You can still buy a brand new 2022 Chevy Express van or its GMC equivalent, the Savana—the oldest vehicles on sale today, by no small margin. GM’s boxy, straight-outta-2003 vans are a rare breed, the last of the real vans—you know, the ones you see hauling kids to church camp, water parks, and museums. They’re the unsung heroes, battered and bruised, but never unladen—or, y’know, replaced in the lineup.
Perhaps not for long. According to an Autoweek report that referred to a “competitive analysis source,” the current Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans meet their demise after model-year 2025. The end of any vehicle strikes a bit of sentimentalism, but your knee jerk reaction was probably something like ours: 2025? You mean they’ll be around that long, even?
Regarding the speculative death of the gasoline- and diesel-powered Express/Savana, GM isn’t ready divulge any further details—but does confirm a BEV cargo van: “We have said that as part of GM’s larger EV acceleration plans that we will add two new vehicles to our commercial portfolio. The first is a full-sized battery electric cargo van and the second is a medium-duty truck that will put both Ultium and our Hydrotec hydrogen fuel cell technology to work. We have not disclosed timing, names or shared any other details, so any articles reporting more are purely speculative.”
The good, predictable news is that the imminent death of the Express and Savana should not be final. The crux of the Autoweek report insists that upon discontinuation of the ICE GM vans, electric versions will whirl their way into existence for model-year 2026. This would be an unsurprising and welcome rebirth, considering GM has committed to spending $35 billion to introduce 30 EVs by 2025.
Ford currently sells its all-electric 2022 E-Transit van (cargo, cutaway, and chassis cab in various lengths and roof heights) and Ram’s electrified ProMaster van is forthcoming in 2023, so an electric Express/Savana for 2026 would actually place GM behind its competition. In addition to competition from Ford and Ram, there are other electric vans on the horizon.
Whereas Ford and Ram shove electric powertrains under their ICE vans, GM’s electric replacement for the Express and Savana would allegedly ride on GM’s Ultium platform, GM’s go-to skateboard chassis when it comes to electrification. These underpinnings, combined with a wholesale redo, poise GM vans for an epic resurrection, one worth the wait. The Autoweek report links the electric Express and Savana to the BrightDrop Zevo 600 commercial fleet delivery van—with less cargo capacity, of course. It could be a baby Brightdrop, or just share the platform and nothing more. Either way, it’s presumable the new-age EV Express and Savana will look and function differently than their ICE predecessors.
The current rear-wheel drive Chevy Express van (cargo and windowed passenger) has three engine options: gas 4.3-liter V-6 with 276 hp and 298 lb-ft of torque; gas 6.6-liter V-8 with 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque; and a diesel 2.8-liter I-4 with 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The cutaway (just an open, pass-through cabin) drops the diesel. It’s unknown if there’ll be an overlap in ICE and EV powertrains offerings, but it might make sense to phase out ICE versions (and parts) while introducing the electric replacement.
Questions abound about GM’s electric van future: Will they retain the Express/Savana nameplates? Will there be a passenger version? Specs? Configurations? What about GM’s RV market? As for now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves: The tried-and-true Express and Savana still live. Somehow.
Keyword: Will Ancient Chevy Express, GMC Savana Vans Return as New-Age EVs?