Photo: Chevrolet | Edited
GM is preparing to launch the Chevrolet Silverado EV, with the fleet-focused version debuting soon. According to Rory Harvey, GM's incoming North American president, the work-truck version will have a longer EPA range than GM initially estimated, at 450 miles.
Despite some very bullish statements made by its CEO Mary Barra, General Motors is still struggling in the EV arena. In the first quarter, it sold less than 1,000 Ultium EVs based on its much-hyped EV architecture underpinning its future electric vehicles. It's been more successful with the aging Chevy Bolt EV, thanks to being the cheapest EV on the market. Still, the Bolt will be retired by the end of the year, which means GM must step up its Ultium game by then.
The company hopes the Chevrolet Silverado EV will help it reach the volumes needed to achieve economy of scale with the Ultium platform. Pickup trucks are hugely popular in the US, and Rivian and Ford are both selling every truck they can produce. Naturally, GM wants a piece of the pie, and the Chevy Silverado EV is the ticket to heaven. GM will start sales with the Work Truck version, primarily destined for fleet buyers. The launch date is still "spring of 2023," although the summer begins in less than two weeks.
Initially, the longest range of the fleet model targeted a 400-mile (645-km) range. This would've been enough to put the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T to shame. Still, GM revealed that internal testing showed that the Silverado EV proved far more efficient than initially estimated. Consequently, the longest-range version of the Work Truck variant will go 450 miles (725 km) on a charge. Combined with a fast-charge capability of 350 kW, the Silverado EV WT should prove a perfect choice for fleet buyers.
The longest-range version of the Silverado EV WT has a starting price of $79,800, including destination charges, which is not exactly cheap. GM plans more affordable versions of the truck with a smaller battery pack. A work truck with an estimated 350-mile (560-km) range will retail for $74,800 soon after launch, and cheaper work-truck configurations could go as low as $41,595. Still, anyone serious about towing should go for the long-range variants, considering that electric pickups lose half the range when towing.
As for the more souped-up versions destined for the retail market, they will appear at dealers this fall. The first will be the fully-loaded RST First Edition, although its $106,995 price puts it very close to the GMC Hummer EV. On the plus side, it is estimated to offer 400 miles of range, and we don't see why it won't go for 450 miles, similar to the Work Truck version. Other retail versions, including a Trail Boss geared toward the off-road enthusiast crowd, will arrive later.
The company hopes the Chevrolet Silverado EV will help it reach the volumes needed to achieve economy of scale with the Ultium platform. Pickup trucks are hugely popular in the US, and Rivian and Ford are both selling every truck they can produce. Naturally, GM wants a piece of the pie, and the Chevy Silverado EV is the ticket to heaven. GM will start sales with the Work Truck version, primarily destined for fleet buyers. The launch date is still "spring of 2023," although the summer begins in less than two weeks.
Initially, the longest range of the fleet model targeted a 400-mile (645-km) range. This would've been enough to put the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T to shame. Still, GM revealed that internal testing showed that the Silverado EV proved far more efficient than initially estimated. Consequently, the longest-range version of the Work Truck variant will go 450 miles (725 km) on a charge. Combined with a fast-charge capability of 350 kW, the Silverado EV WT should prove a perfect choice for fleet buyers.
The longest-range version of the Silverado EV WT has a starting price of $79,800, including destination charges, which is not exactly cheap. GM plans more affordable versions of the truck with a smaller battery pack. A work truck with an estimated 350-mile (560-km) range will retail for $74,800 soon after launch, and cheaper work-truck configurations could go as low as $41,595. Still, anyone serious about towing should go for the long-range variants, considering that electric pickups lose half the range when towing.
As for the more souped-up versions destined for the retail market, they will appear at dealers this fall. The first will be the fully-loaded RST First Edition, although its $106,995 price puts it very close to the GMC Hummer EV. On the plus side, it is estimated to offer 400 miles of range, and we don't see why it won't go for 450 miles, similar to the Work Truck version. Other retail versions, including a Trail Boss geared toward the off-road enthusiast crowd, will arrive later.
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