If I have one really major criticism of General Motors these days, it’s that it sometimes feels like a follower in various areas, not a leader. Ford’s got an electric truck coming out? Ditto, says the General. Mustang Mach-E selling out like Taylor Swift tickets? There’s a Camaro EV thing happening eventually, too. The Maverick is an unexpected success? Oh shit, better get on that! But GM does have chances to get ahead—way ahead—of the competition, and this design under consideration would do exactly that.
According to Automotive News, GM is considering a small pickup truck that’s actually down in size from the Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz—and it would be all-electric, too. A reporter for the publication saw one such design under consideration this week (at the kind of press event where they show you secret stuff but also cover up your phone cameras, usually) and she confirmed it’s a real thing. Or at least, a thing that exists in studio form while bean counters, engineers and product planners figure out the details.
The best part is that the truck “would be part of GM’s lineup of affordable EVs priced under $30,000,” meaning it would, at least as of right now, have no real and direct competitors. And it would be one of the very few truly affordable EVs on sale, not to mention the only truck with a sticker price that cheap. Ford is said to be working on an electric Maverick eventually to go with its popular hybrid version, so maybe these two could duke it out in an EV mini-truck war.
From that story:
The pickup, seen by Automotive News Wednesday at GM’s affordable EV design studio in Warren, Mich., is futuristic and sporty. Marketing images behind the pickup showed consumers using it for recreational activities, such as surfing.
GM did not provide a name, brand, image or production timeline for the mini truck.
“We’re creating these to get a reaction and then to try to modify it or move on. What does work? What doesn’t work? What’s expected?” Michael Pevovar, director of Chevrolet affordable EV and crossover design, told reporters. “Affordability is the key portion of this, and there’s lots of different ways to approach it.”
It’s important to take this with a grain of salt, as always. Automakers frequently consider internal design studies and ideas that never see the light of day, even if they show them off to the media in controlled settings. Not every idea on the drawing board ends up at a dealership lot a few years later. If that were the case, the Porsche Panamera would’ve come out back when Def Leppard was still reliably putting out hit albums.
But hey, this seems like a lovely idea, doesn’t it? I’ll give GM credit for this: its lineup of affordable EVs like the $30,000 Equinox should be quite impressive, and could break it out of the follower status I complained about up top. And the success of both the Maverick and the Santa Cruz proved that us enthusiasts were right all along, and people do demand smaller, cheaper pickup trucks when they don’t want or need an $85,000 crew-cab behemoth they have to finance over 12 to 15 years. Adding electric power to that recipe just makes sense; it’s where the market is going, and EV trucks are increasingly proving themselves in the towing and hauling department with all the prodigious torque they offer.
All of this is to say: build it, GM! And make sure it has steelies like the Maverick, too. It’s hard to see this idea not being successful in the marketplace. I told those jokers at Hyundai to build the Santa Cruz concept for years, and then they finally did, and guess what? It’s a major hit. Because of course it is. The important lesson here is that I am always right.
I can’t really fault GM for being more cautious. Toyota historically has been more that way when implementing new tech, though not like their venture into EVs has been a model to replicate. For GM, there’s the Bolt recalls on their end, but also for each of those Ford models, there’s some negative media around them too – Lightning (price jumping), Mach-E (“it’s not a Mustang!!!1!”), Maverick (price jumping, scarcity) to name some, on top of Ford’s own frequently reported quality issues. So for GM to quietly show up, lend Ultium to Honda along the way (while Ford and VW seem to be splitting up on their venture), doesn’t seem like a bad approach. And the Hummer, for better or for worse, has had plenty of media coverage too.
Plus given the article on the Lyriq the other day, keeping more hush on plans til they can get their last “big news” out there might be the move.
Anyway, for this product, it shouldn’t necessarily have to comfortably seat more than 2 people (assuming they give it extended-cab style rear jump seats at all), so they can build it more for EV range than passenger comfort – less weight for the necessary safety materials etc. The new Colorado is crew-cab only, so this gives them something for those that are committed to a smaller 2-door pickup even if the bed is going to be smaller.
More importantly, this would probably be a bigger hit in the fleet market than retail. Municipal departments, exterminator companies (that always seemed to be a big market for the small 2-door pickups), maybe even the budget option from U-haul and Home Depot (since they were getting some Mavericks in)..plenty of fleet options that would probably be looking to go EV at least for the optics regardless of whatever EV sale regulations come into play.
