With the top-selling Ford F-150 going fully electric with the 2022 F-150 Lightning, it was only a matter of time before we got an all-electric Chevrolet Silverado.
Love it or hate it, brands are betting on the future of motoring being all electric. That means, the cash cows of the current market are some of the first to make the switch from burning dinosaurs to exchanging electrons for motion.
With the announcement of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, customers are now getting choices in their favorite market segments. First we saw sedans, then crossovers, now we get the full-size pickup market switching to EV propulsion.
Powertrain
What makes an EV an EV, well batteries and electric motors. The Silverado EV has plenty of both. With a two motor e4WD system powered by GM's Ultium battery technology, the Silverado EV boasts up to 664 horsepower and more than 780 lb-ft of torque. (We notice Chevy strayed away from using the ridiculous marketing numbers GMC used with the torque figures on the Hummer EV)
These power numbers are enough to move this large and extremely heavy full-size pickup down the road quickly. with 0-60 mph estimates of less than 4.5 seconds, with the available max power Wide Open Watts mode on the RST trim. (Yes, that is an acronym for WOW).
What's more, GM expects a 400-mile range with a full charge! That is game-changing range right there. When we tested the 270 mile range Ford Mustang Mach E across Texas, we wished we had 400 miles of range as that seems to be the most compatible with modern gas-powered vehicles. Add on top of that impressive range with 350 kW DC fast charging, and the Silverado EV can add 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes.
Structure
While this is set to compete with the F-150 Lightning from Ford, this is not your standard Silverado with some batteries and electric motors. This is a ground-up redesign built specifically for EV use.
As with most new EVs, the platform is a "skateboard" platform in which the batteries make up the structural components of the floor. This allows for better packaging of the large batteries, better weight distribution (as it keeps the heaviest components low), and makes the vehicle stiff as it integrates the batteries into the rigid frame.
This allows the Silverado EV to have a Silverado-first independent rear suspension, class leading bed-length, and four wheel steering for better maneuverability.
Technology
An EV would be nothing in 2022 without screens and tons of glass panels. Silverado EV delivers with a fixed glass roof and large 17-inch color touchscreen up front with an 11-inch driver instrument display behind the steering wheel. Don't forget the massive 14-inch color head-up display for pertinent driver information displayed right on the windshield within the driver's field of view.
No need for keys with the Silverado EV as the vehicle will automatically sense an enabled cell phone or key fob and greet you with a distinctive lighting display as you approach your Silverado EV. Getting in and driving is also just as simple as the vehicle recognizes the presence of the same phone or key and allows a seamless sit in and drive experience with no need to push a button to start the pickup.
Storage
Pickups are the family vehicle of the south, especially here in Texas. With that, storage is a key component of new pickup design. The Silverado EV does not disappoint here with storage inside and out in very unique spots.
First, you will find a large covered, weather sealed front trunk. The Ultium battery platform allowed for engineers to shorten the nose of the Silverado vs. its gas-powered counterpart, but used the space under the shortened hood for lockable storage.
Moving inside, the modular console features storage capacity of just over 7 gallons, large enough for a lunch cooler and more.
Offered in only one cab/bed configuration, the crew cab Silverado EV will feature a 5-foot-11-inch bed that can be extended thanks to both a 60/40 split mid gate between the cabin and the bed, as well as Chevrolet's multi-flex tailgate. The 60/40 mid gate allows for up to 9 feet of storage space when the rear seats are folded, and its split design still allows for a passenger to use the rear seat with the mid gate open.
Fold the mid gate and open the multi-flex tailgate and you will fund up to 10 feet of securable bed storage in the Silverado EV. And you can rest assured that Chevrolet already has many accessories ready to customize the work end of your Silverado EV.
Trims, Towing, Pricing, and Availability
At launch, the Silverado EV will only be available in basic WT trim, meant mostly for fleet customers. If you want to be one of the first to drive one, go talk to your local Enterprise Rent-A-Car, as they were featured as one of the first fleet customers to receive the Silverado EV WT.
Expect the WT to start hitting the road in the Spring of 2023.
The WT will feature the GM-estimated 400 mile range with power rated at 510 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque. The initial launch WT will offer 8,000 lbs of towing with 1,200 lbs of payload. After the initial launch, Chevy will introduce a model capable of 20,000 lbs max towing with the max tow package.
By the fall of 2023, Chevy will start delivering the RST trim featuring the same 400-mile estimated range while upping the power to 664 horsepower, more than 780 lb-ft of torque, and 0-60 mph estimates of less than 4.5 seconds, with the Wide Open Watts mode. The RST First Edition will bow with a whopping $105,000 price tag, however GM will soon expand the lineup with Silverado EV trims ranging from WT at $39,990 to RST, Trail Boss, and more. Chevy claims to have a Silverado EV at MSRPs around $50,000, $60,000, $70,000, $80,000 and more.
Reservations start today with a $100 deposit and can be made at Chevrolet.com.
Silverado EV WT
Silverado EV RST
Cory’s love of cars came at a time of great change in his young life. At the age of 9 his family moved 200+ miles away from the only home he knew. During the first few months of life in a new town, a certain green pony car caught his eye and just begged the question that had to be answered, “what kind of car is that?!?”The answer led to much research in the pre-internet world. Within the first summer, an entire 29 year history of the Chevy Camaro had been gathered and obsessed over. There was no going back, he was hooked.
Flash forward 16 years and that kid finally had his dream car, an anniversary edition no less. While that car may be gone from his life, the passion it created and stirred certainly did not. After working years in the retail industry it became apparent it was time for something new, something that brought that passion back to life.
Now as the secretary of the Texas Auto Writers Association board and published author for Vehicle History and Sunday Drive, Cory looks to share his passion for vehicles through as many avenues as possible.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
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