One of the most popular trucks in the United States, the Chevy Silverado, has finally gone electric. The truck was unveiled by General Motors CEO Mary Barra at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. The Silverado EV will compete with other electric trucks such as Ford’s F150 Lighting, Tesla’s Cybertruck, and Rivian’s R1t.
As automakers gear up for an all-electric future, GM had to add its most popular truck to their electric roster. This isn’t the first time GM has announced an electric truck. They have already released the GMC Hummer EV, which began production last year and will begin shipping later this year.
Because of the truck’s enormous popularity, particularly in the United States, adding the Chevy Silverado EV to the roster is a huge boost for GM’s electric ambitions. GM has already stated that it intends to spend more than $35 billion on electric vehicles by 2025, and there is no better way to accomplish it than to have all of their best-selling models available as electric vehicles before that date.
If you want to get priority shipment when the truck is available, you can now book a Chevy Silverado EV for $100 while you wait for it to arrive later in 2023.
Features of the Chevy Silverado EV
This truck shares features with the majority of pickup trucks that have been announced or released in the recent few months. The RST First Edition and a fleet-oriented Work Truck (WT) variant will be available for this truck. Here are many of the key features that we are already aware of.
Battery, charging and power
You will not have to compromise on range no matter the model you choose. Both models of the truck will ship with a 400-miles rated battery However, this battery rating has yet to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When it comes to acceleration, this truck can reach 60mph in 4.5 seconds, making it faster than the RWD single motor CyberTruck.
Let’s talk about charging for a moment. The truck is capable of 350kW DC fast charging, which GM claims will provide 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. The main issue is that there aren’t many non-tesla EV fast chargers that can accomplish these speeds. As a result, customers will almost always have to cope with the popular 150KW chargers.
The Silverado EV can also charge/power other electronic devices as well as provide power to your home. It has a rated power output of 10.2 kW, which is more than Ford’s F150 lighting’s 9.6 kW. If deemed appropriate, this electricity can also be used to charge other electric vehicles.
The RST version has over 660 horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque. The truck is expected to have a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds for the RST and 8000 pounds for the WT. GM promised to add another model with a towing capacity of 20,000 pounds to the lineup later on. These numbers are within the same range as Ford F150 lightning but slightly lower than the Cybertruck’s14,000 pounds towing capacity.
Interior, storage, and comfort
The truck has an impressive interior, with a fixed glass roof, black-and-white two-tone leather upholstery with red piping. As far as interior space and legroom are concerned, the Chevy Silverado EV is at par with the previous version of the truck.
The truck’s bed is 5 feet 11 inches long and can be extended to up to 9 feet when the midgate is open. The bed can also go up to 10 feet 10 inches when the Multi-Flex Tailgate is extended. Being an EV, the front cabin of the truck can also be used for storage for backpacks and other smaller items that you may not want to put on the truck’s bed.
The truck will also ship with an Automatic Adaptive Air Suspension, which will make it possible to lower or raise the vehicle by about 2 inches. This is a handy feature of off-road driving. It will also support GM’s Super Cruise technology:, a hands-free driving assistant that allows drivers to travel up to 200,000 miles on compatible roads within the US and Canada.
Connectivity and entertainment
The truck will ship with a digital dashboard, including the 11-inch touch screen and an 8-inch screen behind the steering wheel to display important car parameters. The high-end model of the truck will ship with a 17-inch touchscreen. Unlike some EVs, the climate controls on this truck are analog knobs, which make it easier to adjust things like AC temperature without the distraction of a touch display.
There is no information about the infotainment platforms that the truck will support. However, we expect it to support Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto as these have become the industry standards for all recent cars. The truck should also ship with in-dash navigation and SiriusXM satellite radio.
Final thoughts
Overall, GM’s Chevy Silverado EV is a solid truck that many truck lovers should be looking forward to. Unlike the Rivian R1t and the CyberTruck that have a couple of unique features, GM decided to take Ford’s path by nailing all the truck fundamentals. This truck has all the features that you would expect an standard pickup truck plus the EV flair.
However, the deal-breaker here are the pricing and the features offered at each price point. For instance, the base models of the Cybertruck and the F150 are all above $40,000, and they both ship with 300 miles or less. GM’s Chevy Silverado EV offers up to 400 miles range for its base model, which creates a significant difference in real life. All in all, this truck is up there with the best, and if you decide to go for it, I am pretty sure you won’t regret it.
The Chevy Silverado EV is expected to have a starting MSRP of just under $40,000 and plans to be ready for market in the spring of 2023.
