The electrical vehicle (EV) market has leveled out for a lot of reasons as of late, but such an environment hasn’t stopped manufacturers from innovating and pushing the sales of EVs. With regards to practicality and flexibility, many Americans look to trucks, and within the EV world, there remain just a couple of selections, with one being the brand new Chevy Silverado EV that I get to examine out this week.
Chevrolet, or for that matter, General Motors, has placed itself in an interesting position to capitalize on many various segments within the EV world, one being the rare segment of getting EV trucks. The Silverado stays a champion within the truck market, and having an electrical version furthers the conversation for individuals who want something special in knowing what the lineup of GM’s recent EV trucks is all about, and it’s quite a bit to soak up – mostly good things, too.
Chevrolet’s recent Silverado EV has dual motors powering the front and rear axles, totaling an output of 725 horsepower within the Wide Open Watts mode (WOW) and 775 lb-ft of torque. That massive power is usually instantaneous and moves the slightly heavy truck tipping the dimensions just above 8,700 kilos, which takes the electrified powertrain about 4.5 seconds to hit 60 mph utilizing the WOW mode full power setting.
Piloting the brand new Silverado EV Trail Boss is less complicated than I assumed it could be, and far of that’s due to its all-wheel-steering system, which might turn the rear wheels as much as 10 degrees in the wrong way of the fronts to virtually shorten the long wheelbase. Interestingly, the all-wheel-steering was one among the more natural setups in my experience, where it was never unpredictable and felt like a traditional progression of the front-end steering. The somewhat gimmicky Sidewinder steering mode that turns the wheels all in the identical direction for crab crawling motion permits diagonal maneuvering, but I’m sure not many individuals will actually find such a function useful outside of showing off to their friends.
The ride quality of the Silverado EV Trail Boss can turn into a bit busy at times on the road, but it surely seemingly feels as much as the challenge of off-roading duties due to its large 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires wrapping 18-inch aluminum wheels. The tires are literally pretty decent on paved road surfaces without an excessive amount of road noise, which you’ll notice every bit resulting from the silent drivetrain. Off road, the Silverado EV Trail Boss feels quite capable with its electric drivetrain and off-roading drive modes.
The skills of the Silverado EV expand beyond the standard expectations, where you possibly can tow as much as 12,500 kilos and cargo a max payload of around 2,100 kilos. After all, the range will take a serious hit whenever you tow, but I expect things to be quite a bit higher than what we’ve witnessed for something just like the Ford F-150 Lightning, considering the Silverado EV’s battery is larger, and also you start off with a traditional range of 478 miles on a full charge.
The brand new Chevrolet Silverado EV is a large machine, each physically for its sheer size and for its power output and big battery that offers the truck a legitimate range of 478 miles off a full charge. The 205 kW battery pack, one among the biggest within the industry without delay, packs in some serious power and the flexibility so as to add about 130 miles of range in only quarter-hour using a DC fast charger, as seen in previous tests. That charging speed, utilizing a 350 kW charger, ramps up to just about 350 kW, making it among the many quickest charging EVs on the present market next to its platform-sharing siblings. You may charge up at Tesla Supercharger stations utilizing the CCS/NACS adaptor, which I tested at a neighborhood V3 Tesla station (250 kW max) and saw the max charging rate of 175 kW. Using a connection kit, you possibly can power up your own home via the 240V outlet within the truck bed, together with additional 120V household outlets and one in the massive front trunk (frunk) with its power opening and shutting lid. Charging up at home using a Level 2 charger, a 48-amp setup permits a speed of as much as 11.5 kW, providing you with about 37 miles of range per hour of charging. With such a big battery, it would take upwards of 14 hours to totally charge an almost depleted battery.
The efficiency of the Silverado EV Trail Boss could use some polishing, but it surely still manages to get about 2.2 miles per kWh on average in the true world, which equates to about 74 MPGe. Still, the efficiency of the Silverado EV Trail Boss surpasses that of a gas-powered counterpart and finally ends up costing less for a full fill-up – about $36 in total for a full charge for an almost depleted battery versus a V8 gas-powered Silverado racking up about $94 for an everyday unleaded tank of gas.
On the side of technology, the brand new Silverado EV Trail Boss brings home a lot of the goods that mimic what you discover on other recent high-trim-level Chevys. As such, you get a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in functions and apps, but it surely lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, which continues to be a misstep for General Motors’ recent EVs for my part. While there are various native Google/Android apps available for the system, it’s still not as intuitive in connectivity to your smartphone as the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrations. Aside from that one shortcoming that makes things difficult for people like me to integrate the usage of their iPhone, there’s still quite a bit to understand within the simplistic setup of the Silverado EV’s tech setup, together with a limited set of physical knobs and buttons for the automated dual zone climate control. The 11-inch digital gauge driver’s gauge cluster has a couple of customized screens for displaying a full Google map or other vehicle information taken from the infotainment system.
Seating areas are massively sized because the Silverado EV utilizes the platform of other recent large GM EVs, reminiscent of the brand new GMC Hummer EV. The plentiful power adjustments and somewhat cozy heated and ventilated front seats permit just the correct seating position for many adults, and the rear seating areas have a newfound level of versatility that permits you to fold down the top of the truck bed to flow into the cabin to suit items so long as 11 feet. Such a neat party trick to open the rear seat backing is one among the standout features of the brand new Silverado EV, making it one of the crucial versatile pickups in the marketplace.
Chevrolet continues to impress with the brand new Silverado EV, and the Trail Boss being the top-level trim until the RST trim becomes available, the amenities and list of features are vast, including the highly praised Super Cruise hands-free driving tech. Still, you can pay somewhat of a premium on this electric truck, with my nearly loaded test vehicle coming to $93,980. You may get a brand new Silverado EV in its base Custom trim just above its starting price of $55,895, but you get a less powerful drivetrain and a much smaller battery pack with a spread of about 286 miles.
Malcolm Hogan is the founder and editor of Automotive Addicts, a trusted voice within the automotive media world for over twenty years. With 20+ years of hands-on experience covering the industry, Malcolm has built a popularity for delivering honest reviews, sharp insights, and in-depth coverage of every little thing from recent automotive debuts to high-performance test drives. Keen about the evolving automotive culture and staying ahead of the curve, Malcolm continues to steer Automotive Addicts as a go-to destination for enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.
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