Expanding the Skill Set: The 2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 Max Range

The big problem for electric pickups has been range. The Ford F-150 is America's best-selling pickup, but its popularity didn't translate to the similarly-styled electric F-150 Lightning, which offers 240, 300 and 320-mile range versions---all of which are estimates and all of which take a big hit when asked to do truck things like towing.

Ford pulled the plug (pun intended) on the Lightning late last year.

GM addressed the range issue early and decisively in its electric trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the GMC Sierra EV, both of which offer the "Max Range" option---an estimated 478 miles of range per charge.

And while Ford was never able to get to a point where it could introduce a Lightning Raptor off-roader, this year, GMC is expanding the Sierra EV lineup to include the AT4 trim with available Max Range.

An AT4 with Max Range has 725 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque. The trick to that kind of output and that kind of range? A really big battery pack---205kWh. It alone weighs roughly a ton and a half, contributing to the Sierra EV AT4 Max Range's curb weight of just over 8,800 pounds.

Choosing AT4 for your GMC Sierra EV gets you more than 2 inches of additional ground clearance (10.4 inches instead of 8.0) from coil lifts and 35-inch all-terrain tires, standard four-wheel steering including the Crab Walk feature also found on the GMC Hummer EV, standard Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving, and up to 12,300 max towing capacity.

That towing capacity number is impressive, but remember: Towing affects range. I didn't have the opportunity to tow with the Sierra EV AT4, but Tim Esterdahl at Pickup Truck and SUV Talk did---and he found towing his 7,000 pound camping trailer cut the Sierra EV's estimated range in half.

Payload for the 2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 is 1,950 pounds, the bed has 57.3 cubic feet of cargo space, plus another 11 cubic feet of lockable space in the frunk (front trunk).

There's abundant room for people as well---with 38.7 inches of rear headroom and 44.3 inches of rear legroom. The fixed panoramic glass roof is standard and does not have a sunshade (strongly worded note from my dermatologist to follow).

Sierra EVs start at $64,995 for the Elevation trim, but the base price of the AT4 Max Range is $89,600---$91,695 including destination. That buys a very lengthy list of standard equipment (see the window sticker at the end of the review).

What is not available at any price is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. GM announced three years ago that most of its EVs would not offer the popular phone interfaces and doubled down last fall, saying their internal combustion-powered vehicles would begin phasing it out as well.

It's a risky move. Our old friends at American Trucks did a survey and found 36% of Android Auto and 55% of Apple CarPlay users say the lack of either is a deal-breaker.

If I'm playing with my own money, you can count me in that group. While the GM infotainment system worked well this time (it has not always), I won't lie---I missed the easy, intuitive CarPlay layout. Despite all that GM has crammed into its system (including native Apple Music and podcasts), it felt like a step backwards.

Beyond that, the infotainment screen was legible, responded well, and---let's be honest---is far bigger than necessary. The center screen measures 16.8 inches diagonally.

Because the AT4 is a loaded trim level, our tester only had a handful of extra-cost options---$2,250 for a floor liner and hard bed cover package, $495 for the Deep Bronze Metallic paint and $275 for an NACS charging adapter, which allows the use of Tesla Superchargers.

Bottom line on the window sticker: $94,715.

At this moment, at least in this country, electric vehicles in general (and trucks in particular) are facing some significant headwinds. In April, Automotive News reported that GM was indefinitely delaying refreshes for its large EV trucks that were expected in 2028. Is there a market for full-size battery-electric trucks with price tags between $65,000 and $100,000? And if so, how much of that market can GMC capture? Clearly, with the Sierra EV AT4, GMC is hoping to make the case that off-roadability and electric vehicles can go hand in hand.

2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 at a glance:

Price: $89,600 base/$94,715 as tested

Battery: 205 kWh

Horsepower: 725

Torque: 775 lb-ft

Transmission: One-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 8,800 lbs (est.)

0-60 Acceleration (manufacturer data): 4.5 seconds

EPA Range Estimate: 478 miles

Charging time (10%-80%): 40 minutes (est)

Class competitors: Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck

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