This would surely undercut a potential Ranger Lightning in price and even if it’s smaller, fleets wouldn’t need the size. Ford has the e-Transit, but that’s much larger and a van; they dropped the Transit Connect from the U.S. market, which would have been a closer match for the price, but there’s still some that would rather have a small truck form factor.
Honestly with a sideways extended cab seat and proper airbags back there you could have 3 very comfortable seats that meet crash safety standards with hardly much more length than a single cab pickup. For me (including the driver’s seat) 2 seats is not enough seats and 4+ seats is more than I need. 3 is the sweet spot for my use case.
Knowing the electric pricing playbook this will launch at $30K and within 2 years will be $45K.
It would be wise to lease it at the lowest cost that you can negotiate. In three years, electric vehicles will have better battery technology than what is available now, and you can return this and get something with less weight, faster charging and longer range. In a few years we will laugh at the current-generation Teslas as on a par with black and white TVs and 8-track tapes.
Next point: what good is a 4 foot bed? You can not even fit a lawn mower in there, or enough firewood to make it worth the trip. Heck, a good trip to Costco would tax the capacity of the truck bed. A truck should be able to carry a washing machine in its box and a barbecue at the same time. 2x4s can stick out the back a little as long as you put a red flag on one of them.
A new rule for pickup trucks: the bed has to be at least 1.5 times the length of the door(s).
Man, the 989 was so cool. No bubble butt like the early Panamera. Just sleek and cool.
I’m okay with minitrucks making a comeback. Minitruck it up, yo.
I think we all know where this is heading – by the time it hits production you’re looking at a $40-60k ‘lifestyle vehicle’ that’s a crappy compromise: not enough truckiness to be useful for work, not enough interior space to be a family hauler. Some plastic cladding to make it look rugged, but the base model will have a single motor and the small battery pack that offers the least value and laughably underwhelming range, but the ads will focus on the range-topping version that does 0-60 in 4 seconds.
I’m genuinely interested in seeing a relatively affordable, practical EV make it to market, but I’m getting tired of the headline-grabbing bait-and-switch game. We all know that price tag is aspirational at best, and more likely deliberate BS ‘leaked’ early to try and generate a bit of media buzz.
Cool.
The Subaru Baja already existed seventeen years ago. Now it’s an EV made by Chevy, Hyundai, Ford whatever.
Another trucklette that compromises on cabin and bed space so poorly that neither one is worth anything.
Yay!
Nothing, and I mean nothing gets the whiners out like a small truck post.
But if it doesn’t have an 8 foot bed, 15,000 lb towing capacity, locking hubs, and a hood so tall you don’t see Shaq walk in front of you, how can people possibly use it for anything?
I’ve never seen anyone on this site argue anything like that (they’re more likely to wish the vehicle you described was banned).
I’ve seen a dozen people on this very post complain about 2 vs 4 doors, bed length, $30,000 being overpriced, no manual transmission, too many gadgets and touchscreens, etc. I’m not sure if every small truck buyer is an angry 60 year old man who lives alone and has no pastimes besides yelling on the internet about how great his ’96 S10 was, but I’m starting to suspect so.
Interesting, coming from the guy that whines about EV’s at about every single opportunity possible.
Wow you got me
Guilty.
Please explain how a 4-foot bed would be useful for a run to the garbage dump.
“The best part is that the truck “would be part of GM’s lineup of affordable EVs priced under $30,000,” meaning it would, ….. be imported from some Chinese joint-venture – like a sort of EV Daewoo/Chevy?
I seem to recall GM hasn’t had much success making inexpensive vehicles in the U.S.
What do you mean? The Citation was awesome! ????
GM can when it really wants to. Look at Saturn or the 1st gen Cruze.
Their issue is they have a great idea, fund it, it takes off, and the truck division gets mad a small vehicle is stealing their thunder. So the second generation is cost cut or too late to market and tanks.
