Just ahead of the holidays, GMC has revealed a little present for pickup lovers: the first teaser of its forthcoming electric Sierra Denali pickup. While General Motors has yet to reveal when the new battery-powered truck will be shown in its entirety, the model is expected to bow sometime after its Chevrolet Silverado EV counterpart debuts at CES on Jan. 5.
The teaser image depicts a front end that departs radically from today's fossil-fuel-powered Sierra pickup range, with a blunt but smoothed-out nose that features a muscular hood, dramatic L-shaped lighting and a large illuminated GMC badge atop what looks to be a vestigial grille panel. The companion teaser video below reveals the truck's welcome lighting sequence. It's not immediately clear if the Sierra EV will feature a front trunk (frunk) like Ford's forthcoming F-150 Lightning EV, but it looks possible with this design.
According to GM, the truck will be built at the company's Factory Zero Assembly Plant in Detroit. The model is expected to be the third all-electric offering for GMC, following in the meaty footsteps of the Hummer EV Pickup and SUV, vehicles which are also based on GM's Ultium platform and next-gen battery architecture. The fact that this initial teaser references the name "Denali" suggests that this new electric pickup truck will be offered initially in a high-end trim, a move that would make sense considering the massive R&D costs associated with developing electric powertrains.
The first customer deliveries for GMC's open-bed Hummer are expected to commence this month, but it's likely to be a bit of a wait for the electric Sierra Denali. Its Chevy Silverado EV sibling isn't expected to enter production until early 2023, and it's likely that the same targeted date will apply to this vehicle, as well. Whether this GMC will receive the same 400-mile range, four-wheel steering, 24-inch wheels and glass-roof options as the electric Chevrolet remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though -- by the time the Sierra Denali EV shows up on dealer lots, America's burgeoning electric pickup truck scene is likely to be a lot more crowded than it is today.
