[ChargedSilvE]

It helps that they didn't start from zero. GM had a lot of EV know how built up over years from developing the Ultium platform. So a lot of the Silverado EV existed in some way or form before any of us knew for sure it was happening.

 

[Xman]

My frustration with GM is that they hold the edge in EVs with decades of development over any other auto maker, even Tesla. Yet they continue to fail in the vision department, and have to play catch-up like this at seemingly every step. It is easier for GM to to just that, with their depth in the tech, but I cannot help but wonder how much better the product would be (i.e. current Bolt problems) if their future proofing were working just a little bit better. Chevy only got serious about the Silverado EV when Ford beat them to the punch.

GM's answer is stout, no doubt, but frustrating in that they could have, should have been first.

With that bit of venting out of the way, getting pointed in the right direction a little late is better then never, and I think the Ultium platform is exactly that; the right direction. I hope they get scaled in time put one in my driveway before Ford (or even Tesla) does.

 

[camaroz1985]

My frustration with GM is that they hold the edge in EVs with decades of development over any other auto maker, even Tesla. Yet they continue to fail in the vision department, and have to play catch-up like this at seemingly every step. It is easier for GM to to just that, with their depth in the tech, but I cannot help but wonder how much better the product would be (i.e. current Bolt problems) if their future proofing were working just a little bit better. Chevy only got serious about the Silverado EV when Ford beat them to the punch.

GM's answer is stout, no doubt, but frustrating in that they could have, should have been first.

With that bit of venting out of the way, getting pointed in the right direction a little late is better then never, and I think the Ultium platform is exactly that; the right direction. I hope they get scaled in time put one in my driveway before Ford (or even Tesla) does.

I do tend to agree that they have squandered what should have been a lead in EV development, but part of that is down to the customer base. Until recently there has not been demand for EV everything. The Volt and Bolt were largely a miss, and not marketed correctly, but also not the form factor that Americans are interested in. Had they developed an EV truck or SUV earlier, though I'm sure they could have sold every one they can make, but I think such a vehicle would have been too big of a compromise in terms of performance, range, etc. to sway the general buying public to make the conversion from ICE to EV. It is really only now with the next generation of technology that it is a viable, and in many ways better, alternative.

I can guarantee that the Silverado EV is not a response to the success of the Lightning, as I have worked on components for it for over 2 years now. GM chose not to go the "easy" route and adapt an ICE platform, but rather go with a clean sheet EV platform from the start. It might have pushed things back a little, but the Lightning is just a stop gap, and will be replaced in 2025-2026 with a dedicated EV platform. I guess Ford gets a year or so of extra sales, but they will be spending more in the long run to basically develop 2 trucks (which I'm not complaining about, as I have worked on them as well), and that year of sales will be at relatively low volumes.

At the same time, should GM have prioritized Ultium development earlier, especially with the eruption of Tesla over the last 5 years? Probably. As much as I am anxious for my garage to be completely EV, I would rather the proper time taken in development instead of rushing to be first to market, especially as the modern EV is still largely in it's infancy.

 

[bbrriiaann1973]

My frustration with GM is that they hold the edge in EVs with decades of development over any other auto maker, even Tesla. Yet they continue to fail in the vision department, and have to play catch-up like this at seemingly every step. It is easier for GM to to just that, with their depth in the tech, but I cannot help but wonder how much better the product would be (i.e. current Bolt problems) if their future proofing were working just a little bit better. Chevy only got serious about the Silverado EV when Ford beat them to the punch.

GM's answer is stout, no doubt, but frustrating in that they could have, should have been first.

With that bit of venting out of the way, getting pointed in the right direction a little late is better then never, and I think the Ultium platform is exactly that; the right direction. I hope they get scaled in time put one in my driveway before Ford (or even Tesla) does.

GM should be the only option!

 

[SilverDan]

current Bolt problems

what problems? We’ve got one from the first production and it’s a joy. The traction battery was LGs fault and GM handled it with aplomb

The Volt and Bolt were largely a miss

They were? Not by their plans, those were toes in the door loss leaders to gain institutional experience. The plan wasn’t to take over the market with either.