GM is ramping up its all-electric vehicle efforts with the introduction of new EV variants for the popular Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, both of which promise all the traditional capability and utility expected of the nameplates, plus cutting-edge technology and powertrains. Both models present all-new exterior designs that emphasize their electron-powered status. The question now is which design looks better – the Chevy Silverado EV, or the GMC Sierra EV?
Critically, both the Chevy Silverado EV and the GMC Sierra electric pickup ride on the same narrow-track variant of the GM BT1 platform, GM’s EV-centric architecture for utility models. Both pickups are also similar in terms of features and dimensions. As such, it’s really the exterior design that sets these two vehicles apart.
Chevy Silverado EV
GMC Sierra EV
Let’s start up front, where we find some pretty dramatic styling differences between the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra electric pickup. The Silverado EV, for example, incorporates a thin upper lighting signature between the hood and fascia, with the Chevy badge mounted high. The primary forward lighting is lower in the corners, while a small air intake is lower towards the bumper. Meanwhile, the GMC Sierra EV incorporates L-shaped lighting signatures in the corners of the fascia, with additional styling lines in the nose that more clearly define the blocked-off front grille section. Like the Silverado EV, the Sierra electric pickup incorporates a slim lower air intake, but the latter gets vertical slats as compared to the honeycomb insert of the former. The Sierra electric pickup also places the primary forward lighting lower in the fascia, as well as “sideburn” styling elements.
Chevy Silverado EV
GMC Sierra EV
Moving over to the sides, we find that both models offer four doors for ingress and egress. The rear sail panel treatment on the Chevy Silverado EV, however, incorporates a “floating roof” design, while we also see a good amount of black cladding around the lower edges of the vehicle. By comparison, the GMC Sierra EV has more painted metal in its design. The Sierra electric pickup also has a deep profile styling indent that runs towards the rear of the vehicle from the front doors, while the Chevy Silverado EV has a thinner, straight lower styling line.
Chevy Silverado EV
GMC Sierra EV
Finally, the rear end of the Chevy Silverado EV has a smoother, straighter break in the tailgate for the Chevy Multi-Flex feature, whereas the break in the GMC Sierra EV tailgate incorporates a “tabbed” sections around the outer sections of the GMC MultiPro feature. The taillight graphics are also different, with a more angular design for the Silverado and a smoother design for the Sierra.
All told, there are some considerable styling differences between these two pickups. But we want to know – which exterior design do you prefer? Tell us by voting in the poll below, and remember to subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Silverado news, GMC Sierra news, Chevy news, GMC news, GM electric vehicle news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Neither I’ll take internal combustion.
I agree – I don’t like the looks of either one.
C. – None of the above.
Me too , ICE motor for me!! I will never buy an EV …..I hope GM goes bankrupt trying to push these EV down everyone’s throat!!
Ya better get a horse soon then?
Bob pay attention. They are not forcing anything down your throat. In case you haven’t noticed many states have already mandated a date that new ICE vehicles can no longer be sold. It is about a decade from now and you wont be able to find any new ICE vehicles. You cant wait until the last minute to develop a product. Hopefully by the time that comes about mileage from a charge will be double what it is today. Actually the benefits of electric are impressive. Mind you I will also lament the loss of ICE vehicles and have no desire to purchase one until the kinks have been worked out and the charging infrastructure is more built out.
Actually that’s exactly what GM did in the 1950s and ’60s so don’t say you can’t George!
The Silverado looks more like a new style from the old style. I say this because we all know GM will continue to build both versions of EV and ICE for a long time. So I am going with the Silverado for that reason.
Neither one, these EV’s are only toys and not capable of a full days work. Only the high income people will want them. Just another one of those I have one and you don’t.
while the gmc EV is better looking as the Avalanche rear window on the Chevy is a non starter. I have a Bolt EUV , great for daily commute and a Plug in hybrid BMW X5, incredible for anything and a 2020 GMC Sierra. I am waiting for a GM Plug in hybrid pickup as this ICE/electric is the best combo for my next pickup. Until you get a PHEV you cannot appreciate the incredible advantage of having both technologies. Get with it GM – PHEV pickup !!!!
Anything other than a full EV is GM’s goal. PHEV is very expensive to build and it was the reason the Volt hybrid was never used on other vehicles though it was very good as stated by many owners on forums.
Just yesterday I found an article on the RAM that really sparked my interest since I now have a RAM. Stellantis is taking their time to get an electric Ram just right by looking at customer feedbacks. A PHEV RAM equivalent (5thgenrams dot com/what-is-rams-upcoming-range-electric-paradigm-breaker-repb-pickup/)
just might be possible. 5thgenrams dot com is the web site. You might have to register but you’ll never get emails from them or any of their sponsors.
ICE please!
If we are just talking about looks, I prefer the Chevy. As far as EV is concern, they are not the savior of the world. From cradle to grave EV’s are more polluting then ICE engines.
How is it more polluting? Has anyone done a comparison of all the oil wells drilled and the waste from it? All the car parts made for ice that number more than EVs, etc. compared to minging in central spots and half the part list to produce let alone ongoing energy needed to run each vehicle. The answer is non one knows YET. But it would be an interesting analysis done but truly realistic indpendent observers.
