GMC began production of the purpose-built CarbonPro bed in June 2019. Available on the Sierra Denali 1500 and Sierra AT4 1500, the CarbonPro bed delivers best-in-class dent, scratch and corrosion resistance. Made with the same carbon fiber used in supercars and aerospace applications CarbonPro is the first truck bed of its kind.
Key benefits of the CarbonPro bed include:
- Strength, durability and scratch resistance: The carbon fiber composite material provides the most scratch, dent and corrosion-resistant pickup bed in the industry.
- Corrosion-resistance: Carbon fiber composite naturally resists corrosion, helping the bed withstand weathering and to maintain a premium appearance over the life of the truck.
- Reduced weight: The CarbonPro bed weighs 25 percent less than a traditional steel bed, removing roughly 60 pounds of vehicle mass. It’s grained surface also negates the need for bed liners, potentially saving further vehicle mass.
- More volume: The CarbonPro bed design enables best-in-class cargo volume, increasing the already class-leading volume of the Sierra’s roll-formed steel bed by 1 cubic foot.
- More functionality: The CarbonPro bed features indentations specifically designed for dirt and street bike tires. Two additional tie-down locations are installed at the front of the bed.
Rigorous Testing:
The CarbonPro bed was rigorously developed to help ensure long-term pickup bed durability and functionality.
Examples of validation testing include:
- Drop tests: Large and heavy loads were repeatedly dropped on the CarbonPro bed to replicate extreme use scenarios. Testing included dropping cinder blocks, 1800-pound loads of gravel and 450-pound water-filled steel drums from varying heights.
- Corrosion test: CarbonPro was subjected to corrosion testing but carbon fiber composite is naturally resistant to corrosion.
- Snowmobile test: A snowmobile with metal studs on the track was driven into the bed and accelerated at full throttle with a 250-pound rider on board with only minimal scratching evident on the bed.
- Extreme temperature testing: Validation work was performed in Yuma, Arizona, and Kapuskasing, Ontario, to help ensure CarbonPro holds up in unforgiving environments.
- Generator test: High heat exposure involved aiming the exhaust from a portable generator directly at the corner of the bed to ensure heat and vibration would not degrade the bed.
Sierra CarbonPro Edition is making a limited debut for the 2019 model year for both the Sierra Denali and AT4 1500. CarbonPro will be more widely available on both trim levels for the 2020 model year.