There’s quite a bit to go over with Chevy’s Silverado EV, however what makes it actually distinctive is the large 200+kWh battery and the 450+ mile vary that it offers. However that monster battery additionally has a number of properly disguised drawbacks, together with placing the truck at a whopping 8500 lbs. Let’s dive in…

Chevy flew us out to Ann Arbor to study concerning the Silverado EV work truck after which off to a neighborhood farm to see the Silverado in its native habitat, full with nation music and BBQ. There we bought to tow a ten,000 lb. John Deere tractor, head out on some grime roads, and drive the Silverado by some small cities with even smaller parking spots.

Then we bought to talk to a number of the consultants on Chevy’s group concerning the nuances of this automobile. There’s a ton happening right here, however by far the most important differentiator between this automobile and the competitors is the large battery and the next 450+ miles of vary. I exploit the ‘+’ as a result of all through many of the testing, I used to be seeing higher than 450 miles of vary generally near 500 miles in very regular round city utilization, just like what a fleet work truck would do in a typical day; clearly when towing, that vary will get reduce as a lot as in half. However when beginning out so excessive, impulsively towing lengthy distances turns into manner much less irritating.

The draw back of that vast battery is the load and measurement. The driving dynamics had been tremendous spectacular nevertheless, even on grime roads. Chevy recommends a surprisingly excessive 61 PSI on the wheels and ours had been exhibiting 63 PSIs, but the experience was extremely clean. Nonetheless, nevertheless, you might be schlepping round a 200kWh battery all over the place which consumes a variety of additional vitality and the inertia of a 8500 lb. automobile turns into all that rather more harmful in an accident.

Silverado EV has 50% extra battery than F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T

There’s no denying the standout function of the Silverado Work Truck is its large, honking 200+kWh battery. To place it into perspective, it’s 50% greater than Ford’s F-150 Lightning lengthy vary battery at 131kWh and double the beneath 100kWh commonplace vary battery. That’s an additional automobile battery on prime of an F-150 Lightning battery (Chevy’s Bolt is 65kWh for example). Rivian clocks in barely increased at 135kWh however that’s a rounding error, and its upcoming Max battery pack nonetheless falls considerably brief at 180kWh.

That unimaginable Silverado 450 mile vary isn’t simply from battery alone nevertheless. It has the identical measurement battery because the GMC Hummer EV which has a 329 mile vary.

Curiously, Chevy was super-coy concerning the battery measurement and stored saying it was completely different than the Hummer EVs although they did concede it as the identical module and kWh spec.

How did Chevy eek out a whopping 121 miles from the identical measurement battery?

Properly initially, the Hummer EV isn’t an train in effectivity. Its large tires, gaping drag coefficient, detachable roof and absurd 10,000 lb. weight make a variety of low hanging fruit when optimizing.

However Silverado additionally has smaller, extra environment friendly (and one fewer) motors. So this isn’t a pace burner with a mid-5 second 0-60 however will likely be high quality for almost anybody. When towing 10,000 lbs., nevertheless, I had an 11+ second 0-60 time which may be troublesome for getting on highways, particularly uphill.

The aerodynamics aren’t simply good however they made “some of the environment friendly vans ever” with a .331 drag coefficient. Rivian claims a decrease flat, .3, however each are nice aero vans.

Silverado EV Work Truck additionally drops virtually a literal ton of weight from the Hummer EV with some simplicity which additionally helps with price financial savings. Additionally we noticed as much as 180kW of regeneration energy when utilizing the 1 pedal driving mode and even increased with a trailer hooked up. That provides up.

Chevy Professional Energy on Board Offboard energy

The facility system for these EV vans nonetheless fascinates me even when we’ve principally “seen this earlier than.”

Chevy mainly replicated Ford’s extraordinarily fashionable energy station on board. It’s a comparable quantity of energy 10kW in comparable locations – Rear mattress, Inside, charging port and Frunk (Chevy calls it the E-Trunk however even the consultants, see above, had been calling it a “frunk”).

Total you get 10.2kW of energy together with a 30A, 7.2kW generator plug output that may manually backup your own home at launch. Chevy is engaged on one thing just like Ford’s automated dwelling backup by the charging port and expects to have one thing that can coincide with the launch of the RST on the finish of this yr.

For the second, nevertheless, Chevy does have some cool cost port equipment just like the 6kW charger cable that can cost one other automobile (one would assume you can additionally cost a automobile utilizing the 7.2kW generator port with an adapter). It additionally has some neat add-ons like charging port powerstrips with completely different charging choices together with the RV favourite NEMA TT-30 30A 110V plug.

To indicate its prowess, Chevy ran the 2 meals vans from its off board energy, with out breaking a sweat and barely registering on battery utilization. This truck has sufficient energy to run a number of meals vans for days whereas subtracting the normal loud working, petroleum spewing energy technology which isn’t an excellent pairing with meals preparation and consumption.

Silverado EV pricing

Let’s begin with the unhealthy information: To everybody’s shock and shock (/s), Chevy is not going to be promoting a Silverado EV beginning beneath $40,000 like they initially deliberate. I’m unsure how lots of the 185,000 reservation holders had been banking on that however with a number of years of inflation, elements shortages, delays, and so forth, right here we’re. I do suppose that they’ll get into the $50+Ok vary beginning subsequent yr once they provide a considerably decrease vary mannequin Work Truck. After incentives that can get near $40K. Chevy says vary and worth will likely be aggressive with Ford’s commonplace choices which at the moment begin at 230 miles/100kWh and $55K.

