We’ve seen the Hummer EV pickup truck. We’ve seen the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup truck. Now it’s time to take a look at the next Ultium-powered pickup truck from General Motors. This time it’s back to the GMC badge with the 2024 GMC Sierra EV.
The Sierra EV is GM’s different take on the Ultium-platform that also underpins the Silverado. There are some similarities — the midgate for example — but the Sierra is all-new sheet metal and offers some unique and interesting features.
There will ultimately be a few versions available, including a base level Elevation trim and an off-road focused AT4. There’ll also be a standard Denali. But what GMC is talking about today is the top-spec Denali Edition 1.
The Edition 1 is a fully loaded truck offering all the features that the company has to throw at the truck. The includes a beautiful black interior with unique stitching. There’s a big heads up display, and an all new free-form 16.8-inch infotainment system.
“This is the Denali of EVs — and a truck that is every bit a GMC,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick and GMC. “That means it leaves nothing on the table when it comes to hauling, towing and overall power while unlocking even more possibilities around what a GMC pickup can offer.”
The Denali Edition 1 will have a dual-motor setup, making it all-wheel drive, and deliver up to 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque in the Max Power driving mode. There’s no Watts To Freedom here, or any launch control as far as we can tell, but GMC is claiming a 0-60 mph time in around 4.5 seconds.
For comparison sake, the long-range Ford Lightning makes 580 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of twist.
GMC is projecting 400 miles of range with the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, and we suspect it’s the same battery pack that is in the Silverado and maybe even in the Hummer EV. That means like 200 kWh of capacity, or more, to help achieve those numbers.
Additionally, the GMC Sierra EV will be able to charge in 800-volt mode, when connected to a 350 kW DCFC, and add a claimed 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. We haven’t yet independently verified these charging claims on the Hummer EV, but we are planning on doing so soon.
Compared to the Hummer, expect the Denali to be more on-road focused, with an emphasis on a quiet ride and excellent handling.
Air suspension will help with the ride quality, even with 24-inch wheels, and the standard four-wheel steering on the Denali should help with maneuverability.
One carry-over feature from the Hummer, that also didn’t end up on the Silverado, is CrabWalk. It’ll be present on the Sierra EV when it ships.
For this version of the truck, towing is rated at 9,500 lbs. The standard Super Cruise with automatic lane changing will also work when towing a trailer, which is a nice added touch.
Because there’s a big battery pack on board, the Sierra EV also lets owners off-board that power for other uses. That can be done at up to 10.2 kW, and GMC claims that when only running essential household components, you can get 21 days of use. That’s a lot.
GMC is proud of the design of the Sierra EV, and in addition to the premium interior, the exterior is treated to a unique GMC look with LED headlights and the GMC signature C-clamp DRL feature. When you approach the truck, a light animation greets you.
The only way the Edition 1 comes is fully loaded, and GMC is starting a pre-destination and handling price of $107,000. The base Elevation trim, coming in the 2025 model year, should start around $50,000 before the shipping.
GMC also teased an AT4 trim, which to our knowledge is the first off-road focused trim from a mainstream automaker in EV trucks that it’s a boutique offering like the Hummer. That also will go on sale for the 2025 model year.
We think the truck looks good, and is a noticeably different design than the Silverado that it shares the Ultium-technology with.
You can put a reservation in for an Edition 1 right now at GMC’s website, for delivery sometime in the beginning of 2024.