There have been studies and EVs come out on top.
That is wholly incorrect. From wells to wheels, EVs are far cleaner over their lifetime that gas equivalents.
There is a lot of e energy and related pollution for getting the oil out of the ground, shipping it, refining it, shipping it again, and pumping it into to tanks, where it is then burned to go 25miles.
For an EV the batteries mean a fair amount more energy and related pollution during initial fabrication, but then they are significantly more efficient and less polluting. Usually it’s 1-2 year or less for the break even point, depending on the number of miles driven per year.
I’ve heard claims made both ways. Part of the issue might be the broader claim of pollution (i.e. all contaminants) vs. CO2 production. I don’t know which one comes out on top, but you can see the images online. Lithium leach fields require many acres of land to process and don’t exactly look friendly to the soil or humans. It should be entirely fair to say ICE and EV production both have ecologically harmful elements that should be reduced as soon as possible.
The Silverado has what looks like a normal grill, but I never liked the Avalanche C pillar. The GMC front end is butt ugly. On a buggy night the plain sheet of plastic will be a mess, also prone to flying stone paint chips. However, I do like the rear end of the GMC and the C pillar design.
I like the front end of the Silverado, but side and rear of the GMC…
Agree with you 100%. I don’t want either one, I still think ICE will continue to improve and be a far better choice for those who use their trucks as real trucks; however, if I had to choose which one is less ugly it would be the GMC because I cannot stand that Tonka toy look of the Avalanche. I personally would never, ever own one of those. But goodness that GMC front end is frugly. Seems like GM is intentionally pushing us loyal owners to Ford or Toyota with all these child-toy trucks. Guess I’ll keep my ’95 1/2 ton diesel for as long as I can get parts for it, or until diesel goes above $15/gal.
Electric all the way!! Gotta start somewhere!!! ICE when started many many years ago certainly wasn’t perfect by any stretch, nor is it even up to this day. Get the electric stuff going and improve on it over time!
I am a GMC fan, and my 2021 Dually Duramax will probably be the last truck I own. The “bottom line” that everyone seems to be missing is where is the “Electricity” going to come from. Everywhere I look they are building new houses for people coming to live in North America. The politicians want to get rid of ICE vehicles. Factories are being told to convert to electrical power. People are being told already NOT to use their air conditioners and conserve power. One day the EV’S time will come but it is NOT now! Until the endurance matches that of an ICE or we invent a new, clean, safe and efficient power source, keep researching. ICE will be the most dependable for years to come.
Duh! The electricity comes out of the wall.
My electricity comes from my roof. I’m not hooked to the grid. My F150 charges just fine. It *can* be done.
“ or we invent a new, clean, safe and efficient power source”
It’s called wind and solar. The two fastest growing power sources in the US last year.
You have drank too much of the cool aid. Life in California l guess.
Usually I prefer the Silverado styling over the Sierra’s but not in this case. The EV Silverado’s overall look is more what a Avalanche EV would look like and less of what I think a Silverado EV should look. The Sierra EV is more respecting of its GMC heritage, even if it didnt have a GMC logo on it you would know its a GMC Sierra truck. The Silverado EV looks like a bloated beached whale, visually unimpressive in my opinion.
Lots of haters here. If you don’t want an EV don’t buy one. Like a lot of other things in this country we shouldn’t be pushing our views on other folks. You don’t have to wish death on destruction on folks and companies that see EV’s as a way forward. Just live your life on Dinosaur juice and be happy. I’ll power both of my EV’s from the sun with the solar panels in my front yard and save a small fortune every year doing so. Light Trucks will be the last consumer segment to fully convert so you will be able to enjoy the old ways long past your time on what is left of this earth.
That being said, the average LT/Van on the road is driven 11,500 miles per year according to the us department of energy. Thats 31 miles a day. https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10309
Only 8% of the American work force travels beyond 35 miles/one hour, one way to their job site. https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1006/ML100621425.pdf
Both of these are well within the round trip range of the current EV LT/Vans, even towing a 5000# trailer so it’s not as if these are “Toys”. They can do the job today in most use cases and will only get better with time. That’s not to say they can do all jobs. Just like a 1500 Silverado can’t do what a GMC Duramax Dually can do. You gotta buy for your needs or you companies needs. An electric EV in Wyoming isn’t practical today. Buy an ICE, your choice. If the company you love doesn’t make them go somewhere else. That’s what a market driven economy is all about.
Just to close, a very large number of the LT’s on the road are driven as a family vehicles and to take stuff to the dump on the weekend, haul bikes or bring stuff home from a big box store. They never see a trailer or a construction job site or a boat or a fifth wheel. These LT EV’s fill a hole that based on the F150 Lightening sales and reserve statistics is the size of the Grand Canyon.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, to buy what they want to buy and to say what they want to say but they should do it with facts in their pocket and thoughtfulness about others needs. This applies to all things.
