The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado E will be a big deal. It’ll be the first volume model with a battery-electric variant for the bow tie brand and have mass appeal. Speaking with CNBC, Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors says that despite competitors coming to the market ahead, the all-electric Silverado will be “unmatched.” By next year, there will be several electric pickup trucks on the market including the Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, and the Ford F-150 Lightning. Tesla’s Cybertruck is reportedly arriving late next year after a series of delays.
Scheduled to make its world debut at the 2022 CES Show in Las Vegas, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado E goes on sale in 2023. That’s almost a year after the GMC Hummer EV, its platform-mate, arrives. “I think when you see the timing that the Silverado will be available, and what that vehicle offers, I think it’s unmatched,” Barra said during a meeting in Detroit with the Automotive Press Association. “I think that’s going to make a big difference.”
Barra hopes that the all-electric Silverado E will help people see that a platform built specifically for EVs can do a lot for an electric pickup. The Chevy’s most direct competitor will be the Ford F-150 Lightning, which is built on a heavily modified version of the fourteenth-generation truck’s platform. Unlike the pricier GMC Hummer EV, the Chevrolet Silverado E will be more mainstream and offer both retail and commercial versions. It will also offer four-wheel steering and wheels up to 24 inches in diameter.
General Motors is also the leader in EV and autonomous technologies among major automakers (OEMs), according to Barra. “For an OEM of scale, we’re first. Full stop,” she said to CNBC. “For startups that are only focused on one area, luxury segments, etc., those are obviously competitors we treat very, very seriously, but when General Motors puts its scale, its highest loyalty in the United States across our brands, we have lots of assets that we’re going to bring to the party.” Barra is also “cautiously optimistic” with regards to the ongoing semiconductor shortage’s impact on the auto industry. She noted that the company expects a better second half next year in terms of supply versus the first six months.
The 2023 Silverado E will be the first Chevrolet vehicle to utilize General Motors’ Ultium suite of technologies. That includes a dedicated architecture specifically for battery-electric vehicles, electric motors, and unique batteries built in-house, and in collaboration with specialists like LG Energy Solution. General Motors will also expand its battery technology development operations with the establishment of the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center, which will open in 2022. This new facility will integrate all work being done on battery technology under one roof and is expected to build its initial prototype cells by the fourth quarter of next year.
The Wallace Center will develop new battery technologies including lithium-ion, solid-state, and silicon packs. It will also be a site that pioneers new battery manufacturing methods that will eventually be deployed in other facilities like the ones in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and the joint plant operated by GM and LG Energy Solution in Lordstown, Ohio. Eventually, the Wallace Center will house the new battery development sites currently found within GM’s Global Technical Center.
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado E will be the third vehicle to use the Ultium suite. It follows the GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV, and the Cadillac Lyriq. Other vehicles that will use Ultium include a lineup of Buick crossovers, the upcoming Cadillac Celestiq flagship sedan, and a compact SUV for Chevrolet priced around $30,000.
