Manoli Katakis 
GM Factory Zero is about to be buzzing with builds. Doug Parks, General Motors executive vice president for global product development, confirmed Thursday that the Chevrolet Silverado EV will begin production in early 2023, during a Deutsche Bank AutoTech Conference. You can read the transcript here, and you can watch the full 36-minute video here. Parks would also interchangeably use “Silverado EV” and “Silverado E” to describe the same vehicle, as well as “Sierra E” for the upcoming GMC Sierra EV. Both trucks are expected to take the fight directly to the Ford F-150 Lightning, which is launching this spring. This means a lower price point than the Hummer, and exchanging off-road party tricks for more utilitarian demands on the job site. All of these vehicles will utilize the GM BT1 platform, and the company’s proprietary Ultium battery pack technology.
Ahead of 2023 Chevrolet Silverado EV production, General Motors will be ramping up the launch of the GMC Hummer EV Edition 1, which has only just began salable builds some two weeks ago. GMC Vice President Duncan Aldred did note that scaling up production of this new 1,000 horsepower electric truck would be more gradual than compared to an engine-powered truck. So it makes sense that GM wouldn’t want to throw too much at Factory Zero at first. But in just over a year, the Hummer is going to have to make room.
General Motors recently announced an investment of over $50 million USD into its Bedford, Indiana die casting plant to build drive unit castings for the upcoming electric pickup truck. The Chevrolet Silverado EV (or Chevrolet Silverado E, if you will) electric pickup truck is expected to have around 400 miles of range.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado EV: Details
General Motors plans to reveal the Chevrolet Silverado EV at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Presenting the electric pickup truck will be none other than General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra, who has been personally helming much of the communication for the company’s new electric vehicles.
On top trim levels, the Chevrolet Silverado E will have 24-inch wheels, the largest wheel GM has ever confirmed on a truck. We’re not sure how that’s going to feel with thinner sidewalls and all of that battery pack being lugged around, but considering that General Motors has some of the best chassis tuners in the business, we doubt there will be much compromise.
The Silverado EV will also offer a fixed glass roof, which is meant to offer additional headroom, better visibility, and an enhanced riding experience for both front and rear passengers. This will be the first application of an available fixed-glass roof on a GM pickup in the full-size truck segment.
GM CEO Mary Barra has otherwise described the new Silverado EV as “stunning,” and the truck will be built alongside the GMC Hummer EV in America. All of GM’s BT1 platform vehicles are expected to be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant, which has been renamed to “Factory Zero“. The facility is undergoing a $2+ billion USD renovation.
Pricing, options, accessories for the Silverado EV remain TBA.
