2025 GMC Sierra EV First Drive Review: The Premium Electric Truck

The GMC Sierra EV debuted for the 2024 model year as an all-new, all-electric pickup truck. It goes up against the likes of the Ford F-150 Lightning. Now the 2025 model year vehicles are out and GMC has expanded the lineup with two battery options. Currently, there is only one trim, the Denali, but an AT4 and Elevation are set to arrive in the first half of next year. Details on those are still under wraps. We had the chance to drive the 2025 GMC Sierra Denali EV firsthand to experience all that this premium electric truck has to offer.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

What’s New For 2025

The big news for the new models is the availability of standard and long-range batteries. This helps make the Sierra EV more affordable. When it launched in 2024 as the Denali Edition 1, there was only one battery option at a price of $106,700, not including $1,995 destination. Delays pushed deliveries into summer of 2024, but the upside was a price drop to $97,500 (excluding destination). That still made the Sierra EV an expensive proposition.

This year, the Denali starts at $89,900 for the Extended Range or $98,400 for the Max Range, (excluding $2,095 destination). This increase in battery offerings means the Sierra EV is more affordable, but GMC is still a premium brand with a premium price.

An Imposing Stance

The exterior of the Sierra EV remains unchanged from last year. It has a downright imposing front end, largely because there’s no traditional grille, but rather a large piece of metal with the GMC badge proudly displayed. No one will have any doubt that you’re driving a GMC or that it’s an electric vehicle.

That grille is the most noticeable difference between the ICE Sierra and the Sierra EV, but taken from the side, it’s more sleek with no separation between the cab and the bed. There’s also the cab and bed configuration: The Sierra EV is available only as a crew cab with a 5-foot 11-inch bed, as opposed to the multiple beds and cabs offered on the gas model. The range of available colors also expands this year. Instead of just Thunderstorm Gray, there’s Summit White, Onyx Black, Dark Ember Tintcoat, Deep Ocean Metallic, and Moonlight Matte.

A Premium Truck Experience

The GMC brand offers a more upscale experience with trucks and SUVs that not only get work done, but do it in style. The Sierra EV, especially since its currently only available in the top Denali trim, is a stunning truck with quality materials throughout and a spacious interior. There’s ample room for five adults with plenty of legroom and headroom in the rear seats. Overhead is a panoramic fixed glass roof that fills the cab with light and makes it feel even bigger.

As the most premium trim in the lineup, the Denali has standard features including open pore wood, heated and ventilated front seats, eight-way power front seats with four-way power lumbar, heated rear outboard seats, and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel. There’s no shortage of premium amenities that make this very capable truck – one that provides a relaxing and comfortable ride. While some trucks can be harsh and less than ideal for road trips, the Sierra EV is a great choice for lengthy adventures.

A Big Truck With A Big Touchscreen

Screens keep getting bigger and the infotainment touchscreen in the Sierra EV is no exception. It measures 16.8-inches mounted vertically on the dashboard. A screen that big would be overkill in a smaller vehicle, but it fits nicely with the roomy interior of the Sierra EV. There’s also a 14-inch head up display and an 11-inch digital instrument cluster that together create a tech forward first impression.

Infotainment includes a seven-speaker Bose audio, 5G wi-fi hotspot connectivity, wireless smartphone charging, and two front USB-C charging and data ports with one USB charging-only port. There are also two USB-C charging ports on the back of the center console for rear passengers. It’s a comprehensive system with clear menus and a responsive screen.

What you won’t find on this or any GM electric vehicle is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. GM is going with its Google-based operating system instead. It’s very easy to use, but it may prove to be a deal-breaker for some. We suggest going for a test drive and giving it a go first, because although it might not be what you’re used to, it’s still quite good. Especially when issuing voice commands, it responds quickly and does a great job of understanding what you say on the first try.

Choose From Two Batteries

This year, the Sierra EV is available with either an Extended or Max Range battery with standard four-wheel drive for both configurations. The Extended Range delivers 645 horsepower with 785 lb-ft of torque while the Max Range gets an increase to 760 horsepower with torque unchanged. Those are big numbers, and they make this a responsive truck. Especially with the instant torque that you get with an electric vehicle, the Sierra EV has plenty of power to get out of its own way.

Fast Charging And Plenty Of Range

While the charging network continues to expand, the availability of chargers and the speed at which you can charge a vehicle continue to be top concerns. The Sierra EV offers an impressive 390 miles with the Extended range battery or 460 miles with the Max Range. Those numbers easily cover a day of driving, even for a longer trip, without needing to stop and charge.

