Chevy Silverado EV to offer 4-wheel steering

DETROIT — The electric Chevrolet Silverado, taking a cue from the crab-walking GMC Hummer EV, will offer a four-wheel steering feature to tighten turns and enhance maneuverability.

Four-wheel steering enables the pickup to increase agility and tighten turning radius at low speeds, Chevy said in a statement last week. The feature could help the brand compete against a deluge of upcoming electric pickups, including the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian's R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said on Twitter that the Cybertruck will have four-wheel steering, and a patent application filed by Rivian suggests it also might offer the feature.

The electric Silverado will be powered by General Motors' proprietary Ultium batteries, with a GM-estimated range of more than 400 miles on a full charge.

It will be built at Factory Zero, GM's EV plant in Detroit. GM has declined to provide production timing, but forecasters expect output to start in 2023.

The Hummer EV pickup, slated to go on sale by year-end, also has four-wheel steering, which makes the crab-walk feature possible.

It's reminiscent of GM's Quadrasteer system, which died at the end of the 2005 model year. Quadrasteer was supplied by Delphi Corp. and offered on the Silverado, GMC Sierra and full-size SUVs. Like four-wheel steering, it shortened the turning radius of a vehicle for more agility, especially while towing and driving in the city.

GM sold only 16,500 vehicles with Quadrasteer, which had a high cost and poor marketing, during the four years it was offered.