Chevy’s Trucks Are Going Electric In A Place You Might Not Expect
The 2027 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD aren’t going electric, but two major pieces of hardware underneath them are. General Motors is ditching the hydraulic-assisted steering system used by its current heavy-duty pickups and replacing it with a new rack-and-pinion electric power steering system, while an electronic brake boost system is also replacing the previous hydraulic brake-assist setup.
GM calls both technologies segment firsts for HD pickups, and the changes aren’t simply about removing pumps and fluid. The new steering system delivers roughly 30% more power than the current hydraulic steering gear, while the braking overhaul brings larger front rotors and four-piston fixed front calipers. Together, they represent a substantial change to two systems truck owners interact with every time they get behind the wheel.
The Silverado HD Is Ditching Hydraulic Steering
Heavy-duty pickup trucks ask considerably more from their steering systems than the average commuter car, particularly when they’re loaded down, towing or crawling through difficult terrain. GM’s answer for its next-generation HD trucks is a new rack-and-pinion electric power steering system that replaces the current hydraulic-assisted steering gear.
According to GM, the electric system provides roughly 30% more power than the outgoing hydraulic setup and can vary steering assistance independently of engine speed. The automaker also says it reduces steering kickback, lowers noise and eliminates several familiar pieces of hydraulic hardware, including the power-steering pump, hoses and fluid.
Moving to electric assistance also gives GM considerably more control over how the steering behaves. The system can integrate with different drive modes and change its level of assistance depending on the situation, rather than relying on a hydraulic pump driven by the engine.
That’s a very different kind of electrification than plugging your Silverado into the wall. The diesel and gasoline engines are sticking around, but one more hydraulic system underneath them isn’t.
GM Is Electrifying The Brakes, Too
The steering rack isn’t alone. GM is also introducing electronic brake boost, replacing the shared hydraulic source previously used to provide assistance for both the steering and braking systems. GM says the new setup delivers more consistent brake feel while allowing the braking system to operate independently of the steering system.
The hardware attached to it is getting an upgrade as well. The 2027 HD trucks receive 14.6-inch front brake rotors, along with four-piston fixed front calipers and upgraded rear brake hardware. Those changes arrive as GM continues pushing the capability of its heavy-duty pickups, with properly equipped trucks capable of towing as much as 38,000 pounds.
Neither system turns the Silverado HD or Sierra HD into anything resembling an EV, of course. Instead, GM is using electrically controlled hardware to replace two traditional hydraulic systems while keeping the combustion engines truck buyers expect under the hood.
The 2027 Silverado HD and Sierra HD therefore aren’t abandoning gasoline or diesel anytime soon, but hydraulic pumps are apparently another story. Your Duramax can keep drinking diesel; its steering just decided to quit drinking fluid.
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