Lucas Bell 
If you are a General Motors fan, the 2022 model year is shaping up to be rather exciting. Not only will the new year bring with it the C8 Corvette Z06, but it the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton pickups are also slated for some updates. These trucks won’t exactly be entirely new like the 14th-gen F-150, but rather a mid-cycle refresh of the T1-Platform trucks that debuted back in 2019. That said, the update promises to provide buyers with an enticing new interior and even an off-road ready Silverado ZR2 offering. Unfortunately for interested in such a prospect, things may not exactly be going as planned. According to a new report from GM-Trucks.com, the updated 2022 Chevrolet SIlverado 1500 and 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 may be facing a delayed rollout due to the global semiconductor chip shortage. That said, all signs still point to the updated trucks debuting later this year, so there’s nothing to worry about in that regard.
2022i GM Truck Refresh To Split The Model Year
Suppliers for the GM Trucks are being informed to prepare for a delayed launch for both the 2022i Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models. The news comes as General Motors and its fellow automakers are struggling to source enough automotive grade semiconductor chips to keep production lines moving. This also points to the first rollout of the 2022 model-year GM trucks to be largely carryover from 2021. Confusing, to be frank, but it also shows the automakers commitment to just get these new trucks on the road, even if it’s a clumsy start.
Over the past few weeks, all three of Detroit’s automakers have limited or entirely stalled production at plants across the country as a result of this chip shortage. In fact, GM president Mark Reuss has called this the worst supply chain crisis he’s witnessed during his career. And while the industry as a whole has asked the federal government for help in securing the supply chain of these components, no action has been taken at this time. Then again, semiconductors don’t just fall out of the sky.
We know that General Motors has found a few creative ways to get around this problem to some extent. GM started selling Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups trucks without their active fuel management modules, as it was easier to source the older engine management computers. This has worked as a stop gap effort, but that isn’t something that is going to work long-term, even though tuned-in customers seem to enjoy this.
Furthermore, it’s not certain that this sort of behavior could even be applied to the refreshed 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and 2022 GMC Sierra, especially with the substantial electronics updates they will receive. The pickups are slated to carry interior tweaks inspired by the full-size SUVs in the lineup, and will include larger infotainment systems, Super Cruise capabilities, and potentially a digital gauge display, all powered by GM VIP, also known as the Global B electrical architecture. These systems are certainly going to be chip-dependent, which could be part of the reason for the delay.
What This All Means For Customers
General Motors is unlikely to confirm the specifics of the 2022i Chevrolet SIlverado and 2022i GMC Sierra rolling updates at this time, but the reporting from GM-Trucks lines up with our intel. Whether or not GM is able to secure the supply chain of these semiconductor chips will likely determine how long such a delay could impact the pickup trucks.
Considering Ford has already stated that this issue won’t impact the rollout of the Bronco, perhaps things are starting to look up. That said, we’ve heard nothing in the way of news about an improving situation. Maybe then it is time that the feds and the automakers try and find a workable solution to this conundrum.
