When the Silverado EV was first announced, it felt like a hurried push to play catchup with Ford’s Lightning. I thus assumed that it’d be a bedazzled version of the gas truck. Surprisingly, though, the Silverado EV has very little in common with the Silverado combustion models.
At a Glance
- Style and design is half truck, half something else
- Power and capability, except for the range under load
- An overall good pickup
The Silverado EV is basically the Hummer EV with a more usable truck body. Its styling is a combination of the current-generation Silverado and an early 2000s Avalanche. This is GM’s first fully electric pickup under the Silverado nameplate, built from the ground up on the Ultium platform. That gives it a lot of capability, but also a hefty curb weight and some compromises. Those will matter, depending on which side of the “truck people” spectrum you land on.
Those looks are a big polarity point for truck fans. It’s a combination of tough truck looks and a weird futuristic wedge of plastic. Unlike the Hummer, for example, nothing about the Silverado EV says “off-road with me.” It does kind of say “put stuff in the back and haul it around,” though. So at least there’s that.
The EV is longer than a regular Silverado and has a slightly lower bed height, which helps with access and aerodynamics; though it also means you’ll think twice before trying to climb over the side to grab a tool box. Because up close, the bodywork gives off a delicate feel. More plasticky than metal. To be fair, the Avalanche gave the same impression. It’s a design thing.
The top-trim RST Max Range brings a dual-motor setup with 760 horsepower and 785 lb-ft (1,064 Nm) of torque when you hit Wide Open Watts mode (yes, that’s a real thing). Zero to sixty (97 km/h) in under 4.5 seconds? Sure. But let’s not kid ourselves. This is still a truck that weighs over 8,500 lb (3,850 kg). It goes fast, but not forever.
With a 200+ kWh battery pack, it boasts an estimated 450 miles (720 km) of range (for the Work Truck commercial model). But that number is best-case scenario. Load it with lumber, hitch a trailer, or even drive into a strong headwind, and that figure can drop faster than your enthusiasm on a Monday morning. The RST Max Range I drove is estimated at a respectable 440 miles (708 km) and will do at least 400 (644 km) most of the time. When using the Silverado EV as a truck, though, expect the range to be less than half that.
Consumers are offered three trim levels, based on horsepower output, number of motors, and battery size. I personally think that the Silverado EV WT version, which isn’t a consumer-level offering, is probably the smartest version of the bunch. It has a lot less glitter and a lot more grit. It tows up to 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) and can carry 1,400–1,500 lb (635–680 kg) of payload. That’s solid, but not revolutionary. It does come with clever packaging thanks to the EV platform: a massive front trunk (“frunk”), under-bed storage, and the neat Multi-Flex Midgate that lets you extend bed space into the cabin.
Charging is where things get dicey. If you’re hauling a load, stopping every couple of hours to recharge for 40+ minutes is pretty deal breaking. Even with 350 kW DC fast charging. Never mind if you’re out on a job site parked next to the porta-potty and no outlet.
If you've experienced the Hummer EV, you’ll be familiar with the Silverado EV’s interior. There’s a 17-inch center touchscreen and 11-inch driver display, plus the optional Super Cruise hands-free driving system. Interior quality is GM mid-tier: more durable than luxurious, which fits the truck’s blue-collar-meets-eco-warrior theme. I liked it better than the competition in that regard.
Rear seat space is generous, and because there’s no transmission tunnel, the floor is flat. This means the middle chump seat isn’t so chumped.
Chevrolet’s Silverado EV isn’t perfect. It’s heavy, expensive (the extended range Work Truck starts at US$69,500), and range anxiety is real if you’re doing actual truck stuff. But it also proves that electric trucks are a real thing that can be useful for more than a few buyers. This is a real truck with real capabilities; albeit in a slicker, tech-heavy suit.
Fleet buyers will love the WT for its simplicity and range. Tech-forward buyers will love the RST for its sheer torque and toys. The rest of us? We’ll wait to see if the promised $50k trims ever materialize – or if they go the way of the Cybertruck base model. Which feels more likely.
In all, the Silverado EV does what few thought GM would do this soon: build an electric truck that actually trucks. It’s not just a Silverado with electricals shoved in. It’s it’s own thing.
Product Page: 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV
