An upcoming electric version of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck will feature four-wheel steering and 24-inch wheels, Chevy revealed Wednesday in a short teaser video.
Four-wheel steering has been around for awhile, and General Motors even used it on some pickup trucks in the early 2000s. Now, though, Chevy is teaming it with electric powertrains to enable some novel capabilities.
Rivian has said its R1T will be capable of "tank turns," while the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup will have a CrabWalk mode that, GMC claims, will allow it to move diagonally at low speeds. Considering that Chevy has said it will offer retail and fleet versions of the electric Silverado, it's possible that four-wheel steering will be limited to more high-end versions aimed at recreational off-roading.
The video shows the four-wheel steering in action and highlights the shorter turning radius it enables.
The Hummer EV is expected to have a smaller footprint than the electric Silverado, but both vehicles will use GM's third-generation EV architecture and Ultium modular battery system. Chevy previously said the Silverado EV will have a 400-mile range, compared to 350 miles for the longest-range Hummer EV.
The electric Silverado will be built alongside the Hummer EV pickup and 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV at GM's revamped Detroit-area factory, which was renamed "Factory Zero" last year as part of an overhaul to focus on EV production.
GM announced earlier this year that it "aspires" to eliminate tailpipes from all of its light-duty vehicles by 2035, which would require making the Silverado 1500 all-electric, but not the 2500 and 3500 models. Those are heavy-duty vehicles, which weren't mentioned in the announcement. That goal aside, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and a recently announced Ram 1500 EV will provide a competition for the all-electric Silverado.