will be available exclusively with a crew cab.
Capabilities
This first model offered will sit at the top of the model range. It’s therefore the one that will offer the maximum capacity in many respects. This is the case for the range, which GMC announces at 400 miles or 644 km. Maximizing range was a priority for GMC when designing the vehicle; the figure responds to customer concerns, according to the company.
Capacity is set at 9,500 lb for towing, 1,300 lb for payload. As for range with a rear hitch, Nichole Kraatz, chief engineer of the Sierra EV, confirmed to us that the extra power needed to tow loads would be the same as that required with a gasoline model.
In other words, if your Sierra uses 30 percent more fuel in a towing situation, it will lose 30 percent range for a similar operation with the EV variant. We look forward to testing that out.
As for recharging, the model gets a 800-volt architecture, which will mean that it will be possible to connect to 350-kW terminals, provided they are available. In this case, it will be possible to recover 100 miles (160 km) in only 10 minutes. The integrated charger will have a capacity of 19.2 kWh.
The Sierra EV will also be equipped with an internal 10.2 kW system, which provides the necessary power to run appliances (up to 10 outlets), or send power back to the grid with a two-way interface.
This means you can power your home in the event of a power outage, say. GMC claims it would be possible to run a household's essential appliances for 21 days. As we saw at Ford, this is a very interesting option.
Maximum power is claimed to be 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque. These are the figures that can be obtained by selecting the Max Power driving mode. Of course, the goal is to impress here (so it takes 4.5 seconds from 0 to 97 km/h), but the reality will be somewhat different. How different? We don't know yet, as several data points remain to be validated.
Speaking of drive modes, the Sierra EV will also offer a standard driving setting, one for towing, another for off-road detours, and a custom mode.
For the rest
We could go on and on with a host of aspects of this Sierra EV pickup, but as you've seen, the model's arrival is still a ways off.
Let's highlight a few things, though.
On board, the dashboard will be dominated by a 16.8-inch screen for the multimedia system, a unit arranged horizontally rather than vertically, an approach that adds a little something to the presentation. Another 11-inch screen sits in place of the instrument cluster, and then a 14-inch space in the windshield is reserved for head-up display information.
This first version will benefit from a comprehensive equipment list and the best materials the Sierra EV is going to get, needless to say. The Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system is also part of the package, with a capacity that now allows operation on some 640,000 km of road in Canada and the United States.
Long trips will be enhanced with an adaptive air suspension. The vehicle can also be raised or lowered by two inches.
Also included are regenerative braking, down to full single-pedal driving, as well as rear-wheel steering and the crab-walking feature that we saw first on the GMC Hummer EV, which allows for driving diagonally. It remains to be seen what the angle of the wheels will be, as the track of Sierra pickup is narrower than that of a Hummer.
And, like what we've already seen from Volvo, the vehicle can be started without pressing any button. In fact, all you have to do is put the selector in the On position to start driving in traffic. Finally, 14 camera angles can be displayed on the multimedia system's screen, all for safe travel and maneuvering.
We'll have the opportunity to come back to this model, especially when information about the Canadian versions is finally shared. We can expect something very similar, if not identical, but we'll have to see. At least two other electric versions of the Sierra EV will be offered, namely the Elevation and A4 versions.
The Denali Edition 1 is priced at $107,000 USD. GMC says a base variant for about $50,000 will be available later. Americans can order the model now. We'll be watching, of course, to see what the buzz is about.
So we'll get back to you in due course with more information.
Keyword: 2025 GMC Sierra EV Introduced: Yes, 2025