2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 Debuts With More Power, 400-Mile Range
GM’s family of electric trucks grows to three with the arrival of the GMC Sierra EV -- a more premium, traditionally styled take on the Silverado EV’s formula.
General Motors ' family of full-electric pickup trucks has a new member with Thursday afternoon's announcement of the new 2024 GMC Sierra EV. The new Sierra EV joins the current GMC Hummer EV and upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV models and is expected to hit the road next year starting with the well-appointed and premium-priced Denali Edition 1.
As is the case with the combustion-powered Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, the Sierra EV shares its body with the battery-electric Silverado EV and, so, boasts a largely identical silhouette and flanks. The Sierra EV will be initially offered only in Crew Cab configuration with a 5-foot-11 bed, and the Denali Edition 1 will be standard with GM's MultiPro tailgate and featuring the new MultiPro midgate. Fold down the 60/40-split midgate wall between the bed and the cabin to free up 9 feet of open-air cargo length; drop the MultiPro tailgate's load-stop to accommodate items up to 11 feet long.
The Sierra stands apart from its fraternal twin with a unique front fascia and tail lamp design. Up front, the newcomer drops the Silverado's full-width light bar in favor of more conventional, inverted L-shaped light signatures that frame the Sierra's face, disappearing behind the pronounced front bumper. Center stage is commanded by a chrome-surrounded panel where the grille should be, highlighted by an illuminated, black GMC logo. That panel hides the wide maw of the Sierra's front trunk, a nice bonus cargo area similar to the Silverado EV and Ford's F-150 Lightning.
Around back, the Sierra EV's LED ribbon tail lights have a simpler shape than those of the Silverado's and echo the shape of the Sierra's front lights.
Looking beneath the familiar exterior, it's no surprise that the Sierra EV is powered by the same Ultium electric platform and powertrain as the Silverado EV. However, the Sierra Denali Edition 1 boasts a bit more power. GMC estimates 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque in the dual-motor pickup's Max Power mode. That's 94 ponies and 5 lb-ft more than the Silverado EV RST in its "WOW" max output mode. (The 1,000-hp 3-motor GMC Hummer EV is still the king of the Ultium hill.)
The electric GMC is said to accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds. With its standard trailering package, the Sierra Denali Edition 1 will boast a 9,500-pound towing capacity -- interestingly, 500 pounds short of the Silverado RST's rating. Max payload is unchanged at 1,300 el bees.
The more grown-up Sierra EV skips goofy abbreviations like WOW or WTF, simply calling its fastest setting "Max Power mode."
Battery capacity hasn't been announced, but again this is likely the same pack as the Silverado EV. Expect around 400-miles per charge under optimal conditions. Plug into a DC fast charging port that can saturate the Sierra EV's 350-kilowatt charging capability to quickly add around 100 miles in a 10-minute session. Like the Silverado, the Sierra Denali Edition 1 will also feature a 10.2-kW Power Station Pro inverter system with 10 onboard AC outlets capable of energizing work sites, campsites or even other electric vehicles. Connected to a bidirectional home charger, the Sierra EV can even power your house, with enough energy capacity to power basic necessities for up to 21 days in an emergency.
The electric pickup sits on an Air Ride adaptive suspension that can raise or lower the ride height up to 2 inches for off-road or highway conditions. The Denali Edition 1 will also come standard with four-wheel steering and will be able to pull off the Hummer EV's cool CrabWalk lateral steering -- a feature missing from the Silverado EV's spec sheet.
Inside, the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 features more premium materials, including open-pore wood and aluminum trim, etched stainless steel Bose speaker grilles and quilted seats embroidered with Denali logos, all of which lives beneath a massive, fixed panoramic glass roof.
The biggest surprise is the unique dashboard. There's still a standard 11-inch digital instrument cluster, but the central 16.8-inch touchscreen has been rotated to a portrait orientation. Users will be able to customize its "freeform" interface, moving icons around as they see fit and split-screen stacking up to three apps simultaneously.
The 16.8-inch touchscreen is rotated to a portrait orientation.
Driver aid tech is -- you guessed it -- nigh-identical to the Silverado's, highlighted by the Denali Edition 1's standard Super Cruise hands-free highway steering assist, which can automatically change lanes and be used while towing.
The 2024 GMC Sierra EV will be built at GM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Michigan alongside the GMC Hummer pickup and SUV and, of course, the Chevrolet Silverado EV's RST and WT models. Reservations for the $108,695 Denali Edition 1 (including the $1,695 destination charge) are open now with the first examples expected to reach buyers sometime next year.
Like its stablemates, the top-spec Sierra EV launches first before expanding the lineup to include lower, more affordable trim levels -- including upcoming Sierra EV AT4 and Elevation grades expected to debut for the 2025 model year. When the full line of Sierra EV models is complete, the automaker expects to get the starting price to around $50,000, but that may be a few years down the line.
- North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
Solar Installer Guides
Other Energy Saving Guides
Our Experts
- North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror