Electric GMC Sierra runs faster than Camaro and powers a house for 21 days

“Rich cousin” of the Chevrolet Silverado, the GMC Sierra will also gain its electric version, based on the pompous Ultium platform, which even equips the Hummer EV. The new GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 was presented in detail and will arrive at dealerships in the United States in early 2024, featuring mechanics very similar to the electric Silverado, but a higher level of luxury.

Like the Silverado EV, the electric version of the Sierra will use two motors — one on each axle. In this way, the vehicle gains four-wheel drive without the need for a center differential, transfer case, cardan shaft or other typical combustion 4×4 solutions.

In total, the pair of electric motors reach 764 hp and 108.5 kgfm, enough to take the very heavy vehicle from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 4.5 s. As speed means little off-road, the large truck also has adaptive air suspension and the Hummer EV’s “crab mode”, which uses the truck’s four wheels to maneuver much more quickly in confined spaces.

General Motors does not specify the size of the battery that powers the Sierra, but guarantees that one charge is enough for 640 km of autonomy. According to GM, the energy stored in the vehicle is enough to power a North American home for 21 days, which leads us to an estimate of 160 kWh stored in the cells.

Functionality is not an abstraction: using equipment sold separately, it is actually possible to use the pickup truck as a replacement for the traditional energy company. To charge the electric truck, on the other hand, it is possible to use direct current chargers with an incredible 350 kW, enough to, in the best case scenario, add 160 km of range in 10 minutes.

Futuristic design

The GMC Sierra is traditionally a more luxurious and prepared twin of the Chevrolet Silverado. This continues in the electric era, in which the GMC pickup truck maintained a slight reference to the style of its gasoline version. This is most notable in the shape of the false grille, the design of the DRLs and, mainly, at the rear, where it is difficult to innovate too much.

The overall work at the front, however, is radically different from what we are used to in combustion models, and the automaker claims that this is just the beginning. From now on, GMC models will follow this path and increasingly explore lights as a method of decorating their vehicles.

The Ultium platform also allowed the construction of a large unibody pickup truck, with increased structural rigidity by using the battery compartment as a structural part. It is obviously insulated against water and other impurities. Another waterproof compartment is the trunk under the hood, which is located in the place of the “increasingly outdated” combustion engine.

Inside, the top-of-the-line GMC Sierra EV Denali 1 uses a combination of rustic wood, aluminum and stainless steel to reinvent its sense of luxury. The vertical multimedia center has sports selectors at the base (and, because it’s so big, it makes the digital instrument panel look like a cell phone). The sunroof is panoramic and reflects infrared rays to maintain thermal comfort in the cabin.

The GMC Sierra EV Denali 1 is already open for pre-sales, with a price of around US$107,000. In 2025, more versions of the Sierra EV will be launched: AT4 and Elevation, which will cost less and bring the price of the truck to at least $50,000.