Chevy Silverado EV Goes on a Tow Skirmish Against an F-150 V6, Results Are Surprising

Just a review of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV probably won't do it, as the electric version of the second best-selling truck nameplate in America has been long in the tooth arriving on the market. No worries, leave it to the guys over at The Fast Lane Truck to come up with something that's both a bit crazy and actually useful.

Thus, their idea with the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV was to compare it against a most common foe in the full-size pickup truck category – a Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 with a short bed. This Lariat FX4 is not brand new, but it really doesn't matter – its 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 has 400 horsepower, so it's no slouch. Against it is the dual-motor Silverado EV with 515 ponies and a big battery.

So, their idea is "simple" – go on a looped test with the two pickup trucks and 6,500-pound trailers attached to both! Yep, they're doing one of their signature tow tests with the all-new Silverado EV to see if it compares to a regular gasoline truck, all the while knowing that electric vehicles are famously bad at towing when it comes to range.

As such, the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV's trip computer initially showed a range estimate of 475 miles- even higher than what GM argued for it (450 miles). But there's a potential explanation or two – the odometer is a bit optimistic, or the trick they used worked like wonders. That's because right before the test started, they both topped out their respective trucks – gas for the F-150 and another quick charge at an ultra-fast 350 kW station for the Silverado EV, even though it was already at 100% state of charge.

During the test, both reviewers discussed the particularities of the test loop – which is as flat as possible, when considering they are doing it in Colorado. Anyway, the trailers also got a presentation along with the trucks because they were hiding some goodies – a pair of side-by-side toys, just to add another normality factor to the test (they didn't haul empty trailers).

Interestingly, the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV returned to the initial high-power charging station after completing the entire route on a single charge – though not without some added stress on the reviewer during the latter part of the test. Once there, it was interesting to note the Ford truck hauled as advertised – almost 10 MPG, while the Silverado EV was much more efficient, translating to over 38 MPGe. Plus, it was the most they drove an EV truck with a big 7-ft trailer attached to it, so they were pretty impressed with the rig.

However, if they stayed to recharge at the 350-kW station, it would cost just as much as the gas truck to top off! At home, though, where prices can be much lower, that's a different use-case scenario altogether. Plus, they also found another surprising fact – these charging stations are not great for trucks because the isles are relatively small, and they're horrific for trucks with trailers because they will block traffic altogether!