The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST cleverly combines electric vehicle strengths with pick-up truck utility. But owning one takes a big chunk of change!

What’s Good Big power. Easy power. Silent power. Functions as a rolling generator to power up to 10kW worth of stuff. Lots of useful tech too.

What Could Improve Massive, 205 kWh battery pack to charge. No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. Hard to swallow price tag.

My Conclusion The Silverado EV shows a bright future in EV trucks. 440 miles of range and tons of capability. But, for now, it’s for the privileged few.

OVERVIEW

Chevrolet truly broke new ground when building this modern, fully electric pick-up truck named Silverado EV. The departure from tradition is a tiny bit unsettling, but ultimately outstanding. 754 horsepower and 785 lb.-ft of torque never gets boring. 440 miles of range, impresses. But the near $100k starting price ($96,495 for the RST First Edition) causes a double take.

Other than the WT, or work truck edition, the First Edition is the only trim offered on the Silverado EV. It includes an impressive amount of equipment: Four-wheel steer, adaptive air suspension, multi-flex mid-gate, power release tailgate, 17.7-in center display, 11-in instrument cluster, 14-in HUD, Super Cruise while towing. But the price takes most income brackets off the table.

Chevrolet promises an LT trim coming soon and a Trail Boss sometime in 2025.

Powertrain

You get all-wheel-drive from two-electric motors, one on each axle. But the front motor provides the bulk of the power, making this a front-wheel-drive leaning truck. Funny. In total—in WOW mode—you get 754 horsepower and 785 lb.-ft of torque. WOW stands for wide open watts and releases full power.

The other drives modes provide less, but still plenty. The only frustration is that Chevrolet won’t say how much. My best guess is that default power equates to what the WT trim offers, 510 HP and 615 lb.-ft of torque.

If you goose the EV in WOW mode, you’ll reach 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds, according to Chevrolet. Having tested it, I agree. The Silverado EV hauls the mail!

The electric motors get energy from a massive, 205 kWh battery pack. Essentially, Chevrolet took two, 400-volt, 102.5 kWh battery packs run in series to make an 800-volt system. As a result, the Silverado EV handles 350kW fast charging and can add 100 miles of range in 10 minutes at that speed. Total driving range is 440 miles.

What’s cool, the Silverado EV functions as a rolling generator, as the RST First Edition is setup to output up to 10.2 kW of electricity to other sources. In a pinch, and if properly setup ahead of time, it will even feed power to a home that’s lost its connection to the grid. Of course it makes the EV a masterclass tailgating tool as well.

Chassis

Chevrolet named it the Silverado EV, but it shares virtually nothing with its internal combustion engine namesake. To start, Chevrolet built the EV from the Body Frame Integral structure that incorporates the Ultium platform battery pack and structure. It’s wholly separate from the Silverado frame.

Among other things, that allowed engineers to make the Silverado EV a four-wheel-independent suspension. The RST First Edition also gets four-wheel steering, an air suspension with adjustable ride heights, and 24-in wheels!

Of all the above, the four-wheel steering impresses the most, as the Silverado maneuvers around tight parking lots much easier than I expected. But generally speaking, the Silverado EV rides down the road nicely and quietly. Furthermore, the adjustable ride height gives you added confidence if you find yourself off-road.

Towing/Hauling

The EV uses a different frame, but one that still will tow up to 10,000 lbs. That’s under the top number of the most capable non-EV Silverado, but not by much. The bigger concern for towing isn’t power, or strength of the chassis, but the hit you take on driving range. I towed a big electric boat as a test and tracked range lost over miles driven. I seemed to roughly double energy use. 440 miles of range becomes 220 miles. Not great, but not terrible either.

Hauling takes a bigger hit with electric propulsion. Chevrolet claims 1500 lbs. of payload. That’s well under other full-size trucks. But Chevrolet makes up for that with payload flexibility.

To start, you get 10.7 cubic feet of space ahead of the cabin in what Chevrolet calls the e-trunk and many refer to as a frunk. You also get a mid-gate. As long as you also use the tonneau cover, the mid-gate allows you to configure you EV to haul over 9-feet long items completely water tight and locked. It also opens up options to haul all kinds of things, all kinds of ways. I love it. Finally, the Silverado EV includes Super Cruise automated driving technology. And the Silverado EV’s system works, even when you tow.

Details and Inside

The Silverado EV only comes as a crew cab truck. It provides plenty of room for full-size adults in both the first and second rows. And I mean NBA player sized adults. You have space. The truck bed measures less than six-feet (71-inches), but, again, you have both the e-trunk and the mid-gate to add flexibility.

The RST adds luxuries to the equation. You get a fixed glass roof, for example. The Silverado EV also adds neat tricks, such as a little light animation as you approach the truck with the key fob and anther 3D animation that plays on the fully digital, 11.0-inch instrument cluster once inside.

The Center display measures 17.7-inches and includes a ton of tech, such as Google Built-In: Google Maps, Google Play Store, and Google Assistant. You don’t get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, which is annoying. You connect your phone via Bluetooth.

Other luxuries in the RST include heated seats, ventilated seats, dual-zone climate control, and a heated steering wheel too. The seats themselves offer plenty of adjustment and good levels of support and comfort. Combined with the four-wheel-independent suspension, it’s a comfortably cruising truck.

in conclusion

Chevrolet went bold with the Silverado EV and showcased many ways that going fully electric improves the pick-up truck experience. But you do still deal with limitations too. Recreational towing, for example, often includes a road trip, which will require a lot more planning and stopping in this RST.

The main limiter of this truck, however, is its price. Just under $100K for it is a big ask. But, less expensive trims are on the way.

Again, the EV also offers several benefits. And its fast and fun and cool and convenient. What the Silverado EV really shows us, is HUGE potential for a bright EV future.

Check out my written review of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV For Gear Junkie

COMPETITORS

Ford F-150 Lightning
Rivian R1T

SPECIFICATIONS
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV First Edition RST: 4-door, 5-seat, Truck
Base price: $96,495
Price as Tested: $96,495

Powertrain: Two electric motors
Power: 754 horsepower (in WOW mode)
Torque: 785 lb.-ft (in WOW mode)
Battery pack: 205 kWh, 800 volt
Transmissions: single-speed drive down gears
Drive: all-wheel-drive

Fuel Economy in MPGe
NA city
NA highway
NA combined
Range: 440 miles

Dimensions
Length: 233.1 inches
Width: 83.8 inches
Height: 78.7 inches
Wheelbase: 145.7 inches

Weights and Capacities
Curb weight: NA lbs.  
Interior volume: NA cu ft
Trunk volume: 11 cu ft (e-trunk)

Calculated weight to power (lbs./HP): NA
Mfr’s claimed 0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds
Mfr’s claimed Top Speed: NA mph
Government classified size: standard pick-up truck 4WD

Options: none

Looking for someting a lot smaller and gasoline powered? Check out this Ford Maverick Lobo