General Motors Plans To Let Hyundai Rebadge Chevrolet Pickup Trucks
Hyundai and General Motors are nearing a major partnership that could see the South Korean automaker producing electric commercial vans for both brands—and potentially selling GM's midsize pickups under the Hyundai badge in North America.
Key Points
- Hyundai is close to finalizing a deal to produce two electric commercial vans for both its own brand and GM, with initial production in South Korea and potential North American manufacturing by 2028
- Talks are ongoing for GM to supply midsize pickup trucks (Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon) to Hyundai for sale in North America, though full-size pickups are not yet on the table
- The partnership aims to reduce costs, expand market reach, and mitigate risks from potential U.S. tariffs and rising competition from Chinese EV makers. Additional collaboration may include chip sourcing, battery tech, and small SUVs for South America
According to Reuters, the agreement is expected to be finalized shortly and would see Hyundai building two electric commercial vans to be sold under both the Hyundai and GM brands. Production would start in South Korea, with North American manufacturing targeted by 2028. Hyundai is considering several production avenues, including expanding existing plants or building a new facility with an output goal of 60,000 vehicles by 2030.
Hyundai’s ST1-based compact electric van could fill the gap, while a larger model aimed at the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter would arrive in 2028. The agreement would allow GM to better compete with Ford and Stellantis without investing heavily in new van platforms.
Last year, it was reported that GM had canceled in-house plans to replace the aging Chevrolet Express/GMC Savanna pair with an electric van based on the BrgihtDrop EV platform. So it's odd that the company is planning the exact same move with an outside product. The 30-year-old work vans are a pure profit center and it will be difficult—maybe even impossible—to replicate that success.
A potential pickup truck deal—likely involving GM’s midsize trucks, the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins—remains under discussion. While Hyundai reportedly also wants access to GM’s Chevrolet Silverado/ GMC Sierra full-size pickups, those models have not yet been offered by GM executives. The automakers are also discussing a compact Hyundai SUV, the Creta, being added to GM’s lineup in Brazil.
The Colorado/Canyon and Express/Savanna share GM's Wentzville Assembly in Missouri. GM will likely use the excess capacity from killing the full-size vans to produce mid-size pickups for Hyundai. The two automakers have acknowledged talks are ongoing. In a statement, GM said both companies “continue to explore potential areas of collaboration,” while Hyundai stressed nothing has been finalized.
GM has struggled to modernize its aging commercial van lineup, with the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana nearing the end of their extremely successful production life. While GM’s BrightDrop EV vans were intended to modernize its commercial offerings, no one actually wants the electric vans with sales floundering and inventory piling up.
Hyundai has made inroads in the U.S. EV market with models like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 but lacks a presence in the commercial or full-size truck segments. Hyundai's first pickup, the Santa Cruz, is based on the unibody Tucson SUV and lacks the capability and durability required by commercial fleets.
Sharing GM pickups could give the brand an opportunity to enter one of the most profitable corners of the North American market—an area where rivals like Toyota and Nissan have historically struggled.
Trade uncertainty under the Trump administration, including the threat of steep tariffs on imported vehicles and components, has added urgency to the discussions. With both GM and Hyundai looking to localize manufacturing and streamline supply chains, joint development of EVs, battery technologies, and semiconductor sourcing is on the table.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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Talk about making a brand damaging mistake! Or, is Hyundai thinking this is a path to going from a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty to GM's lousy 5 year/60,000 mile warranty? Either way after owning two of GM's Silverado's, I surely won't be suckered into a Hyundai re-badged GM vehicle.