General Motors will reportedly unveil a new generation of the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans with a fully electric powertrain in 2026, when the current ICE-powered models will be discontinued. As reported by Automotive News, the immortal workhorses will not receive any major updates until MY2025 which is expected to be their last year of production. Mind you, the current generation of the ladder-frame vans was introduced back in 1996, with a mid-lifecycle update following in 2003 and the addition of a new 6.6-liter V8 powertrain in 2021.
The report about EV variants of the
US-built vans comes one year after GM CEO Mary Barra confirmed they are working
on two new zero-emission commercial vehicles that will feature EV and hydrogen
powertrains. While we don’t have information about the design of the new
generation, we expect it to be based on a new platform and bring significant
technological and styling updates in combination with a descent amount of EV
range.
Last year, sales of the GM vans dropped to
44,355 units for the Chevrolet Express and 17,744 units for the GMC Savana, due
to issues caused by microchip shortage. Their rivals include the significantly
more modern Ford Transit, RAM ProMaster, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans which
have already gotten or will soon be getting EV variants.
The latest information suggests the new
vans will be produced in the Wentzville, Missouri plant, where the current
generation is being made. Interestingly, the new Chevrolet Express and GMC
Savana twins will be sold alongside the BrighDrop Zenvo 600 which is produced
in a different GM factory in Ingersoll, Ontario.
