2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV

Down the sides, the crew-cab-only Silverado EV sucks in its gut to show off at least a two-pack, while the ridges above its wheels send attention back under aero-necessary sail panels. The roof and rear taper almost unnoticed into the tailgate’s spiky taillights. It’s quite different from the Hummer EV pickup and from its own stable mates, and it works.

Inside, the Silverado EV’s shapes sort out the needs of truck drivers with some flair that’s buried in a wash of black trim. It’s not difficult to see how this interior will be dressed up in RST trim—and it works well thanks to a minimum amount of clutter and a lot of attention to the functions not buried in touchscreens. The WT has screens, of course—and they’re framed in the same way and material as an Amazon portable monitor screen—but they integrate easily with big knobs for climate controls, big flaps for air-vent control, and a general sense of design harmony.

How fast is the Chevrolet Silverado EV?

The WT we’ve driven was capably quick—which we expected, since it taps the same Ultium battery architecture as the GMC Hummer EV. In the WT, the battery pack, estimated at about 200 kwh, generates 510 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque. It’s good for 0-60 mph acceleration well under the seven-second mark.

The upcoming RST First Edition will be programmed to deliver up to 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque in its maximum-output mode, dubbed Wide Open Watts (WOW). In that configuration, GM estimates a 0-60 mph time of under 4.5 seconds.

All Silverado EVs will have an independent suspension system, with front struts and a rear short-long arm design on the WTs with a well-balanced tune. The truck rolls on base 18-inch wheels with good compliance—in large part to the exceptionally stiff platform, which allows softer spring and damping rates. The WT has a 42.2-foot turning radius, which isn’t out of the ordinary for full-size trucks—and it does so without the available upgrades to come on the RST. In brief drives of the WT on flat farm roads, the truck’s steering felt firm on center and responsive. In all, the driving experience feels a bit like driving a poised version of a modern cargo van, thanks to its high seating position.

Silverado EV RST trucks will get an adaptive suspension with air springs and magnetically controlled damping to raise or lower the truck by up to 2.0 inches. They’ll also offer 24-inch wheels and tires, as well as rear-axle steering for tighter turn radii and better high-speed stability.

How much can the Chevrolet Silverado EV tow?

Chevy says the 4WT edition can tow up to 10,000 pounds; it confirms the same for the upcoming RST edition. Payload capacity checks in at 1,440 pounds. When the Silverado EV connects to a trailer hitch, it’s programmed to drop its range estimate by 50 percent to give drivers a clearer picture of the remaining miles in the truck’s battery. That figure adapts as the miles pass; with a lighter trailer, the vehicle’s range estimate could climb over the course of a long drive. With a 5,000-pound trailer in tow, a fully charged Silverado EV 4WT will drive more than 250 miles before it needs a recharge, the automaker says.

Engaging the truck’s Tow/Haul mode remaps its torque output for more low-end response. The available trailer hitch comes with camera guidance for its hitch, and an integrated trailer brake controller.

A future fleet edition will come with a max-towing package that uprates the Silverado EV to a 20,000-pound tow rating.

Chevrolet promises in 2025 that the entire Silverado EV lineup will see higher towing and payload ratings as it lowers weight and improves battery technology.

In row one on WT work trucks, the Silverado EV requires a step up into the cabin, where a pair of power-adjustable, synthetic-upholstered seats have great bolstering and shaping for bigger drivers. Expansive headroom means no bending to step in, either. The Silverado EV’s steering column power-adjusts for height and depth, a fancy touch for a work vehicle. Between the front seats the WT has a deep console and lots of storage, with a set of USB ports; bring on the Powerades for its jumbo cupholders, and tuck a laptop—or five—in the center console.

Silverado EV RST versions get a modular center console that, with about seven gallons of volume, can hold a lunch cooler. 

Step in back, and the Silverado EV doles out 44.3 inches of rear seat legroom and ample headroom. Three large passengers will fit easily on the 40/60 split bench; 6-footers behind 6-footers will be suitably impressed, and the middle passenger won’t get crushed like so much holiday mail. Flip up the rear seats, and under-bench bins sort cargo and leave behind a space that’s flat and textured for easy clean-up. 

The interior’s practically a catalog of black plastic and vinyl and cloth, but it’s printed and fitted for functionality—the grooves in the nacelles on the dash seem made for wireless smartphone charging, which the WT doesn’t get. The WT also has a prominent level of motor noise, but is exceedingly quiet for a work truck.

Chevy snips all the storage space it can from the Silverado EV’s somewhat racy shape. The 5-foot-11 bed is just the start—or, rather, the end. The front trunk holds 10.7 cubic feet and 400 pounds of stuff, and comes with a useful set of tiedowns, hooks, and drains—all weatherproofed and lockable, and accessed at the touch of a button. 

Then, in the middle of upmarket versions (but not the WT), the Silverado EV gets a midgate, which allows the bed wall to fold forward into the cabin. With the midgate and tailgate down, the Silverado EV can tote objects longer than 10 feet, 10 inches—held in place by the tailgate’s multi-function flaps and steps, all built in with a high degree of cleverness. Add on a locking tonneau cover and the WT addresses the modern needs of full-size work truck drivers—lockable storage space, more so than the traditional 8-foot bed that’s not yet offered and may not be.

The Silverado EV WT comes with standard automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and automatic high-beam headlights. Adaptive cruise control and GM’s hands-free Super Cruise driver assistance will be available on some models, but it’s unclear whether work trucks will be included. Other features include a safety alert that buzzes the driver seat when the truck tracks out of true and a surround-view camera system.

Even the base $79,800 Silverado EV WT comes with power features, a power tilt/telescope steering wheel, cruise control, an 8.0-inch digital gauge cluster, and an 11.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a Google infotainment interface.

Later in the year, a 3WT edition with 350 miles of range will be priced from $74,800. All prices include an $1,895 charge for destination and handling.

Chevrolet had promised a base WT edition due next year with a price of less than $40,000, but it now says that price will change—and has not yet set that new price.

Which Chevrolet Silverado 1500 should I buy?

Consumer versions of the Silverado EV will be available at the end of the year. An upcoming Trail Boss edition will be among those models available, but prices haven’t been announced. 

Keep an eye out for Chevy’s comprehensive list of accessories, which is said to include bed covers, upgraded power-outlet packs, roof rails, and more. 

How much is a fully loaded Chevrolet Silverado EV?

WT editions of the Silverado EV cap out far below the upcoming RST First Edition, which carries a price tag of $105,000. It gains rear-axle steering, adaptive air suspension, a power tailgate with multiple fold–out and fold-down configurations, the midgate, a 17.0-inch touchscreen and an 11.0-inch gauge cluster, as well as a head-up display; and available Super Cruise, with hands-free driver assistance that covers more than 200,000 miles across Canada and the U.S. 

Some of the gain in efficiency—the Hummer EV scores a 329-mile range—likely comes from the Silverado’s lower curb weight. We’ll reevaluate this score over the next year as Chevy rolls out more versions of the new electric pickup truck.

The Silverado EV comes with standard DC fast-charging rated at up to 350 kw, which Chevy promises will permit the truck to pick up about 100 miles of range in 10 minutes at the fastest charging speeds. GM’s charging app searches for compatible nearby charging stations. GM says it will move to the NACS (Tesla) charging standard in 2025, but will supply owners of CCS-port vehicles with adapters. It remains to be seen how much GM owners will be surcharged to use Tesla’s network.