General Motors (GM) has come to market with a range of new electric vehicles (EVs) in the last year, but perhaps the most important is the new Chevrolet Silverado EV. The Silverado full-size pickup is the brand's bestselling model, and creating an electric version of this popular truck is instrumental to Chevrolet's success in the EV market.
Photo: Perry Stern
The Silverado EV is an all new model for the Chevy brand, and while it is a full-size pickup truck, it features sleek styling that sets it apart from its gas powered sibling—a different approach than the Ford F-150 Lightning. Built on a unique platform incorporating GM's Ultium battery, the Silverado EV features a spacious interior, excellent utility, and stout performance from its dual-motor all wheel drive (AWD) setup.
While there will be additional trim levels of the Silverado EV going forward, for 2024, the electric truck is available in a single version: First Edition RST. With the extended range battery and AWD, the RST starts at around $97,000, including the destination charge.
For this review of the 2024 Silverado EV, Chevrolet provided a test vehicle equipped with First Edition RST trim and the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $96,710, including the $1,995 destination charge to ship the pickup truck to your local dealership from the Chevrolet assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan.
Photo: Perry Stern
The new Silverado EV has a futuristic appearance, and that look extends into the cabin. There is no Start button; climbing in with the key fob brings the truck to life. At the forefront is an 11-inch digital gauge cluster that has the appearance of overlapping the 17.7-inch infotainment screen. Chevy builds a large volume knob into the central display, while separate physical buttons and knobs below control climate functions.
Currently, all Silverado EVs come as a four door crew cab, and the interior is very spacious. Besides the roomy seating area, the cabin has plenty of storage. A large bin resides under the center armrest, while additional storage and cupholders are within easy reach of the driver. A wireless charging pad at the front of the console nicely holds a phone in place, even during enthusiastic driving. A shelf in front of the passenger seat is another convenient place for small items or a phone.
Front seats are stylish and comfortable, trimmed in synthetic leather, and offer power adjustments, heating, and ventilation. Red and blue stitching and piping on the seats add a nice color pop, as do the red cross pieces on the vents and stitching on the dash and center console.
Rear seats easily accommodate three adults, boasting 44.3 inches of legroom. That's more than the back seat of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The panoramic sunroof adds to the spacious feeling, and the heated outboard seats are nice.
If carrying cargo takes precedence over rear seat passengers, seats fold out of the way for additional space, or the Multi-Flex Midgate can extend the truck bed into the cabin.
Photo: Perry Stern
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV adopts a Google Built-in infotainment system as standard equipment. Features include:
The new Google-based system is fully featured, but unfortunately, the popular phone integration systems—Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—are unavailable on the Silverado EV. It is disappointing that Chevrolet will no longer offer these features on its EV. However, the Google-based system can almost replicate the functionality of Android Auto.
The new system uses the popular navigation system Google Maps, and customers with a Google login can sign in to bring saved locations and destinations to the native system. Other applications are downloadable from the Google Play Store, including features like Spotify and Waze, and logging into these can deliver a personalized experience.
Navigating the new infotainment system is straightforward, with large icons and a clear, easy-to-read display screen. Climate functions remain static at the bottom of the display, and there are redundant physical controls below to adjust cabin temperature and activate the defrosters.
Google Assistant is another benefit of the new infotainment system, delivering an excellent natural voice interface. I was in the mood for tacos (not uncommon for me), so I told Google Assistant, "I want some Mexican food." A list of Mexican restaurants in my area immediately appeared on the display. The system also understands phrases like "I'm cold" or "Play the Rolling Stones on Spotify" and responds accordingly.
With a destination set, the integrated Google Maps also shows how much charge the truck will have when you arrive and displays the percentage of the route allowing Super Cruise.
Photo: Perry Stern
Powering the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV are dual electric motors—one front and one rear—putting out a total of 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the combined MPGe for the Silverado EV at 63—close to the 57 MPGe I achieved (based on the 1.7 miles/kilowatt-hour shown in the trip computer).
There's no denying the fact that the Silverado EV is a big truck, but it doesn't drive like your typical full size pickup. The Silverado gets moving quickly with massive amounts of torque directed to all four wheels. Chevrolet claims it can reach 60 mph in an estimated 4.5 seconds, an utterly believable figure.
