{"id":28540,"date":"2022-01-06T17:02:11","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T21:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28540"},"modified":"2022-01-06T17:02:11","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T21:02:11","slug":"truck-e-wars-chevy-silverado-ev-brings-400-mile-range-bed-extender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/truck-e-wars-chevy-silverado-ev-brings-400-mile-range-bed-extender","title":{"rendered":"Truck e-Wars: Chevy Silverado EV brings 400-mile range, bed extender"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit truck wars have gone electric.<\/p>\n

Answering Ford Motor Co.\u2019s F-150 Lightning EV salvo, General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet let loose\u00a0its first electric Silverado pickup truck Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with headline-grabbing\u00a0features like a mid-gate bed extender, 664 horsepower, and 400-mile range.<\/p>\n

Aimed at affluent first-adopters in an EV market accustomed to $100,000 Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S sports sedans, the loaded, $105,000, 2024 Silverado RST pickup will lead the EV truck parade,\u00a0followed by other model trims in 2024. A\u00a0400-mile-range, fleet-focused Work Truck is scheduled to go on sale in spring 2023, while the RST is due to arrive in late 2023.<\/p>\n

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Like Lightning, Silverado EV pricing starts at just under $40,000 before government tax breaks. Unlike Lightning, which uses a familiar F-150 ladder frame, the Silverado EV makes a clean break from its petrol-powered Silverado stablemate with an all-new platform based on GM’s 800-volt Ultium battery skateboard and capable of fast, 350-kW charging. It\u2019s the same architecture that cradles the Hummer EV \u2014 GMC\u2019s first foray into the e-pickup space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a foot in both camps,\u201d said Chevrolet marketing guru Steve Majoros as the brand will now produce trucks on\u00a0gas and electric platforms. Majoros and the Silverado team gave media a\u00a0sneak\u00a0peak of the pickup ahead of its official CES intro.<\/p>\n

After the fleet-customer Work Truck and top-shelf RST retail model, production will ramp up in 2024, with models like the base WT ($39,900 with a smaller battery), RST, and Trail Boss models stickering at $50,000-$80,000.<\/p>\n

Chevrolet’s\u00a0Dearborn rival is already taking orders with four trims advertised to hit the market this spring: Lightning Pro ($39,974, excluding 1,695 destination charge), XLT ($52,974), Lariat ($67,474), and Platinum ($90,874).<\/p>\n

The big-battery, 400-mile Work Truck (price yet to be determined) aims to help corporate fleets satisfy\u00a0ESG (environmental, social, and governance) demands of\u00a0green investors by\u00a0filling their fleets with zero-emission vehicles.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Silverado EV (provides)\u00a0customers with a true work-capable truck to help them begin the transition to an electric fleet and assist them in achieving their own sustainability goals,”\u00a0said GM Fleet VP Ed Peper.<\/p>\n

The retail\u00a0strategy will initially target\u00a0premium\u00a0EV buyers who also have the coin for, say, a $105k Mercedes EQS EV. Pickups like the Silverado High Country\u00a0have become prized by luxury items in recent years, though the RST EV will cost\u00a0$40,000 more than a fully-loaded V8-powered High Country.<\/p>\n

For that price, buyers will get a lot. The Silverado EV is a rolling tech showcase.\u00a0It plays in the same space as other luxury trucks from startups like Rivian, Bollinger, and Tesla boasting big performance numbers that high-torque batteries can deliver.<\/p>\n

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The same Ultium batteries\u00a0that rocket\u00a0the tri-motor, $112,595 Hummer from 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds will get the dual-motor Silverado RST there in under 4.5 seconds. Credit a gob-smacking 664-horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque. The high-voltage platform rivals the Porsche and Lucid Air luxury cars and can add 100 miles of range in 10\u00a0minutes at a fast charger. The Chevy’s 400-mile range bests Lightning by 100 miles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ultium Platform enabled our design and engineering teams to start from a clean slate and create a pickup with impressive performance,\u201d said Nichole Kraatz, Silverado EV chief engineer, who added the architecture allows over-the-air software updates to improve the truck over time.<\/p>\n

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The\u00a0truck\u2019s sprawling, 145.6-inch wheelbase sits on giant, 24-inch wheels and an independent air suspension \u2014 its profile sleeker than the similarly-sized, gas-powered Silverado. For range-extending aerodynamics, the hood and cowl are lower. A fashionable,\u00a0LED light runs the width of the grille-less front fascia, similar to\u00a0Lightning. Silverado EV doesn\u2019t share any body\u00a0panels with its gas brother.<\/p>\n

Step up into the cabin and the truck turns on via card, key, or phone app recognition. Interior space is palatial. Twin 11-and-17-inch screens anchor\u00a0the dash with a 14-inch head-up display projected over the hood. Drivers can delve deep into the infotainment menus while driving hands-free with SuperCruise semi-autonomous tech. Also notable is a Tesla-like column shifter and\u00a0class-leading 7 gallons of console storage space.<\/p>\n

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The pickup\u2019s signature\u00a0piece is the bed.<\/p>\n

A flying buttress C-pillar \u2014 reminiscent of the 2013 Chevy\u00a0Avalanche pickup \u2014 frames the 5\u2019 11\u201d bed that can be extended to 9 feet (10\u2019 10\u201d with the tailgate down)\u00a0by dropping the Multi-Flex Midgate wall and window behind the rear, crew-cab\u00a0passengers. It\u2019s not as radical looking as the angular Tesla\u00a0Cybertruck, but it\u2019s distinct from traditional, boxy Silverados. The gate can be split 60\/40 \u2014 or drop flat with storage for the removable window. The rear Multi-Flex Tailgate offers\u00a0multi-functionality like walk-in steps or a work table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a conventionally-styled pickup,\u201d said designer Ryan Vaughn. \u201cIt\u2019s more muscular, more sleek. It\u2019s driven by functionality. The electric range\u00a0is important.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The bed\u2019s utility is aided\u00a0by the stiff chassis structure that sits atop\u00a0the Ultium platform \u2014 the battery low for improved center of gravity. An\u00a0underbody shield runs the length of the truck, helping keep road noise from the cabin.<\/p>\n

The RST offers four-wheel steer for maneuverability\u00a0in tight spots on and off-road. Hook up a trailer and it will tow 10,000 pounds \u2014 though that will likely compromise range. TFLTruck.com estimates towing degrades mpg in a gas\/hybrid-powered trucks\u00a0by 70% \u2014 and will take a similar toll on battery range.<\/p>\n