The electric vehicle (EV) market has leveled out for many reasons as of late, but such an environment hasn’t stopped manufacturers from innovating and pushing the sales of EVs. When it comes to practicality and versatility, many Americans look to trucks, and in the EV world, there remain just a few choices, with one being the new Chevy Silverado EV that I get to check out this week.
Chevrolet, or for that matter, General Motors, has placed itself in an interesting position to capitalize on many different segments in the EV world, one being the rare segment of having EV trucks. The Silverado remains a champion in the truck market, and having an electric version furthers the conversation for those who want something special in knowing what the lineup of GM’s new EV trucks is all about, and it’s a lot to take in – mostly good stuff, too.
Chevrolet’s new Silverado EV has dual motors powering the front and rear axles, totaling an output of 725 horsepower in the Wide Open Watts mode (WOW) and 775 lb-ft of torque. That massive power is mostly instantaneous and moves the rather heavy truck tipping the scale just above 8,700 pounds, which takes the electrified powertrain about 4.5 seconds to hit 60 mph utilizing the WOW mode full power setting.
Piloting the new Silverado EV Trail Boss is easier than I thought it would be, and much of that is thanks to its all-wheel-steering system, which can turn the rear wheels up to 10 degrees in the opposite direction of the fronts to virtually shorten the long wheelbase. Interestingly, the all-wheel-steering was one of the more natural setups in my experience, where it was never unpredictable and felt like a normal progression of the front-end steering. The somewhat gimmicky Sidewinder steering mode that turns the wheels all in the same direction for crab crawling action permits diagonal maneuvering, but I am sure not many people will actually find such a function useful outside of showing off to their friends.
The ride quality of the Silverado EV Trail Boss can become a bit busy at times on the road, but it seemingly feels up to the challenge of off-roading duties thanks to its large 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires wrapping 18-inch aluminum wheels. The tires are actually pretty decent on paved road surfaces without too much road noise, which you’ll notice every bit due to the silent drivetrain. Off road, the Silverado EV Trail Boss feels quite capable with its electric drivetrain and off-roading drive modes.
The abilities of the Silverado EV expand beyond the typical expectations, where you can tow up to 12,500 pounds and load a max payload of around 2,100 pounds. Of course, the range will take a serious hit when you tow, but I expect things to be a lot better than what we’ve witnessed for something like the Ford F-150 Lightning, considering the Silverado EV’s battery is larger, and you start off with a normal range of 478 miles on a full charge.
The new Chevrolet Silverado EV is a massive machine, both physically for its sheer size and for its power output and massive battery that gives the truck a legitimate range of 478 miles off a full charge. The 205 kW battery pack, one of the largest in the industry right now, packs in some serious power and the ability to add about 130 miles of range in just 15 minutes using a DC fast charger, as seen in previous tests. That charging speed, utilizing a 350 kW charger, ramps up to nearly 350 kW, making it among the quickest charging EVs on the current market next to its platform-sharing siblings. You can charge up at Tesla Supercharger stations utilizing the CCS/NACS adaptor, which I tested at a local V3 Tesla station (250 kW max) and saw the max charging rate of 175 kW. Using a connection kit, you can power up your house via the 240V outlet in the truck bed, along with additional 120V household outlets and one in the large front trunk (frunk) with its power opening and closing lid. Charging up at home using a Level 2 charger, a 48-amp setup permits a speed of up to 11.5 kW, giving you about 37 miles of range per hour of charging. With such a large battery, it will take upwards of 14 hours to fully charge a nearly depleted battery.
The efficiency of the Silverado EV Trail Boss could use some polishing, but it still manages to get about 2.2 miles per kWh on average in the real world, which equates to about 74 MPGe. Still, the efficiency of the Silverado EV Trail Boss surpasses that of a gas-powered counterpart and ends up costing less for a full fill-up – about $36 in total for a full charge for a nearly depleted battery versus a V8 gas-powered Silverado racking up about $94 for a regular unleaded tank of gas.
On the side of technology, the new Silverado EV Trail Boss brings home most of the goods that mimic what you find on other new high-trim-level Chevys. As such, you get a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in functions and apps, but it lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, which continues to be a misstep for General Motors’ new EVs in my opinion. While there are many native Google/Android apps available for the system, it’s still not as intuitive in connectivity for your smartphone as the typical Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrations. Apart from that one shortcoming that makes things difficult for people like me to integrate the use of their iPhone, there’s still a lot to appreciate in the simplistic setup of the Silverado EV’s tech setup, along with a limited set of physical knobs and buttons for the automatic dual zone climate control. The 11-inch digital gauge driver’s gauge cluster has a few customized screens for displaying a full Google map or other vehicle information taken from the infotainment system.
Seating areas are massively sized as the Silverado EV utilizes the platform of other new large GM EVs, such as the new GMC Hummer EV. The plentiful power adjustments and somewhat comfy heated and ventilated front seats permit just the right seating position for most adults, and the rear seating areas have a newfound level of versatility that allows you to fold down the end of the truck bed to flow into the cabin to fit items as long as 11 feet. Such a neat party trick to open the rear seat backing is one of the standout features of the new Silverado EV, making it one of the most versatile pickups on the market.
Chevrolet continues to impress with the 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 will pay somewhat of a premium in this electric truck, with my nearly loaded test vehicle coming to $93,980. You can get a 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 range of about 286 miles.
Malcolm Hogan is the founder and editor of Automotive Addicts, a trusted voice in the automotive media world for over two decades. With 20+ years of hands-on experience covering the industry, Malcolm has built a reputation for delivering honest reviews, sharp insights, and in-depth coverage of everything from new car debuts to high-performance test drives. Passionate about the evolving car culture and staying ahead of the curve, Malcolm continues to lead Automotive Addicts as a go-to destination for enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.
