General Motors CEO Mary Barra is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at next month's all-digital CES. We know she'll be talking about the future of GM's electric vehicles, but a new report this week suggests this could also be our first look at an upcoming electric pickup truck wearing Chevrolet's bowtie badge.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CES 2021 will be all-digital, and Barra will deliver the opening keynote of the show online on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Barra will be discussing the EV strategy of GM's various brands which, according to the event description, include "laying the foundation for an all-electric future." Last month, GM announced that it is investing big in electric cars with a $27 billion ramp up that it expects will culminate in 30 new EVs revealed over the next five years.
According to a Bloomberg report last week, we can expect the keynote to include peeks at various GM concept vehicles, including a plug-in Chevrolet pickup truck, though details are slim at this point. We've already seen a preview of GM's EV truck capability in the recently debuted GMC Hummer EV and we also know that GM is working on an electric Chevrolet-branded pickup; we got a brief look at it last month.
Last month, we got a peek at an electric Chevrolet-branded pickup during a General Motors livestream.
Electric pickups are lining up to be the next big step toward spreading the gospel of electrification to a whole new segment of American buyers. Ford is expected to debut an electric version of its F-Series pickup sometime in 2021, with the Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck looming large as serious competitors. A Chevy Silverado EV -- assuming GM sticks with an established name plate -- would be an important reveal, especially if GM can offer it at a more affordable starting price than the Hummer's initial six-figure sticker.
We also expect GM's CES 2021 keynote may be our first clear look at the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt EUV, which is expected to launch next year. We should also learn more information about upcoming electrified Cadillac models that will follow the Lyriq SUV, and how Buick factors into GM's electrification roadmap.
