If there's one segment of the industry that has remained relatively unchanged over the years, it's the pickup truck. Part of that is due to the real challenge of reinventing a vehicle type composed of three very specific design elements: an engine compartment, a cabin and a bed.
Nevertheless, the evolution of the genre has been spectacular over the decades. Starting roughly in the mid-1990s, improvements came steadily, mainly on the mechanical side, so we saw innovations regarding engines, load capacities, towing, chassis, suspensions, etc.
Then, the focus shifted to the cabins, which have now become mobile offices.
This evolution will start a chapter as electric pickups start to appear. But what form will that evolution take? A sketch shared this week by the General Motors (GM) design department offers us one vision.
Note that the sketch is not presented as a future model, though it’s clear the rendering is strongly inspired by the current Chevrolet Silverado. The design of the front end, which is bold and marked by very sculpted features, is revealing in this regard. Then there's the windshield that sits on a super-slanted angle, which should come in handy in the future given the increased importance of aerodynamics to maximize electric range.
Also noticeable is a cabin that feels spacious, defined by the presence of a lowered, two-tone roof. Pay attention to the location of the handles, which hints at the presence of doors that open in opposite directions. As for the body, well… it's a body! The oversized wheels, of course, are typical of a sketch of this kind.
If there's one thing we'd like to see on the pickup trucks of the future, it's the return of two-colour approaches; it's a way to differentiate from the many similar products on the road.
The work is by Jacky Zhan who has been with the General Motors design studio since 2014.