General Motors president Mark Reuss has reiterated the car manufacturer’s plan to bring an electric pickup truck to the market, confirming that work on the model has commenced.
“We will have a complete electric lineup, including a pickup truck that’s in development,” Reuss told Wall Street analysts at the UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference.
After speculation that GM was thinking about acquiring electric car manufacturer Rivian, company chief executive Mary Barra revealed during an April’s earnings call with investors that GM was going to build an electric pickup.
Reuss confirmed that the pickup in question will be underpinned by the manufacturer’s third-generation EV platform which is flexible enough to support almost 10 different body styles, Wards Auto reports.
“This architecture is the canvas on which we will paint a profitable EV program. We can build everything on this (platform) from just three drive units: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or e-all-wheel drive,” he said.
The world of pickup trucks is shaping up to be the latest battleground for car manufacturers looking to make their mark on the electric vehicle industry. The EV world has largely been dominated by electric sedans and SUVs in recent years but companies like Rivian and Tesla are working on innovative pickups and GM is looking to also tap into this market.
GM has yet to say when we can expect to see its electric pickup truck but it is likely a few years away from launching. Barra is very confident with what the car manufacturer can create.
“GM has an industry-leading truck franchise and industry-leading electrification capability. I assure you, we will not cede our leadership on either front,” she said in April.