Published , by Chris Jarrard
Published , by Chris Jarrard
With Tesla’s Cybertruck and Ford’s new F-150 Lightning garnering loads of attention from automotive enthusiasts, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see more new EV options from the world’s biggest automakers. This time, General Motors took to this year’s CES shows in Las Vegas to announce the new Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup truck.
The Chevy Silverado EV will be the second EV truck from General Motors, following the GMC Hummer EV, of which the new Silverado EV shares the same platform and Ultium battery pack. The Silverado EV is scheduled to hit the market in late 2023 and will be available in two variants, the RST First Edition and a Work Truck (WT) model. GM says the RST First Edition will arrive on dealer lots first, with the WT arriving shortly after.
The RST First Edition comes loaded with features and a loaded price tag. With a suggested retail price of around $105,000, GM’s first electric pickup will not be easily attainable by those with light wallets. Thankfully, later deliveries with the WT trim will start at $39,000, according to GM. This pricing will be incredibly attractive to fleet buyers and small business owners. Other models of the Silverado EV will begin to arrive after the initial two models and will be priced accordingly.
GM estimates that all the trims available for the Silverado EV will be capable of over 400 miles of range on a full charge. Even more impressive, either trim level will be capable of fast charging, with speeds of up to 350kW. In ideal conditions, this could add 100 miles of range to the Silverado EV every ten minutes of charging time. That being said, not all charging stations are equipped to deliver so much juice, so actual charging times will vary.
The new Silverado makes use of its electric platform to deliver auxiliary power to drivers when needed. Where the new Ford F-150 Lighting can offer up to 2.4kW of onboard power in its cheapest work trim, the Silverado offers up to 10.2kW of power. This would be perfect for powering a home during inclement weather or recharging another EV.
Get ready, folks. We are about to enter the great electric truck wars. I hope you all brought popcorn.