A recent report has revealed what we’ve long known: General Motors is close to giving up on its next-generation full-size electric truck program.
Three anonymous sources told Crain’s Detroit Business that Factory Zero, its EV production plant in Detroit, is going dark indefinitely. For the past few weeks, GM has been temporarily laying off employees and slowing production as interest in electric vehicles continues to decline in the United States, leading to lower sales. This latest development is not much of a surprise, but GM is said to be suspending production of its next-generation electric GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Escalade IQ, and Hummer SUV and pickup, originally meant to start production in 2028.
Current electric trucks will continue to be produced at Factory Zero, but future vehicles will be gas- and hybrid-powered for the time being. This ironically emulates Tesla’s electric vehicle plans, which had the automaker almost never revamping its models. The next-generation full-size electric trucks are not entirely out of the picture, but that could change as America continues to turn its back on expensive EVs.
Is there room in 2030 for General Motors’ full-size electric pickups?
It’s been tough for The Big Three as policies, interests, and costs continue to descend into chaos in the United States. During the Biden Administration, Factory Zero was the beginning of General Motors’ electric future. Back when the government was pushing for electric vehicles by passing stricter emissions standards and offering tax incentives for EV buyers, GM announced that it would eliminate emissions from all its light-duty vehicles by 2035 and then achieve total carbon neutrality by 2040, including products and operations.
However, extreme tariffs and a lack of interest in EVs during the Trump Administration have wreaked havoc on Factory Zero, with GM losing $7 billion in EV impairment charges. Mass layoffs and factory shutdowns have been reported continuously all the way up to mid-April. The decision to pivot Factory Zero’s focus comes after GM switched the Orion Assembly factory from the original electric truck plan to gas-powered trucks, creating thousands of jobs and advancing the company.
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GM’s Senior Vice President said last week: “We do believe the end game is EVs.” He then mentioned that GM “can’t predict the future,” so it has to remain flexible to adapt as needed. The automaker may begin the next-generation models of its full-size electric trucks in 2030, but by then, GM will be outpaced by the competition. Slate and other cheap electric pickups will be out by then. Plus, Ford and Ram both have electric pickup plans, but these plans reflect America’s disinterest in a full-sized electric pickup. The F-150 Lightning was discontinued due to low sales and high production costs, with Ford switching to a $30,000 EV pickup plan instead.
General Motors’ original plan to revamp its fleet of oversized trucks doesn’t seem to fit into the new MO. Americans have failed to see the need for a full-size EV pickup. Their towing capacity is much lower, and their range is also extremely reduced while towing, making them a bit inconvenient and nerve-wracking for longer drives. GM’s were particularly questionable, with batteries that were large and less efficient. Right now, the electric vehicle sector is all about being cheap, small, and innovative. This is especially true in America, where luxury EVs are struggling to sell due to skyrocketing prices. GM’s upcoming electric trucks were just big trucks with big batteries. Said one skeptic on X: “Anyone can just dump large batteries in a vehicle. That’s not innovation and something to celebrate.”
At that point, why wouldn’t they just get the cheaper, more capable gas-powered version? There’s a reason GM has to add a sixth production day at the Flint Assembly plant as demand for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra continues to increase.
As General Motors continues to face layoffs, shutdowns, and revenue losses due to struggling EV sales, it seems like an uphill battle to compete in the electric vehicle landscape without major changes. GM saw a sharp 43% drop in electric vehicle sales in Q4 of 2025, and it went into the red in the first quarter of 2026, with EV sales dropping an additional 19%. It’s no secret that GM’s EVs are not working. But a complete pivot away from EVs for the next few years is not a smart move, with the world outside of the U.S. still turning electric. However, it’s unclear what would help GM out of this EV slump. Expensive electric pickups are not working, but smaller, cheaper electric pickups is becoming the go-to for many brands, even brands outside of the truck space.
For now, GM is waiting until 2030 and seeing where the industry stands. Maybe they will be able to find a gap in the electric pickup market as things take shape. But can they adapt fast enough to fill it?