But putting your right foot to the floor in the Silverado EV is a very different experience compared to its gas powered siblings. Power delivery is smooth and linear in the EV, and for good or bad, there is no roaring exhaust—just the familiar EV hum, the sound of tires, and the wind. However, if you engage Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode, not only do you get maximum acceleration, but an artificial roar that plays through the speakers accompanies it. It's fun the first few times, but eventually, the sound gets annoying.
The Silverado EV features an adaptive damping suspension that constantly adjusts to counter any rough patches in the road. The system works well at smoothing out the bumps, even when venturing onto rutted dirt roads. With this enhanced suspension and the low center of gravity from the battery placement in the truck's chassis, the Silverado EV handles rather well for a full size truck that weighs in at close to 9,000 pounds.
Maneuvering a 20-foot long vehicle can be challenging, but the Silverado EV has a few nice features to help with that. The RST comes standard with four-wheel steering that can turn the rear wheels 3.5 degrees opposite the front at slow speeds, enabling the truck to make very tight turns. Multiple cameras, including an overhead view, further aid in getting through tight spaces and parking.
Cruising on the freeway, the Silverado EV delivers a quiet, solid ride, and there's always power available to get around slower vehicles. The four-wheel steering also comes into play here. At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as those in front for more stable lane changes or emergency maneuvers.
Photo: Perry Stern
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST comes standard with an extensive list of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These include:
The plethora of safety systems on the Silverado EV provides peace of mind, knowing that they can prevent or minimize accidents. However, the most advanced feature is Super Cruise, GM's innovative hands-free driver assistance system. Super Cruise provides Level 2 autonomous driving on more than 750,000 miles of limited access multi-lane highways in the United States and Canada.
With an appointment 40 miles away, I set out in the Silverado EV, hopping on I-94 in Southeast Michigan. With the adaptive cruise control set at 70 mph, I activated Super Cruise. A green light appeared at the top of the steering wheel, indicating that it was safe to let go of the wheel. A driver facing camera ensured that I was paying attention to the road. When my attention waned, the steering wheel and seat vibrated to alert me, and the light turned red as Super Cruise deactivated.
Super Cruise kept the Silverado EV centered in the lane, and it reduced speed for safety on the tighter curves. Once through the curve, my initial speed resumed. One of the newer features of Super Cruise is Automatic Lane Change. When I encountered a slower vehicle, the system activated the left turn signal, and the truck smoothly changed lanes. Once the road was clear, the system automatically moved the truck back to the center lane. I was able to drive almost the entire route using Super Cruise.
Photo: Perry Stern
The Silverado EV has a maximum towing capacity of 12,500 pounds and can haul up to 1,500 pounds of cargo. Besides these typical truck stats, the electric pickup also features a power front trunk (Chevy calls it the e-Trunk), which can hold 10.7 cubic feet of gear, keeping items secure and out of the elements. The unique Multi-Flex Midgate opens the bed into the truck's cab, creating an extended load floor that can handle items as long as 10 feet and 10 inches.
According to the (EPA), the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST has a 450-mile driving range. During my time in the truck, the trip computer indicated a range of 440 miles with a 100-percent charge.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crashworthiness ratings for the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV.
For the 2024 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado EV is available exclusively as a First Edition RST 4WD, which carries a base manufacturer's suggested retail price of $94,500. That price does not include the $1,995 destination charge.
In the JD Power 2024 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Ram 1500 ranks highest in the Large Light Duty Pickup segment.
In the JD Power 2024 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Nissan Titan ranks highest in the Large Light Duty Pickup segment. The Ram 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500 are the next highest-ranked models.
Other 2024 Silverado EV competitors include the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, and Ram 1500 REV.
Photo: Perry Stern
The Silverado EV makes an excellent addition to Chevrolet's lineup of popular pickup trucks. With futuristic styling, extensive driving range, and a powerful electric drivetrain, the new Chevrolet Silverado EV delivers proper pickup truck utility to the growing EV market. Add in the comfortable and spacious cabin, advanced safety features, and intuitive infotainment system, and the Silverado EV works just as well as a daily driver as a pickup truck.
Perry Stern has worked in the automotive industry for over 30 years and has always been a car enthusiast. Driving almost every new car on the market, Perry has written for multiple publications in addition to his work for JDPower.com. Recently relocated to southeast Michigan, Perry is still crazy about cars, especially his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
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