What planet do you live on … we who prefer “ice” powered vehicles are being forced to do things. #1 by 2040 likely “you will” buy a EV or do a lot of walking as most manufacturers are targeting that date to end “ice” powered cars an trucks. #2 As it stands right now EV owners pay absolutely nothing in road use taxes in NC … whereas diesel or gas vehicle owners pay .73 cents a gallon for each gallon of fuel sold. #3 Make the tax fair, put a minimum of $10 of a fuel/road use tax every time they charge up, if you charge at home a minimum of $40 a month on top of each time you use a public charger. My wife’s car pays $11.83 cents on road taxes when she fills up … my neighbor who is a great plumber with a good business w/three trucks an three crews pays close to $27 w/each fill up. The way you right you’re a liberal, an liberals “cry all the time” for people to pay their fair share of taxes … it’s not right for you or any other EV owner to ride the roads free all awhile we who buy gas & diesel pay the road use taxes … and by the way get ready to seat “Soylent Green” because battery powered farm equipment isn’t an option. And if you’re too young to know what Soylent Green is … look up Charlton Heston + Soylent Green because that’s what will be left.
Most states will have to move to that option. $40/month seems excessive to me when I don’t drive that much and I charge at home which is usually less than $10/month. I think my state is looking at increasing the registration fee or some other fee based solution. There are relatively painless ways to decrease you use of fuel–stop idling for one. i hope that manufacturers will adopt the automatic cut off when stopped for any period of time. The inside heater/a/c will still work. It seems absurd to me that people spend more than a minute warming or cooling their interior. You’re still in your car while it does this. Why not just drive and it will likely heat or cool faster? And unless it’s too hot or cold, get your map program up before you start your car. In 15 minutes of idling, a car puts out a pound of CO2. How much gas is that?
Also, the taxes and losses you’re going to have to pay for the disaster relief everyone will suffer will likely dwarf these taxes at some point.
I am not for either one. I’ll keep my LTZ Silverado. I know I can go from Waukegan IL to Eureka MO and gas left in the tank. You can take that black rubber from around the finders on the Silverado.
Jim B
well until the Lifters give out I suppose.
These comments about GM going bankrupt is funny to say the least. But anyone with more than enough sense knows there will be next generation ICE models coming around mid decade for both Sierra and Silverado.
I prefer the styling of the BEV Sierra. I tried liking the styling of the Silverado but can’t get past the C Pillar which resembles an Avalanche. GM should just call it the Avalanche and be done with it.
definitely the sierra. i’m not sure why but the silverado to me just looks like if chevy tried to make the equinox a full-size pickup.
I hate the look of the Sierra. It looks like a beast that will eat me. Maybe some people think that makes it look masculine and beefy. The only reason I would buy a pickup anyway is the reverse charge. The electricity goes out once in awhile here due to wind and fires. A reverse charging EV might be useful
Can I get the Sierra without the sideburns but WITH the Silverados squared off wheel well openings. I can live with the burns but not a rounded off wheel well opening. A pickup should have some sense of brawn. This in mind I will pass on the more traditional look of the GMC and put all of my chips in the Bowtie camp. I passed on the new style truck when they arrived in 19 and instead have a 19 LD because of those sissy wheel openings.
If hell froze over and I had to choose electric I would go with the Silverado, the GMC ‘s front end looks like an electric razor with 2 question marks for lights.
Both decent looking, but for different reasons. The Silverado has a morn modern and sleek/sporty look. The GMC has a more traditional “tough truck” look. The Silverado looks better from the front. The GMC front screams “over compensation”. The GMC looks better from the side angle with better proportions.
I kind of think the GMC looks better, but only because it looks more like the current trucks. I hate the current Chevy front ends, so the EV Silvie still looks better than those. also I seem to be the only one who liked the avalanche, so I kind of prefer the pillar design on that, but I also kind of think the GMC should have just followed the lightning and built the pack into the current truck cab and frame to save costs have a real separate bed and overall give the boomers less to b!tch about.
from Front, Silverado wins hands down. GMC looks like the designers wanted to go to lunch early and just rushed it.
I know they don’t want to radically alter the shape of the pickup until EV takes off. However is the ideal time to develop a shorter hood and add the extra space to the bed. You don’t need 6 feet in front of the windshield for an engine and radiator anymore. Obviously they need to insure the safety in a front end collision but it would be great taking a foot or two off the front and adding it to the bed.
The real issue of EV is the infrastructure to power the charging for all these EV’s. States are still having rolling blackouts during hot summer days. What’s going to happen when you add 10s of millions of vehicles that need a 100 KW or larger charge? Until users can charge their vehicle reliably there is always going to be resistance to the technology.
Option C, neither one!
I voted Silverado but as far as exterior design goes, I’d take either truck. They both look great! However, the instrument panel in the Silverado is much better looking than the Sierra. I do not like the look of the “Ipad Stuck to the Dash” that Sierra went with.
A real one of any on the lots only thing I keep seeing are pictures like FOREVER so I won’t compare
i kind of like how the GMC has squared off “sail panels” instead of the VERY Avalanche look on the Silverado EV. that’s my $.02