During General Motors' recent Q2 2022 earnings call, CEO Mary Barra mentioned that fleet customers are showing a growing interest in the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV. In fact, she noted that GM's fleet customers are ordering an average of over 200 Silverado EVs each.
It may come as a surprise to many people that General Motors already has a whopping 150,000 orders for its upcoming, fully electric Silverado EV pickup truck. This is especially true since the Ford F-150 Lightning is already on sale, and has been for a time. However, we know that many truck owners are extremely loyal to their brand, and some Chevrolet and GMC truck owners just can't wait to get their hands on the future electric trucks.
We're often reminded that the Ford F-150 is the best-selling truck in the US, as well as the best-selling vehicle on our shores. With that said, Barra added:
“The Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra led the industry in total full-size pickup sales in 2020 and in 2021. We continue to lead in 2022 by a wide margin."
The GM CEO has been pushing hard to prove that the automaker is very serious about its future EV efforts. GM plans to overtake Tesla in sales by focusing more on more affordable EVs. Barra also believes there's no reason the Silverado EV can't follow its gas-powered cousins in racking up impressive sales, and the fact that GM already has 150,000 orders for the electric truck is certainly promising.
GM just officially revealed the Silverado EV in January 2022. The WT (work truck) model is expected to arrive in early spring 2023. Meanwhile, the fully loaded RST First Edition is set to come to market in the fall of 2023.
Chevy's Silverado EV boasts some 400 miles of range and DC Fast Charging at speeds of up to 350 kW. There's no question the electric truck will be highly competitive among its rivals, so the only hitch here may be the timing to market.
Currently, the Ford F-150 Lightning is the only traditional and relatively affordable electric truck available from a legacy automaker. The pricey Rivian R1T came to market late last year, along with the ridiculously expensive and niche GMC Hummer EV. Tesla's Cybertruck is supposed to arrive in 2023, though it has been delayed many times.
Will the Silverado EV prove to be one of the most successful electric trucks on the market in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
