Everything You Need to Know About the Electric Chevy Silverado
The Truck’s Horsepower, Towing Capacity, and Range Have Been Revealed
Image Caption: Image Courtesy of Chevy
After Ford introduced the all-electric F-150 Lightning in 2021, many truck owners anxiously waited to see how Chevy would respond. The F-150 has gone head-to-head with Chevy’s iconic Silverado pickup for decades, and that rivalry is poised to continue in the era of electric vehicles.
In January, the company finally revealed its plans by unveiling a Silverado EV with impressive specs, features, and capabilities. Following Chevy’s big announcement, this is what we know about the 2024 electric Silverado so far.
Image Courtesy of Chevy
Two Trim Levels at Launch
While Chevy says the electric Silverado will eventually come in multiple versions, the truck will launch with just two models. With its $39,900 starting price, the WT (work truck) trim is aimed at entry-level buyers and commercial fleets. Meanwhile, the more upscale RST edition will top out at $105,000 when fully equipped with all of the options. The higher-end model will have a more premium interior and a larger battery than the WT, along with a host of additional features that are both standard and optional.
In the press release officially announcing the Silverado, Chevy indicated that buyers would be able to purchase the truck at various price points depending on the options they select. The company says that the pickup will have different WT and RST configurations priced at $50,000, $60,000, $70,000, $80,000, and up. Future trim levels will further differentiate pricing and capabilities as production ramps up in the future.
All versions of the electric Silverado will be built on the Ultium platform, which was developed by Chevy’s parent company General Motors. Ultium was first used in the new electric Hummer and will be the basis for most EVs coming from GM. It features a rugged and stable structure and can house up to 24 battery packs inside its frame.
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Performance and Range
The drivetrain on the new Silverado features two electric motors that can deliver 615 pound-feet of torque in the WT trim and 780 pound-feet in the “Wide Open Watts” (WOW) high-performance mode found on the RST. WOW mode is one of the things that separates the new models, giving the RST a much higher level of performance in terms of speed, torque, and acceleration. How it impacts battery life remains unclear for now.
The base-level WT will offer 510 horsepower, while the RST’s motors will produce 664 horsepower. That’s enough to go from zero to 60 MPH in less than 4.5 seconds. More importantly, it gives the entry-level truck 8000 pounds of towing capacity, while the pricier premium edition will be able to pull up to 10,000 pounds. Chevy says that a future version will be able to tow as much as 20,000 pounds.
Both versions of the electric Silverado offer an optional 200-kilowatt-hour battery pack that will reportedly give the truck a range of up to 400 miles. The base model of each edition will ship with smaller batteries offering a range of 250-300 miles, although Chevy is still finalizing its plans. The EV will be capable of charging speeds of up to 800 volts, allowing the truck to gain 100 miles of range in about ten minutes when using a compatible charging station.
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Storage and Payload Capacity
The new Silverado WT has a payload capacity of up to 1200 pounds, while the RST can haul an additional 100 pounds. Both models have a bed that is 5.9 feet in length in its standard configuration, which is about a half foot longer than the F-150 Lightning. But, Chevy has given the Silverado a few additional features to help separate it from the competition.
Like the Chevy Avalanche before it, the Silverado EV comes with a mid-gate that separates the bed from the cab. When lowered, the mid-gate increases the length of the bed to nine feet, albeit at the expense of room in the backseat. And with the endgate down, the bed stretches to an impressive ten feet, ten inches, allowing owners to carry very long cargo.
As with most electric vehicles, the Silverado doesn’t have an engine under the hood. Chevy utilized that extra space by adding a frunk (front trunk) with enough room to hold three large suitcases. This storage compartment is lockable, waterproof, and very easy to access. It also looks just like a regular hood to anyone who doesn’t know it is there, adding a bit of extra security for anything stored inside.
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Safety Tech and Other Features
As you would expect, the electric Silverado comes with an array of built-in tech features. For instance, the RST’s cab features a 17-inch touchscreen mounted to the center console and an 11-inch digital gauge cluster. The WT gets a standard 11-inch center display and an eight-inch gauge cluster. Both will include Chevy’s own infotainment software, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Both versions of the truck will include a suite of safety features like lane keep assist, forward collision alerts, and automatic emergency braking. The RST trim level will ship with GM’s SuperCruise driver assistance technology, which offers Level 2 autonomous driving. A built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic parking assist, and Google Assistant voice command are also available.
The truck has ten USB and AC charging ports, including a 240-volt outlet in the bed that can power heavy-duty tools or send a current back to a home during a blackout. An optional air spring suspension provides a smoother ride and gives the Silverado the ability to increase or decrease ground clearance by as much as two inches. The EV even features four-wheel steering, which improves maneuverability at low speeds and offers better handling when driving at highway speeds.
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Release Date
Chevy hasn’t announced an official release date for the electric Silverado but has indicated that the truck will go into production during the second quarter of 2023. The company expects the EV to start shipping to customers a few months later.
To find out more about the new Silverado—and reserve one of your own—visit the Chevy website.