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want …
A modern version of the Dodge Rampage, but I don’t care who builds it as long as it’s small, affordable, economical, has two doors, a 6-foot bed, and AWD. Not sold on BEV or PHEV yet because batteries offering useful range are still way too heavy and little cars should be light. I don’t need – or desire – 3 second 0-60 performance or 100+ MPH speeds. A small turbo-diesel or non plug-in hybrid powertrain with a manual transmission would suit me best. Air shocks would be nice. Real gauges and indicators, not electronic facsimiles. No cameras, no driver assist modes, no adaptive cruise control, no touch screen operated radio or environmental controls, no navigation system. Just a place to plug in my phone.
I hold out no hope that anything like this will ever again be offered.
You do realize that backup cameras are a FMVSS requirement, yes?
Oh we all realize it. We just don’t like it.
You got me with that fine Photoshop, Patrick! My first thought seeing the headline and picture was “So, GM is going to drop an EV drive train into one of their Brazilian trucks and sell it cheap? Muito legal!”. I would prefer it stay a two-door if they actually did that, but like you said – 4 is inevitable.
Patiently waiting for a Maverick/Ranger/Tacoma sized PHEV…
Or just a Maverick PHEV. And that it has an AWD option…and comes in Eruption Green.
I’d be right alongside you with that one.
I would buy that RIGHT NOW.
I saw somebody say make an el-camino like car.
Id be in. Smaller/lower than a pickup. Give it AWD, a sport mode, and maybe even SS trim. ChooChoo customs?
I’ll be very surprised if GM gets in front of ANY trend, even considering their leadership in attainable EVs. To the author’s point, it just isn’t their style. If they do, it will probably look like that little piece of junk that was rendered. They will make it too soft looking and put zero effort into differentiating it from their other small EV CUVs. The Maverick hits the mark largely due to its simple, butch styling. This will not sink in at GM.
“EV trucks are increasingly proving themselves in the towing and hauling department with all the prodigious torque they offer.” Proving themselves? Hardly. Sure, they offer great torque, but their already limited range is halved with a trailer hitched up. Also – I highly doubt a tiny, car based electric ute will offer real towing capability at that price point.
It’s more than halved at speeds above 55 mph. He towed an ~3000lb load (including the trailer) with his F-150 lightning at highway speeds and his max range went down to 1/3 of what it is supposed to be brand new.
By he I meant to say Hoovies Garage. Idk what happened, I guess I forgot what I was gonna write then hit post.
Yes, YouTube’s #1 channel dedicated to truck towing reviews
In reality, a compact truck isn’t meant for towing though. If you have a big trailer, you really need to go up in size. These are for hauling dirt from home depot
Exactly, and at this price point, I doubt it would have any more power than necessary to move itself around.
Or compost from your local mushroom farm for your neighborhood garden.
Small, inexpensive, reliable trucks are a necessity for many small local businesses all over the world.
Yet they are dwindling in supply.
There is a demand for them.
Unfortunately, we are living in the times of the dollar sign. I doubt any of the big three ever stop counting bills long enough to consider what their customers actually care about for a single second.
If you are currently wearing a tattoo of a car manufacturer’s name on your skin you have been duped.
Break out the belt sander and bandages, they all suck.
I am going to argue this point. It really depends on how the pickup is set up from the factory.
I had a 99 S-10 that was so softly sprung that a 2,000 trailer had it riding on its bump stops while my 2011 Ranger has a tow rating higher than my 2002 Silverado Z71.
My 4-cylinder 1998 Tacoma tows 3500 pounds, and while it doesn’t break any land speed records when it’s loaded, I’ve put a few thousand miles on it at full capacity. It’s not so bad, even on highway mountain passes I’m not slower than the big rigs. I don’t need to tow every day, but I’m not interested in renting a truck and trailer when I do. Since long-distance towing is pretty rare I don’t mind stopping to charge more often along the way.
Hopefully they’ll actually manufacture some, instead of leaving their customers on waiting lists for 2 years like Ford.
I’ve been saying for years that GM needs to make a Bolt into an El Camino/LUV style vehicle.
Around where I live a lot of people use an EV as a commuter. If you have one extra seat and a bed vs. three extra seats, how can you not get the BoltAmino. I am waiting for my Maverick to get built, so maybe by the time the El Bolto is ready it will be time to sell the Maverick.
Small pickups make the most sense as BEVs. No footprint rule for BEVs, no unrealistic fuel economy standards, BOF construction is much more practical for a modern BEV vs a modern ICE vehicle.
