The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV isn't the first electrified pickup on the block. It's not even the first to come from the General Motors family, but by the numbers, it just might be the most significant of them all. Looking beyond the stats, the Silverado EV is packed with all kinds of clever features that truck fans should love. And it doesn't look bad, either.
Let's start with the figures, because they're impressive. Chevrolet estimates 400 miles of range on a single charge thanks to the largest Ultium battery pack created thus far. Dual motors turn all four wheels with as much as 664 horsepower (495 kilowatts) and over 780 pound-feet (1,063 Newton-meters) of torque. Engage Wide Open Watts (yes ... WOW) mode and Chevy says the big pickup will reach 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds.
DC fast charging at 350 kilowatts will reclaim 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. Or if towing is your thing, the Silverado EV can handle a 10,000-pound trailer or 1,300 pounds in the bed. Not bad, Chevrolet.
GM's Other Electric Vehicles:
WT Or RST?
Here's where we need to slow the roll just a bit. Chevrolet will initially offer the Silverado EV in base Work Truck (WT) trim and as a flagship RST model. The numbers we just rattled off cover the RST, but there's actually some impressive overlap with the WT as well. For example, you can still get the 400-mile range and fast-charge capability on the entry-level truck. Power is reduced, though we doubt anyone would consider 510 hp (380 kW) and 615 lb-ft (834 Nm) as lacking. Towing also drops to 8,000 pounds, but Chevrolet will later introduce a WT fleet version that can tow up to 20,000 pounds.
Meanwhile, the RST dishes up features such as rear-wheel steering, automatic adaptive air suspension, Super Cruise, and a configurable pickup bed with something called a Multi-Flex Midgate. Here's where we'll address the elephant in the room, because we know some of you are seeing shades of Chevrolet Avalanche in the Silverado EV's design.
Curiously, Chevy's announcement makes absolutely no reference to the old Avalanche, but the similarities don't stop with the styling. There's added functionality with the bed, which offers a complete pass-through midgate. With rear seats folded and the optional Multi-Flex tailgate deployed, the Silverado EV RST has a usable cargo floor length of 10 feet 10 inches, nearly double the length of the standard 5-foot 11-inch bed.
Inside the cabin, you'll find more familiar-yet-different design cues. Digital displays dominate both trims, though the RST wields a massive 17.0-inch center screen that stretches to an 11-inch digital instrument display. If that's not enough information for the driver, the RST also offers a heads-up display with a field-of-view spanning 14 inches. The WT isn't quite as elaborate – Chevrolet isn't ready to share such details on the entry-level truck – but it boasts its own pair of digital screens.
More On The Silverado EV:
Both trucks benefit from the new Ultifi Linux-based software platform, developed in-house by GM and capable of frequent updates. And both still have plenty of manually operated controls for common-use items such as climate and radio functions. However, only in the RST will you get hands-free vehicle start-up just by having an enabled device on you as you enter.
Ultium Advantages
Since there's no gasoline engine up front, the Silverado EV brings additional storage in the form of a locking eTrunk. The space is configurable to accommodate specific items, and on the RST, a modular console inside the cabin offers nearly seven gallons of storage. Be it WT or RST, all Silverado EVs are crew cab only with enhanced interior space for taller adults to sit comfortably – front or back. Credit for that goes to the ground-up design that makes full use of GM's Ultium platform, pushing front seats further forward with rear seats further back.
As such, the Silverado EV is a notable departure from its combustion-powered family in terms of style and technology. Both RST and WT trims benefit from a more aerodynamic body versus the standard Silverado, and each features the PowerBase charging system with 10 outlets and 10.2kW of electric power. That system can power tools, toys, or an entire house if need be. The Silverado EV can also charge other EVs, just like a certain Blue Oval competitor.
Gallery: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV
Availability And Price
Don't get impatient, because Silverado EV production is still over a year away. Chevrolet's current plan has the Silverado EV WT arriving in the spring of 2023, with the RST following in the fall. It won't be any RST either, but a fully-optioned First Edition that Chevrolet says will cost $105,000, not including a destination charge of $1,695. Meanwhile, the WT will start at $41,595 (including destination) though Chevy doesn't specify if that includes the 400-mile range battery. Once production is rolling, additional Silverado EV trims spanning a price range from $40,000 to over $80,000 will follow, with at least one being a Trail Boss.
Silverado EV Competition:
Expect more details on the Silverado EV to come as the months pass by, but Chevrolet is happy to open reservations as of 1:00 p.m. EST on January 5. Considering this article goes live just 45 minutes prior to that, the odds are very good you can make a Silverado EV reservation right now.
Photos: Steven Pham For Motor1.com
Source: Chevrolet