The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV is the most recent salvo in a barrage of battery-electric pickup trucks. The Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Rivian R1T, and the ill-fated Lordstown Endurance predate the Silverado EV. So, the onus is on Chevrolet to offer advantages and features its competitors do not.
In that effort, the first indications are that the Silverado EV is successful. It offers range-on-a-charge advantages over its most direct competitor, the Ford F-150 Lightning. Since range is a potential weakness for all-electric vehicles (EVs), having a plus in that critical category is a big step in the right direction. Its available Midgate enables owners to fold away the rear cab bulkhead, offering additional room for lengthy cargo. The Silverado EV's 4-wheel steering tightens its turning circle.
In terms of power, it doesn't feature the 1,000-horsepower combination that got the GMC Hummer EV Pickup so much ink. Still, the combined 754 hp and 785 pound-feet of torque available in the dual-motor RST First Edition should be adequate for most. A full-size pickup that will go from zero-to-60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds is a force with which to be reckoned. The WT (Work Truck) version makes do with 510 hp.
To put the Silverado EV in perspective, it, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, is a battery-electric-powered full-size pickup truck designed to serve both consumer and commercial customers. Unlike the conventionally powered Silverado 1500, it doesn't offer multiple cab types and variations. Instead, at launch, it is available in crew cab Work Truck trim with a more consumer-oriented RST version (also crew cab) to come later, perhaps as a 2025 model.
With the F-150 Lightning, Ford's strategy has been to replicate the capabilities of its bestselling conventionally powered F-150. Chevrolet has taken a different tack, stretching the envelope with features like the Midgate, air suspension, and 4-wheel steering. The Silverado EV will also offer the latest version of Chevrolet's Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system. Whether all this will resonate with the EV truck buyer remains to be seen. Interestingly, the WT version has none of these. What it does have is a large interior, a sizable front trunk, and a 10,000-pound tow rating.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
Chevrolet says the 2024 Silverado EV will offer shoppers three trim levels in its launch year. The 3WT and 4WT are "work trucks" targeting fleet customers and other commercial users. Chevrolet is aiming the RST First Edition at high-end personal-use truck buyers with a price to match.
The base suggested retail price for the RST First Edition is $106,895, which includes the destination charge. The two WT trims are, happily, well under the 6-figure mark. The 3WT starts at $74,800, while 4WT pricing starts at $79,800. As model years progress and demand increases, Chevrolet is poised to add models, trims, and variations. A lower-priced base WT is possible, as are more moderately priced consumer-oriented trims. Expect the WT trims to be on sale by the end of 2023. The RST First Edition will come later.
The subject of this driving impression is a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV 4WT. It bore a suggested retail price of $80,345, including the $1,895 destination charge.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
One thing that becomes immediately clear upon seeing the 2024 Silverado EV is that it doesn't look like the 2024 Silverado 1500. Instead, it resembles a past generation of the Honda Ridgeline midsize pickup. The Silverado EV appears to have a shorter hood and a longer cab than the conventional Silverado. At the same time, it rides on a slightly shorter wheelbase than the conventional Silverado crew cab. It's also 3 inches taller than the Silverado crew cab, partly because it sits on the General Motors (GM) Ultium "roller skate" that underpins the company's newest EVs.
The Silverado EV and conventional Silverado are very similar regarding rear headroom and legroom. At the same time, the Silverado EV feels roomier because its cockpit is more open. Its drive selector is on the steering column, and there's no start button at all, so the area between the seats is cavernous. The console has a capacity of more than 7 gallons, easily accommodating a lunch cooler or a laptop.
The individual front seats in the 4WT test vehicle are wide and comfortable. The rear seat features a fold-up cushion over a large, concealed storage area. Some Silverado EVs will have 60/40 split-folding seatbacks, enabling several passenger and cargo configurations. Chevrolet fitted the Silverado EV 4WT test vehicle with a dealer-installed, lockable, weatherproof tonneau, offering exceptional dry storage. The truck's bed is 71 inches long and can be equipped with multiple AC outlets. Chevy supplements the truck's in-bed storage with an "eTrunk," which offers 10.7 cubic feet of cargo space.
The Silverado EV's optional Multi-Flex Midgate is reminiscent of the Chevrolet Avalanche pickup. A hatch at the front of the pickup bed opens into the vehicle's interior, allowing the truck to tote long items that would not otherwise fit within its bed. In tandem with the Multi-Flex tailgate, the Midgate opens up nearly 11 feet of continuous load floor.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The 2024 Chevy Silverado EV WT trims feature a standard 11-inch infotainment touchscreen. The EV is Chevrolet's first application of Ultifi, a GM proprietary Linux-based software system designed to facilitate frequent updates. Over-the-air updates could become standard practice for the Silverado EV as capabilities change.
A critical aspect of the Ultifi system is its separation of software from hardware. Less deep in the weeds is the WT's 8-inch digital instrument display that sits like a tablet on a shelf in front of the driver. While Chevy designed the WT trims to be somewhat minimalistic, its version of the Chevrolet Infotainment system is quite elaborate. It features navigation with Google built-in, Bluetooth streaming voice recognition, and numerous apps, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Chevy provides SiriusXM Audio via a trial subscription.
