Yes, you can blame the bean counters.
Tyler DuffyFord set the paradigm for the desert-running super-truck with the F-150 Raptor. Stellantis upped the ante with the 700-plus horsepower Ram 1500 TRX. But General Motors has thus far stayed out of that game. Chevy did unveil the 650 hp off-roading concept formerly known as the Beast. But the closest thing we’ve seen in production is the new Silverado ZR2 — admirable but not a true Raptor rival.
Why have Chevy and GMC not challenged Ford and Ram with a badass, conventionally-powered off-road super truck? According to a GM Authority report citing an anonymous company insider, such a super truck project has been discussed. But GM has not gone forward with it because they can’t make a business case for it.
GM building an F-150 Raptor rival would be profitable in a vacuum. But one reason GM has been reticent is that building a larger truck would require modifications and add complexity to their existing truck plants. And any shutdown of those truck plants would cost the company enough to offset profits the super truck would generate. One could view the Silverado ZR2 as a compromise that scratches the Raptor itch while being easier to build.
General Motors is also pushing hard into electric vehicles, with plans to go 100-percent EV by 2035. And according to the GM Authority insider, resources that could be going toward a super truck are going toward projects like the upcoming Silverado EV. And while we’re talking electric vehicles, GM could equally ask why Ford and Ram don’t have a competitor to match the GMC Hummer EV SUT.
It’s possible we still see a full-on Silverado and Sierra Raptor rival at some point. GM hasn’t been reticent to throw a supercharged V8 into other vehicles if it can justify the cost. But — at this stage — it might make more sense for GM to plan for one with the next-generation Silverado and Sierra, which should arrive in a few years.
Keyword: Here’s Why Chevy Won’t Build a Truck to Kill the F-150 Raptor