When you do stop, the Sierra EV can accommodate 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW. This adds 100 miles of range in roughly 10 minutes. Sure, it’s not as fast as filling your tank, but that’s still a healthy amount of range in a short time, so you won’t be spending endless hours charging when you’re on a road trip. You can also use your truck to charge your home. Through GM Energy, you can have a system installed that will not only allow you to draw energy from your truck in the event of a power outage, but will even let you store energy from the grid or from your home’s solar network to keep your home up and running in the event of a blackout.

Ready To Get Down To Work

The Sierra EV offers the capability to get work done with a maximum tow rating of up to 10,500 pounds and a max payload of 1,450 pounds. There’s also an additional 11 cubic feet of storage in the frunk with a power hood that can be opened with the key fob, via a front fascia touchpad, or with a button on the instrument panel.

There’s cargo bed lighting to make it easier to see when the sun is down and work still needs to get done, and a spay-on bedliner. This covers the entirety of the bed not only as protection, but to keep cargo more secure with its textured, non-skid surface. It also helps keep you from slipping if you need to step into the bed when it’s wet.

MultiPro Tailgate And Midgate

The MultiPro tailgate features six configurations. There’s the usual fold-down tailgate along with a fold-out load stop that keeps items in place when the tailgate is down. The center portion of the tailgate folds down further so you can step closer and more easily reach cargo and there’s a full-width step for easily climbing into the bed. It also morphs to include an inner load stop or into a handy work surface.

The Sierra EV also has a MultiPro Midgate. This expands the bed to nearly 11 feet by folding the rear seats down and optionally removing the rear glass to create open access to the bed. It might look like a job that requires two people, but it’s easy to do alone. If you’re on your own and need extra cargo room, then you can manage the feat without begging for the help of a random stranger.

Drive Impressions

The Sierra EV is not a small truck, and the battery adds to its heft, but it doesn’t drive like something that’s overly large. Its size is most noticeable in Normal drive mode, but personalizing the settings in ‘My Mode’ allows for a sportier drive that makes handling more precise and driving easier to manage. The ride itself is quite smooth thanks to the adaptive ride air suspension with good sound deadening, so even at highway speeds, this truck is calm and quiet.

One-pedal driving with High, Normal, and Off settings lets you choose just how much brake regeneration feels right. If you hate this feature, then you can turn it off, but at least give it a try in Normal where it’s easy to learn without making the ride too jerky with sudden stops. Once you get the hang of things, High makes braking more aggressive, which may be off-putting to passengers prone to motion sickness if the driver isn’t careful.

Max Power lets you unlock 760 horsepower and is only available on Max Range configuration of the Sierra EV. It’s activated at the touch of a button on the Drive Mode page. This gives you extra power with a 0-60 mph time of only 4.5 seconds. There’s also CrabWalk, which made its debut on the Hummer EV. It uses four-wheel steering to drive diagonally and is also activated at the touch of a button on the infotainment screen. The idea is to make it easier to get out of tight spots, especially off-road, but in reality, it has a limited number of situations where it’s useful. It’s a strange experience with a sensation a bit like sliding on the snow, but it’s a fun trick just the same.

The Sierra EV features Super Cruise, which is GM’s hands-free driving technology, and it’s frankly our favorite of the lot. Other automakers have their own versions, but this one is the most human-like. It’s easy to trust when you’re behind the wheel, doesn’t tend to make passengers motion sick, and feels natural. It mimics a real driver’s input in a way that won’t have you panicking when it changes lanes or takes a corner.

Verdict: The Just Right Electric Truck

The GMC Sierra EV is not an inexpensive electric truck. It is more affordable than last year with the new Extended Range trim and stands to get even more so with the AT4 and Elevation, but it still won’t come cheap. It’s important to remember that this is a GMC: It’s not intended to be cheap. This is a premium brand that sits above the Chevrolet lineup and offers a smoother, more refined drive experience than the Silverado EV. If you’re looking for an electric truck, GM offers a trio of choices: If your priority is simply going electric, then you’d do well to test-drive the Chevy Silverado EV. If, on the other hand, you want something completely over-the-top, then look at the GMC Hummer EV Pickup. Sitting in the sweet spot right in the middle is the GMC Sierra EV.

It has the power and the range you need to get through the day. There’s good capability for getting work done with the MultiPro Tailgate and MidGate adding versatility. It also has an upscale interior with a premium look and feel and plenty of comfort features and technology from its massive infotainment screen to SuperCruise and CrabWalk. The 2025 GMC Sierra EV is just the right offering within the GM electric truck lineup. It’s not any one feature, but rather the whole package that makes it a top contender.