The 450-mile work truck we drove will begin at $77,905 and be obtainable to fleets within the coming weeks. That’s notably a number of weeks later than Chevy’s deliberate “spring rollout,” however in comparison with the years of delays Tesla has proven on its fashions like Cybertruck, it’s only a blip. In the meantime the marginally smaller battery 350+ mile Work Truck will debut on the finish of the yr with a $72,905 price ticket.

Chevy Silverado RST First Version

Additionally on the finish of the yr, Chevy will unleash the RST First Version for a whopping $105K which is getting fairly near a Hummer EV lite. Right here’s a fast have a look at the RST which options the mid-gate for elevated storage and a complete lot of different choices. I think about a big share of our viewers is right here for this:

E-Trunk is a Frunk

Similar to the F-150, Chevy’s Silverado has a big frunk, however once more, they’re giving it a reputation which gained’t stick known as the “E-trunk” (Being a primary mover has its benefits). Whereas notably smaller than the F-150 – 14 cubic ft vs. 10 – it additionally affords a plug in entrance for charging instruments even whereas driving or idle through the app. Chevy mentioned these wider sidebars had been to deal with a greater entrance suspension than Ford’s. I believe for many work makes use of, 10 cubic ft will likely be sufficient, however for a number of this may be a dealbreaker.

Silverado DC Quick charging at 350kW

On each EV drive, one of many first locations I am going is the DC quick charging station, even when it isn’t on the itinerary (it by no means is).

We had been solely given automobiles with over 50% cost, however I nonetheless needed to see what sort of pace I might get out of an EA station and possibly piece collectively a charging curve. From 61-63% cost, it charged regular at about 208kW, which is a powerful pace till you notice it could take an hour to fill a full battery at that pace. After all the charging will likely be a lot quicker at the start and far slower on the finish of the cost. Chevy put collectively this small clip on the matter:

And that’s the factor about having an enormous battery like this: you may cost it at actually excessive energy, however it nonetheless takes a very long time to actually replenish. Chevy says at its quickest tempo, you may add 100 miles in 10 minutes. Condolences if there’s solely a 50kW quick charger round – that’s a 4+ hour “quick” cost to go from empty to full.

House and work degree 2 AC charging goes as much as 80A right here which can take over 10 hours to go from empty to full. On a extra typical 40A charger, it can take 20 hours, however once more that’s including over 450 miles of vary. Most fleet truck situations draw manner much less energy in a day so 40A might be enough so as to add ~300 miles in a 12 hour evening.

Silverado EV Drive dynamics

Possibly the most important shock of the Silverado EV, in addition to its vary, is its means to drive like a commuter automotive (not that it needs to be used for commuting!) I used to be shocked at how simple it’s to drive and the way fast my stress ranges went right down to a typical automotive ranges. The automotive drives clean and may be very responsive for an 8500-lb beast with 61+ PSI tires. The suspension people at GM needs to be recommended. It shouldn’t be this simple to drive an 8500-lb automobile!

Turning is passable, however I can’t assist however suppose 4-wheel turning needs to be an possibility within the Work Truck just like the Hummer EV. Parking was powerful and it took me an additional cross or 2 to slide into the EA station and parallel parking on the town wasn’t enjoyable. Nonetheless, 4 wheel steering will likely be supplied in increased finish shopper variations of this truck.

Silverado EV inside

The Work Truck inside is what you’d count on from a piece automobile. One thing you can dampen after a day within the mud. Darkish plastic and vinyl so far as the attention can see, however in a great way.

That doesn’t imply you may’t drive in consolation, and I discovered all 4 seats to be comfy. Not as soon as in the course of the hours of driving did the driving force’s seat really feel uncomfortable. The sound system and entrance display screen had been high quality, although nowhere nearly as good because the RST model coming on the finish of the yr. Although it gained’t include a mid-gate possibility, the Silverado Work Truck does have ample storage beneath the rear seats and nonetheless sports activities the biggest-in-its-EV-class 5’11” lengthy mattress.

Carplay/Android Auto

One in all Chevy’s most controversial current strikes was to announce the removing of the telephone projection in its EVs. Nonetheless the Silverado EV Work Truck, which nonetheless makes use of Google’s Android Automotive system, will enable projection of CarPlay and Android Auto, this yr anyway. Curiously its shopper going through Silverados beginning subsequent yr gained’t enable projection. I believe this an simply correctable mistake by GM and you may inform that the majority at Chevy are taking a wait and see strategy with the reception this resolution will get.

Notice: within the video above I used to be initially informed CarPlay could be eliminated in a software program replace however it could solely be “eliminated” in a mannequin yr replace.

Electrek’s Take

For some employees who drive actually lengthy distances and have towing, chilly climate, and so forth. necessities, that is the one electrical pickup that can meet their wants. Not solely did we hit 450 miles, however we regularly succeeded it with as much as 485 miles proven in Chevy’s estimator, in my expertise. Nothing else prefer it even comes shut.

However that functionality of vary isn’t free. Not solely does the additional weight make for a costlier truck that additionally prices a bit extra on $/kWh. That 8500 lbs of weight additionally impacts the dealing with although I’ll concede that Chevy suspension engineers labored miracles right here.

So I ponder what number of fleets really need 450+ miles of vary and even 350+miles. Positive it’s good to have for that uncommon occasion, however it additionally means you might be carting round and paying for an enormous, unused battery round city more often than not.

Then there’s the entire, why are folks driving round 8500-lb. vans when one thing like a Ford Maverick measurement automobile will do. And everyone knows that there are a ton of those which can be going for use for commuting when a 3rd of the sized automobile with a 3rd of the battery will do exactly high quality. However that argument is for one more day, and this Silverado EV will take a ton of ICE pickups off the highway. And we’re right here for that.

The Silverado EV is a super-compelling, no compromise work truck that can meet the wants of fleets that no different EV pickup can.