However in all likelihood Chevy will just set up a Montana assembly factory in the US and put a BEV drivetrain in it using Bolt drivetrain bits.
As someone who loves solid axles with the tons of snow we’ve been getting where I am my 94 Toyota pickup is having ground clearance issues and it makes me really want something with height adjustable air suspension like the Land Rover LR3 that would give me more ground clearance than my Toyota. I don’t want a short bed unibody pickup but if Chevy brought the Montana to the US with an AWD BEV drivetrain and height adjustable air suspension as an option I’d almost have to get one. I want something smaller than my 94 Toyota Pickup but I’d settle for the Montana because at least it’s smaller than the Maverick.
What they seem to be describing is El Camino-ing the next generation Bolt.
I honestly think the Next Gen Bolt will cost more than $30K starting price. They sold “new” Bolts for so cheap because of all the recalls, battery fires, etc. getting rid of all of the demand for them. I’d hope they’d get rid of all the old Bolt problems so they wouldn’t have that issue and because of that they wouldn’t sell the New Bolts for so much.
Don’t tease. I would be first in line for that.
Small EV pickup? That tows a ton? Color me kind of interested.
Sure if you only need to tow said “ton” to the corner and back. If you actually need to take it anywhere far fuggedaboudit.
Like 2000 lbs and set up for trailer brakes. That would be plenty for my needs.
If only they hadn’t shut down Holden, they’d only been making two door “pickups” for almost 70 years
No way this makes to market as a two door, because I’d want that. Remember the Santa Cruz concept having two doors? I don’t blame Hyundai for changing to a much more marketable four door, but that’s not for me.
Agreed.
If I can’t fit my mountain bike in the bed without removing it’s front tire, I can’t call it a truck. Trucklette maybe?
I know three Santa Cruze owners, none of them are family men. All just Cruzing around with wasted cabin space trying to fit more in the “bed” than it can handle. One guy uses the back seat to carry a plethora of straps, ropes and bungee chords. In the event that he needs to haul something bigger than a bread box.
Cool Ridgeline GM.
Good point.
Where is the Ridgeline EV?
Is there any possibility that it might have been some sort of development project for SAIC-GM-Wuling?
Stupid worthless short beds. Make it a 2 door extended cab, and put a damn 6 foot box on it already. Basically an EV S-10 is all I want.
This! Completely this!
One hundred percent agree Fuzz. Maybe a fleet spec version? Wouldn’t there be almost guaranteed government sales there?
Not to mention small businesses and landscaping /construction industries etc.
Give me one with vinyl seats, rubber floors and manual everything to keep the cost down.
There are so many aging out ICE fleet vehicles and I don’t see many manufacturers rushing in to fill that void.
Why not?
Seriously, I want to know cause my 300k 98 Ranger is starting to spend more time in the driveway awaiting repairs than on the road these days and there is nothing new coming out that can replace her.
I loved the idea of the Santa Cruze and the Maverick two doors.
If I can’t toss something as simple and common as six foot cedar fence boards in the back it’s borderline useless to me.
Sure, I can toss my scuba gear in there, but I can stuff that in the trunk of a sedan with a little preparation.
Where are the useful, bare bones, small trucks?
Anyone? Anyone? Please..
Better still, make it forward control-ish (like the VW ID.Buzz), style it like the Dodge Deora with at least a 6′ bed, and call it a Greenbrier.
Maybe they will bring back the LUV model name
Being GM it would become LEV
LEV laugh LUV
COTD
Can’t way to see the marketing materials sure to feature close up shots of a big thick EVSE plug being inserted into a LUV-charging port.
This enforces my opinion on the idiocy of car makers.
1. Some car ideas are successful enough to be profitable for 1 model. But it becomes a success 4 copycats come out and none are now profitable.
2. They see the market saying people want a smaller affordable pickup. Well lets make a small pickup and sell it at what would be affordable for a large pickup. They dont get that half the interest is in paying far less than the Taj Mahal pickups cost.
3. History shows you dont want to be 1st or last to the market.
But damn didnt ghe Miata break all the rules?
Its the compact car thing again, the Nash Rambler was a hit, then Willys, Hudson, and Kaiser just had to jump in and oversaturate the market
Could they please MSRP it at <$20,000? That way it should be between $29,995-$37,500 after dealer markups and accounting for the EV tax credit cushion.