The information delivery gets even more elaborate in the consumer-oriented RST trim. Occupants access the infotainment system through a standard 17-inch multi-configurable LCD touchscreen. The system also uses the latest Chevrolet operating system. It will likely feature a wide variety of capabilities, including satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and voice command.
A standard 11-inch driver information display supplements the RST's large infotainment screen. It, too, is configurable and offers navigation instructions and EV-specific vehicle info, among other items of useful information. The RST also features a color head-up display with a 14-inch field of view.
As one might expect from a high-tech vehicle like the Silverado EV, it offers the availability of GM's Super Cruise driver-assistance system. The semi-autonomous system enables the Silverado EV to drive itself hands-free on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the United States and Canada within certain parameters.
Super Cruise requires vehicle drivers to remain attentive to the road and be ready to take control of the truck at a moment's notice. In the Silverado EV it functions even when towing a trailer. Sadly, Chevrolet did not equip the 4WT Silverado EV I drove with Super Cruise, so I could not test it in this application.
Chevrolet equips the Silverado EV with its Chevy Safety Assist array of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The automaker includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-departure warning. The system also features front pedestrian and bicyclist automatic braking, side blind-spot steering assist, and reverse automatic braking.
Another less common safety feature is the Safety Alert Seat that vibrates to offer warnings. With HD surround vision, rear parking assistance, and automatic high-beam headlight assist, even the 4WT trim provides a robust array of ADAS.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated the crashworthiness of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
General Motors has invested vast sums in developing its Ultium battery-electric vehicle platform. The modular, expandable platform not only forms the chassis, battery array, and powertrain of the Chevrolet Silverado EV but also underpins the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and several upcoming models. The new body architecture uses the Silverado's available 24-module Ultium battery pack as a part of the structure, cutting weight and enabling impressive range.
All Silverado EVs are all-wheel drive with electric motors driving front and rear axles. The truck also features a 4-wheel independent suspension, and the RST's automatic air suspension enables you to raise or lower the vehicle up to 2 inches and adapt to road conditions when underway.
Behind the wheel of the Silverado EV 4WT, the 510-hp truck was docile in around-town part-throttle driving. But getting more aggressively into the throttle brought a smooth and ever-growing surge of torque that propelled the truck to extra-legal speeds in a heartbeat. Peak torque in the WT configurations is a robust 615 pound-feet and is available at the driver's whim. Like most battery-electrics, the Silverado EV's formidable acceleration is a by-product of electric propulsion, not necessarily the goal. And business owners might wonder about the advisability of putting their employees in a vehicle with such radical acceleration potential.
The consumer-targeted Silverado EV RST takes overall power and acceleration to even higher levels. Its front- and rear-mounted electric motors provide up to 754 hp and more than 785 pound-feet of torque in available Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode. GM estimates the vehicle will rocket from zero to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds.
As of this writing, Chevrolet has not announced the range for the RST trim, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies a 450-mile range for the WT. The 4WT tester had an EPA combined fuel-economy equivalency rating of 63 MPGe. Both the RST and WT feature DC fast-charging capabilities of up to 350kW. According to Chevrolet, you can add up to 100 miles of range to the Silverado EV in 10 minutes at that rate. The EPA says a full charge will take 12.7 hours using a Level 2 (240-volt) charger.
Chevy engineers rate the 4WT to tow 10,000 pounds and carry a payload of 1,400 pounds. The automaker says it will eventually offer a Silverado EV with up to 20,000 pounds of trailering with the maximum tow package. Chevrolet equips both the RST and WT with a tow/haul mode, trailer hitch provisions, an integrated trailer-brake controller, and hitch guidance. The RST trim also includes Chevy's Advanced Trailering System. Chevy also designed the RST's 4-wheel-steering system to improve the truck's overall maneuverability and trailer towing ability.
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV looks good, drives well, and has a pleasant interior. But it has a significant obstacle to contend with. Chevrolet's arch-rival in the full-size pickup business has had its F-150 Lightning battery-electric truck on the market since the 2022 model year.
To compete in what GM estimates will be a sizable segment in the future, Chevrolet has given the 2024 Silverado EV some features the Lightning lacks. Among the most important are the Multiflex Midgate and 4-wheel-steering. On top of that, the Silverado EV's 450 miles of range on charge is substantially more than the 320 miles of range offered by the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Extended Range model. (As of this writing, the EPA has yet to publish figures for 2024 Lightnings on its fueleconomy.gov website.) Those are significant advantages.
At the same time, the Lightning is available in a wide variety of trims, including a Pro work truck-style version with a base suggested retail price of less than $50,000. With its starting price at about $75,000 for a basic work truck, the Silverado EV might have difficulty gaining the favor of commercial buyers and especially consumer purchasers. The RST promises to be much more consumer-oriented, with comfort and conveniences galore. Still, its $100K-plus starting price moves it out of the orbit of many full-size truck buyers.
As Chevrolet fills out the Silverado EV lineup with a more varied crop of trims, expect the pickup to become even more competitive with the Ford F-150 Lightning and other rivals like the Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck. At the moment, it demonstrates the promise of the GM Ultium platform—and the big bet GM has made on it.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack is currently the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program America on the Road, available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
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