Electrified version of the Chevy Silverado will bring a twist on how its rear wheels turn.
General Motors has teased a video of the upcoming electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck (ute) that will launch in 2022.
Key to its teaser is rear-wheel steer, which moves the rear axle slightly to help stabilisation when towing/hauling and reducing the turning circle at low speeds. The sibling Hummer EV, produced on the same new platform, has its own similar party trick called crab mode, which allows the revived brand’s EV to move diagonally.
The teaser also informs us that the new Silverado will have huge 24-inch wheels, though there might be both a more utilitarian version and an upmarket model.
A competitor to both the Silverado EV and Hummer EV utes will be the Rivian R1t, itself capable of ‘tank turns’. The ability for all utes to make such unique turns and movements comes from the adaption of high, instant torque motors on each wheel and technology such as rear-wheel steer. Such maneuvers will likely be pretty harsh on the tyres, however.
The video GM’s bow tie brand shared of the Silverado shows four-wheel steering in action and the shorter turning circle.
The Silverado EV will likely be bigger than the Hummer, though Hummer will produce two electric utes, the second arriving around 2024. Both of the utes should offer 600km+ driving range and high output twin electric motors for towing and off-road crawling.
The world of utilitarian EVs is relatively untested, so the first round of competitors from the likes of Rivian’s R1t, Ford’s Lightning, Hummer’s pair, RAM’s EV and this Silverado will move into uncharted territory.