GM touts new V-8 engines in revived ‘truck wars’ with Ford, Ram amid lackluster EV sales

GM touts new V-8 engines in revived ‘truck wars’ with Ford, Ram amid lackluster EV sales. Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsThe 2027 model year marks the newest "truck wars" for the Detroit automakers, this time with a focus on V-8 engines.

What happened

Michael Wayland / CNBCDETROIT — The buzzing of all-electric vehicles has once again been overtaken by the revving of V-8 engines in the Motor City amid deregulation by the Trump administration and lackluster demand for EVs. General Motors followed Ford Motor this week in touting new and improved gas-powered engines as well as a class-exclusive diesel option to build upon GM's highly profitable full-size pickup truck business. GM executives said they expect the upgraded engine lineup and the redesigned pickup trucks to continue the automaker's six consecutive years of sales leadership over its competitors in the segment, including Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis.

Ford is expanding the availability of trucks with the engines, while Ram is touting the ongoing return of its Hemi V-8 engines, including new performance "muscle trucks," and GM is rolling out two new V-8 engines. 2027 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X (left) and Denali Ultimate modelsCourtesy GMCWhile many vehicle segments and automakers have dropped V-8 engine options amid tougher fuel economy standards and improved performances in smaller engines, the large, gas-guzzling models continue to sell well in pickup trucks thanks to their ability to tow and haul heavy things.

"GM reports a majority of sales of its full-size pickup trucks this year are models with V-8 engines, including 55% for the Chevy Silverado and roughly 61% for the GMC Sierra 1500. Courtesy: Ram TrucksWhen Ram dropped its well-known V-8 Hemi engines from its pickups for a more efficient inline six-cylinder, sales suffered so much the brand last year announced plans to resurrect it, but supplies remain tight.

The wider picture

General Motors is touting new and improved gas-powered engines as well as a class-exclusive diesel option for its full-size pickup trucks. It follows Ford, which also updated its engine offerings for the 2027 model year, and Ram's return to its Hemi V-8 engines. The Detroit automaker on Thursday released details of the engine lineup for its upcoming 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks that include two new V-8 engines, a carryover inline-six-cylinder diesel engine and an enhanced four-cylinder turbocharged option.

"While Ford, which also updated its engine offerings for the 2027 model year, is the top-selling full-size truck and brand with its F-Series lineup, Chevrolet and GMC combined have outsold Ford since 2020. The full-size pickup truck market is more than marketing claims and bragging rights — it's massively profitable for the Detroit automakers, with Ford previously saying its F-Series business generated more revenue than many Fortune 100 companies. "This is history today and we don't take that lightly," Reuss said about the launch of its new trucks with GM's sixth generation of small-block V-8 engines, which the company first produced in 1955.

2027 'truck wars'The 2027 model year marks the newest "truck wars" for the Detroit automakers. While GM, Ford and Stellantis regularly compete with one another, the pressure and attention is renewed whenever one automaker introduces new or redesigned versions of full-size pickup trucks, like GM is for the 2027 model year.

What has been reported

"Part of the reason that we have the truck wars cadence that we do is simply because products get refreshed so often. Even as hybrid vehicles have rapidly increased in sales this year, pickup trucks have remained an outlier. 7% of its Tundra full-size pickup truck sales this year have been hybrids. S. vehicle sales for decades, with Ford's F-Series claiming to be the top-selling vehicle since 1981. The large, gas-guzzling models continue to sell well in pickup trucks thanks to their ability to tow and haul heavy things.

"If we don't stomp the competition with these trucks, then I'd be very sad and questioning myself. "That's what success looks like: continued truck leadership. GM said the decision to build a new generation of V-8 engines occurred far before the Trump administration's regulatory changes, as it takes years to develop such products.

What happens next

"Full-size pickup trucks are crucial for the three companies, without any doubt," Stephanie Brinley, associate director of Mobility Global's AutoIntelligence, said. Analysts have said all-electric pickup trucks have failed to sell well, among other reasons, because many customers use the vehicles to tow or haul objects, which significantly reduces an EV's range. 0-liter TurboMax diesel engine represents 20% of sales for Sierra 1500 and 35% of sales for Silverado 1500. "Ram showed that you can lose buyers by not having [V-8 engines] available," Brinley said.

2, with Ram not too far behind and the GMC Sierra with varying top 10 sales rankings. GM's plans to "stomp" the competition may be easier said than done, but the company has made gains against Ford, which has battled production issues over the past year due to supplier fires. Pickup truck buyers are among the most loyal customers in the U.