As we've seen with the Ford F-150 Lightning, there’s real interest in electric pickup trucks. There’s more proof of that now, as Chevrolet has divulged the number of reservations it’s received for the coming electric version of its Silverado.
As of now, 150,000 units have been ordered, GM CEO Mary Barra told investors in a conference call earlier this week. The model, which is expected to launch in the spring of 2023, is part of General Motors' plan to produce 400,000 electric vehicles between now and 2024.
What's doubly interesting for Chevrolet is that about 65 percent of those reservations are from customer conquests, meaning consumers who are switching over to Chevrolet from another brand.
First presented this past January, the Silverado EV is currently being tested, and we're guessing there are several steps ahead to put the finishing touches on its development phase. The first model expected in 2023 is the base WT version. It will be followed by the RST First Edition variant in the fall. We can expect the RST model in the summer of 2024 as a 2025 model.
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Mary Barra also divulged that reservations for the GMC Hummer currently sit at 80,000. Considering the model's asking price of nearly $100,000 CAD, that's impressive. And here again, GM is attracting new customers: 42 percent of those who have placed an order are coming over from a competing manufacturer, and 75 percent of the reservations represent new customers for the division.
As for the flagship markets, we're talking about California, Florida and Texas.
As always, what counts in the end is how many pre-orders actually turn into purchases. The percentage should be high, but given current supply chain issues, if other models become available sooner, we could see some lower numbers.