Top of the Line Electric Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado EV
After what seems like a long and delay-prone gestation, the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup truck is now available to the general public. Until now, only commercial buyers were able to buy the Silverado 4WT work truck for their businesses, but individual users can now order the Silverado EV RST First Edition. Packed with visual flair and luxury, Chevy’s flagship electric pickup comes at a starting MSRP of $96,495 – about $10,000 less than originally anticipated, but making it ineligible for federal tax incentives.
Chevrolet Silverado EV Range and Power
Thanks to a giant 205-kWh battery, the same as used in the GMC Hummer EV, the Silverado RST will come with a whopping EPA-estimated range of 440 miles, along with all-wheel drive, 754 hp, 785 lb-ft of torque and a 0-60 time of less than 4.5 seconds. The Silverado RST can also tow up to 10,000 pounds and haul a 1,300-pound payload.
While the massive battery contributes to a curb weight approaching 9,000 pounds, it gives the Silverado EV RST a huge range advantage over the top F-150 Lightning, which maxes out at 300 miles, according to the EPA. And even factoring in, say, a 40 percent range reduction when towing or hauling heavy loads, its range should remain over 200 miles when fully burdened by passengers, cargo, and a trailer.
Designed as an EV Pickup Truck First
Unlike the F-150 Lightning, which rides on an adapted version of the same platform used for gasoline F-150s, the Silverado EV was designed around General Motors’ cutting-edge Ultium batteries. While maintaining a similar footprint to gasoline pickups, it can carry far more battery capacity while simultaneously offering more interior, trunk, and bed space.
One highlight is a remarkably spacious and luxurious interior that features a collapsible “midgate,” like the old Chevrolet Avalanche used to have. Essentially a folding wall between the cabin and the pickup truck bed, the midgate allows the 5-foot 11-inch cargo bed to be transformed into a full eight-foot bed with the pull of a couple of levers and with the tailgate flipped down. The cargo bed itself has numerous tie-downs as well as integrated LED lighting to make it more convenient to use.
Because there’s no gasoline engine up front, the Silverado EV also has a large storage area in the front, which Chevrolet calls the “eTrunk.” It measures 10.7 cubic feet, which is a bit smaller than the Lightning’s, but features an array of power outlets that make it easy to run tools and other equipment at, for example, a campsite. While the eTrunk’s lid isn’t power-operated, it does have a soft-close mechanism you’ll find on the doors of a luxury sedan.
Other luxury features include 24-inch wheels, adaptive four-corner air suspension with adjustable dampers, and rear-wheel steering that make the Silverado EV RST easy to maneuver even in tight urban spaces.
Luxurious, High-Tech Interior
Silverado EV RST is positioned as a luxurious family vehicle that can occasionally be put to hard work. As such, its interior is packed with impressive tech, including a 11-inch digital information display for the driver, a 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system and even a huge 14-inch heads-up display. There is a fixed glass roof above the cabin to bathe the soft leather, wood, and metal accents in light, power seats with heat and cooling, and more.
One interesting thing you might not expect is that while the Silverado EV has a large infotainment screen, along with wireless charging and smartphone connections, it does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. General Motors says that these smartphone-mirroring systems increase driver distraction and can lead to more collisions; its large infotainment screen is designed to offer the same functionality without getting in the way. Not including CarPlay or Android Auto also reduces the chance of a glitchy connection that can be a further distraction.
Instead, the Silverado EV RST features GM’s new “Ultifi” infotainment software, which actually integrates Google tools like Google Maps, Google Assistant, and other popular apps like Spotify. It’s also nice to see that there are plenty of easy-to-use knobs and buttons in the Silverado EV’s interior, instead of having all functions relegated to the touchscreen.
Silverado EV Charging Speed
With its huge battery, charging is going to be a prime concern for Silverado EV buyers once they finally exhaust its bladder-busting range. Fortunately, it has the best EV charging specs in its class. On a compatible charger, the Silverado EV RST will fill up at up to 350 kW – putting it on par with the fastest-charging EVs on the market. That means on a DC fast charger, drivers should be able to add 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes, making it a relatively convenient road tripper.
The Silverado EV’s home charging capabilities are also at the top of the class, with speeds of up to 19.2 kW available – that’s as fast as a Porsche Taycan with the optional high-performance battery. A 19.2-kW GM Powershift charger is actually being provided free of charge for original Silverado EV RST reservation holders; with it, and a sufficient electrical connection at home, the 200-kWh battery can be fully charged in about 12 hours. On a typical 7.2-kW charger, a full charge could take up to 20 hours.
Chevrolet Silverado EV: The Competition
While the price of the Silverado EV RST is quite high, it actually stacks up quite well against the competition. A starting MSRP of about $5,000 more than the flagship Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum nets you an extra 140 miles of range, along with a more spacious interior and the versatility provided by the midgate.
The Tesla Cybertruck, of course, has been garnering a huge amount of attention. The high-spec Cyberbeast model carries a starting MSRP of $99,990, and has an EPA range estimate of 320 miles; an optional extended battery pack fills a huge part of the cargo area and can extend the range to 440 miles, equivalent to the Silverado. The Cybertruck is less spacious inside, has a smaller cargo area, and less flexibility – but it does offer more performance, and is able to dash to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
Arriving in 2025, the Ram 1500 REV fully-electric truck will likely be the Silverado EV RST’s closest competition. Packing an even larger 229-kWh battery, the Ram 1500 REV promises a range of up to 500 miles, a maximum towing capacity of up to 14,000 pounds, and a maximum payload of 2,700 pounds – all significant jumps over the Silverado’s specs. A starting price has yet to be announced, but we expect it to be well above $100,000.
The first Silverado EV RST First Editions will land on customer driveways by mid-year, according to Chevrolet.
