General Motors is reportedly indefinitely delaying its next generation full-size electric truck program at its Factory Zero plant in Detroit-Hamtramck.
The suspension of the program was reported by Crain’s Detroit Business, which cited three anonymous sources.
GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said in a statement sent to the Detroit Free Press that GM has not disclosed any potential plans or timing for next-generation battery trucks and would not engage in speculation.
GM had said it intended to start production of refreshed versions of the GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Escalade IQ and Hummer SUV and pickup in 2028.
GM consolidated most of its electric vehicle production at Factory Zero last year amid production changes responding to smaller-than-anticipated consumer demand. Factory Zero underwent several rounds of layoffs and production stops as the company said it needed to rightsize production.
GM looking to put off EV truck production is not some shocking reversal, it’s an admission that the company’s manufacturing cadence and footprint were ahead of the market, according to Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at AutoPacific. That’s especially true for large electric pickups where the pricing, use case and demand curve are more challenging than for smaller, more mainstream EVs, he said.
“More than anything, it shows GM is being forced to operate by market reality, not by the rapid EV growth narrative it had previously laid out,” Waatti said.
GM’s public pledge to produce only electric vehicles by 2035 ― put forth before President Donald Trump’s first administration amid a stricter regulatory environment for climate protections ― has largely been scrapped.
GM and other automakers warned that losing a tax credit, which offered electric car buyers up to $7,500 on the purchase of qualifying new vehicles and $4,000 on qualifying used EVs, would significantly impact sales. EV sales accelerated in the months ahead of the tax credit’s expiration on Sept. 30, 2025. GM has sold fewer EVs in the two quarters since losing the tax credit when compared with the same time last year.
Suspending the program makes sense, according to Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of Market Research at Telemetry Insights.
“That’s a market that clearly isn’t working for anyone,” he said. “GM and other automakers should put their emphasis on smaller, lighter vehicles that are much more efficient and affordable and then do hybrid or EREV trucks and SUVs at the large end of the market.”
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM reportedly suspending next-gen EV truck program at Factory Zero
Reporting by Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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