5 New Sierra EV Denali Features To Be Excited About
The GMC Sierra EV Denali is getting ready to launch this summer, and it is most certainly intended to be used as a regular truck like its internal combustion-powered namesake. However, its long list of capabilities and features pushes it more towards the Super Truck category than an average pickup you'd see at a hardware store parking lot. For better or worse, there are really two categories of EV trucks on the market. There are trucks like the GMC Hummer, Rivian R1T, and Tesla Cybertruck (for better or worse) that embrace the EV platform and expand on that. While the other category includes the F-150 Lightning which is essentially a normal F-150 that happens to be electric and that can do some cool tricks.
There's nothing inherently wrong with either category, but the Sierra EV Denali firmly fits into the latter classification. With the Sierra EV inching closer and closer to launch, it's worth exploring some of its newly announced or updated features in addition to what we've already seen – that is, if you can stomach the $99,945 MRSP for the 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1.
Range, charging, and Super Cruise
Perhaps the most important specification for any EV is range. According to a press release, GMC announced that the range was better than initially announced. Initially, when the details of the Sierra EV came to light, the highest range available was 400 miles. Now, that's been updated to 440 miles, and it's the first feature where the GMC stands out. That puts it above the 320-mile F-150 Lightning, the 410-mile Rivian R1T, the 340-mile (estimated) Tesla Cybertruck, and the 381-mile GMC Hummer truck. It matches the proposed range for the similar Chevy Silverado EV. Ahead of the launch of the Silverado EV, it will be the longest-range EV truck on the market.
440 miles also puts it within the class of notable range monsters like the Lucid Air or Tesla Model S. Secondly, it has a charging speed of 350 kW, which GMC says can charge the battery at a speed of 100 miles in 10 minutes. Thirdly, while not unique to the Sierra EV, it's capable of utilizing another exciting feature: the Super Cruise driver assistance system, which has been expanded to 750,000 mapped miles of hands-free driving.
Ultium capabilities
GMC also announced that the towing rating has been increased to 10,000 pounds, as opposed to the original announcement of 9,500 pounds. This is firmly in line with the competition. The F-150 Lightning is also capable of towing 10,000 pounds. The Tesla Cybertruck touts a rating of 11,000 pounds. The Sierra's payload, meaning the weight it can carry in the bed, is stated at 1,450 pounds, compared to the F-150 Lightning's 2,235 pounds.
However, while the payload is lighter, that doesn't really tell the full story about what the Sierra EV is capable of carrying as it also has a midgate between the bed and the cabin that essentially extends the bed to "nearly 11 feet" per GMC. That's tremendously helpful for carrying sheets of drywall or plywood as well as lumber. On the more adventurous end, a kayak can fit nicely inside the Sierra EV as well, without the complicated rigging system needed for other trucks; that fourth feature is worth its weight in gold.
It also rides on GM's Ultium platform, the same architecture as the GMC Hummer and Cadillac IQ. The platform allows for four-wheel steering, the fifth feature worth taking a look at. "CrabWalk," like the Hummer, is fun but maybe not that useful. However, the much tighter turn radius makes the Sierra EV much more livable in areas where traffic is dense, and parking and turning might be a challenge.