The Silverado EV RST can tow up to 10,000, more than double the capacity of the Ford F-150 Lightning.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
When it comes to the popular pickup truck segment, Ford may have been the first mainstream brand into the electric space with its F-150 Lightning, but the Chevrolet Silverado EV has some cards to play. When comparing the two, the Silverado has more horsepower, more towing capacity and about 200 kilometres more range. It also has SuperCruise hands-free driving aid technology and a bed that can transform to haul long items.
“If you look at some of the competitors in the arena, we have an advantage over them in terms of features and capabilities,” said Rory Harvey, president of global markets at General Motors. “It’s first and foremost a truck. There’s no other standard truck out there that has 450 miles (725 kilometres) of range.”
But all those features and range in this full-size pickup truck come at a cost - the first-edition RST starts at $117,499 (plus freight and pre-delivery inspection). The Silverado Work Truck, released in September 2023, has a base price of $74,699. For comparison, the F-150 Lightning ranges from $59,000 to $115,000 and the Rivian R1T ranges from $105,000 to $142,000.
Built from the ground up as an electric truck, the Silverado EV RST rides on GM’s electric Ultium platform – the same platform found in the GMC Hummer EV truck. While the Hummer has three electric motors, the Silverado EV RST has dual electric motors, all-wheel drive and a 205-kilowatt-hour, 24-module Ultium battery pack. That large battery pack provides up to 708 kilometres of range, 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque when using the Wide Open Watts, or WOW, launch mode function. Using the WOW setting, the RST can sprint to 100 kilometres an hour in about 4.5 seconds. I tested it at a local runway in Ann Arbor, Mich. on a makeshift drag strip. It launched quickly, but did have some torque steer. It didn’t throw you back in your seat like the Hummer EV’s Watts to Freedom, or WTF, launch mode. But it was still fast. It also used a lot of electric power – after one run, the range dropped seven kilometres.
The truck felt composed towing a 6,100-pound electric boat.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
On regular roads, the electric truck drives like a conventional gas-powered Silverado. But at times, the suspension is a bit soft and the ride floaty. Off the line, it is quick and can overtake slower-moving vehicles on the highway easily. When stopped, if you’re not in park the EV emits a low noise so nearby pedestrians can hear the truck. I’m not a fan of the one-pedal mode. It has two settings - normal and high, but both were abrupt and aggressive when lifting off the throttle. The driving range was fairly accurate and true to the distance travelled; I drove about 160 kilometres and the range dropped 169 kilometres. The RST also comes standard with four-wheel steer and air ride adaptive suspension so you can raise or lower the vehicle by two inches. It can also tow up to 10,000 pounds; it felt composed towing a 6,100-pound electric boat; it didn’t feel weighted down.
The Silverado EV RST also has innovative features – the standard 5-foot-11 bed can transform to haul long and awkward items. With a bit of elbow grease and some patience, you can open the multi-flex midgate with a pass-through section behind the rear seats and the multi-flex tailgate at the back to expand the bed’s load floor into the cab so you can carry extra-long items up to 10-ft-10. It also has 300 litres of extra space in the lockable frunk, or front trunk.
The frunk has 300 litres of space.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Another cool feature is GM Energy’s Vehicle-to-Home Bidirectional charging kit – it allows you to transfer power between the Silverado EV RST and your home to power it during a blackout. The kit includes three components which GM calls a home hub, an inverter and a dark start battery. Engineers performed a simulated power outage and then restored electricity at a posh 7,000-square-foot Michigan estate using the Silverado EV RST. It worked well and instantly restored power after it was cut. It’s currently being tested in five states and will eventually come to Canada, likely in another year. The cost for the components is US$7,300.
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST is arriving in dealerships now.
Tech specs
The interior of the 2024 Silverado EV RST.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
2024 Silverado EV RST
- Base price / as tested: $117,499 (plus $2,500 for freight; each dealer has their own individual labour rate for pre-delivery inspection)
- Motor / battery: Dual electric motor, 205-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery
- Horsepower / torque: Up to 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque with Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode
- Drive: All-wheel drive
- Power consumption (litres equivalent per 100 kilometres) / charging capacity: To be announced
- Curb weight: 4,136 kilograms (9,119 pounds)
- Range: 708 kilometres
- Alternatives: Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck (although Tesla recently recalled all of them), GMC Sierra EV
The rear seats can be folded forward.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Looks
Classic, cool styling – it looks like a gas-powered Silverado, but adds nice touches including a horizontal light bar across the front end, a tiny Chevy bowtie, front air vents and big factory 24-inch production wheels, which give it a muscular stance.
Interior
Spacious interior, but filled with hard plastics, not something we would expect at this price. It has a nice fixed glass roof, a 17-inch infotainment screen, an 11-inch instrument display and a 14-inch head-up display. There’s no push button start/stop function – the vehicle starts as soon as you sit in the driver’s seat with the key fob nearby. Easy-to-use traditional climate control dials.
Performance
Powerful, fast and capable – it can tow up to 10,000 pounds and has a payload of 1,500 pounds. It has three drive modes – tow/haul, normal, off-road - and a customizable “my mode” which lets you adjust everything from the front and rear steering to the sound and traction controls.
Technology
The 17-inch infotainment screen will show different views to help with parking.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
GM’s SuperCruise hands-free technology is standard – the driving aid lets you drive and tow hands-free on compatible North American roads. There’s wireless charging, but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity – it’s replaced with Google built-in.
Cargo
The step in the tailgate to the 2024 Silverado EV RST.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
A large, functional and flexible bed, capable of carrying extra-long items up to 10-ft-10 long. There’s also a lockable, weatherproof storage compartment in the front of the truck.
The verdict
A strong, smart capable electric truck with a long driving range, but it unfortunately comes with a steep price tag.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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