When an automaker unveils a concept car, it's probably going to be a delicate show piece with fancy trim that's meant to be driven slowly and carefully, if at all. Not Chevrolet, though. With its latest concept, the 2025 Silverado EV ZR2 off-road race truck, Chevrolet defies convention and goes all out.
It’s a highly tuned racing version of its all-electric Silverado truck. But what good is a race-spec truck without a race? The truck has just competed in the Mint 400 race, Nevada’s mini version of the Baja 1000. Chad Hall, who is a member of the Hall Racing team, was in the driving seat of the all-electric race truck in the Open Production EV class. It joined the likes of the Silverado ZR2 and the Colorado ZR2, the team's present lineup of race-tested Chevrolet pickups.
It comes fitted with a 'tri-motor electric propulsion system,' which produces 1,100 horsepower (820.6 kW) and 11,500 lb.ft (15,592 Nm) of torque. In comparison, the standard Silverado EV produces 750 horsepower and 785 lb.ft of torque from a dual-motor drivetrain. Damn, GM certainly pulled out all the stops for this one.
The powertrain seems to be borrowed from the Hummer EV 3X. But will you see the same powertrain in the production-version Silverado EV ZR2? It seems so, but the speculation is that the power and torque will likely be reduced a bit.
In order to fit two motors in the back without compromising any rear storage, it seems most likely that GM will likely modify the chassis and the bed. With this concept, Chevrolet could possibly be experimenting with potential fixes for the issue in question and testing the drivetrain under harsh circumstances.
The Silverado EV ZR2 sits on 37-inch off-road tires, which are marginally larger than the 35-inch rubber that adorns the new Silverado EV Trail Boss going on sale later this year. The Trail Boss is the "more off-road capable" trim of the Silverado EV that will include red tow hooks, a "terrain mode," and a factory-installed lift. But safe to say it won't be quite as drastic as this Mint version.
Apparently, the Silverado EV ZR2 race truck concept was created in five months with 98% GM production components, incorporating the same winning ZR2 formula seen in Chevrolet's production trucks.
It features locking differentials, an off-road-tuned lifted suspension, Multimatic damper technology, and underbody skid protection for increased durability. Along with 37-inch BF Goodrich KM3 Mud-Terrain tires, the electric truck also sports prototype Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers, which offer more than 13 inches of front and rear wheel travel – and in part, better off-road performance.
“The Silverado EV ZR2 showcases some of the best of Chevrolet to produce a beyond-capable pickup to tackle a challenging race of the Mint 400’s magnitude,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “There is no better proving ground to test the limits of our vehicles than competitive racing.”
The Mint 400 race took place from March 5-9, with the Silverado EV ZR2 concept competing in the EV Open class – although it only managed to complete one lap of 73 miles (117.5 km) .
Source: General Motors