Chevy Silverado EV Will Be Neither Body On Frame Nor Unibody

General Motors has invested heavilyin its transition to electrification, a process that is helping it create several new technologies and vehicle designs. The upcomingChevrolet Silverado EVwill ride on a novel vehicle architecture that incorporates the battery as a part of the structure.

GM's BT1 platform is neither unibody nor body-on-frame. Nichole Kraatz, the automaker's Chief Engineer, Battery Electric Trucks, told GM Authority that the body has a floor but integrates the battery, noting that "the Ultium battery structure is actually a good portion of the structure and those two are connected after the body exits the body shaft." Kraatz continued to say that GM has "defined kind of a new category of vehicle that doesn't have that traditional body-on-frame approach."

Traditional full-size pickup trucks use body-on-frame construction. The configuration involves a frame that houses the engine and powertrain components, suspension, axles, and more. The truck's body, which contains the passenger compartment, is mounted on that frame. Though passenger cars and most SUVs use a unibody design, body-on-frame is still preferable for trucks and vehicles where towing and hauling are priorities. Interestingly, in the United States, the Ford Panther was the last body-on-frame car platform. It formed the basis of several legendary cars over its years, including the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Marquis, and theLincoln Continental.

Though body-on-frame is the go-to for pickup trucks, Chevy derived legitimate capability from the novel design. The Silverado EV's max towing capacity is 10,000 pounds, only 1,000 pounds short of the gas Silverado's rating. Payload comes in at 1,300, shy of the gas truck's 2,300-pound capacity. That strength is part of the reason why Chevy has seenunprecedented demand for the truck.