2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV

Electric trucks are an exciting part of the automotive world. They can do the usual truck-type things like tow heavy trailers, haul weighty payloads, and make great progress when there’s no tarmac beneath their wheels. They can be sparse or luxurious, functional yet fun.

Electric power also makes possible another set of attributes. Speed is impressive, especially since these trucks are far from light. Their motors can generate a lot of muscle, while their makers also provide decent suspensions to handle all those forces. The 2024 Chevy Silverado EV enters this arena fully equipped to compete and impress.

Chevrolet says the Silverado EV RST can run up to 440 miles between charges. It charges quickly, too, so there’s minimal interruption to work or play.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of electric pickups, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV.

The Silverado EV is completely new this year. Based on a different platform than the combustion-powered Silverado, it’s still a full-size/half-ton truck with comparable abilities.

For comparison, the Ford F-150 Lightning starts off at a lower price, while the GMC Hummer EV approaches six figures. In between are the Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck. There’s also the GMC Sierra EV, the other side of the Silverado EV coin. Before buying a new Silverado EV all-electric truck, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. We expect the Silverado EV to hold its value well relative to other electric vehicles. Remember, recouping more money when you sell a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on your next one.

The Silverado EV RST makes a muscular maximum of 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque while in Wide Open Watts mode (a boost feature). Chevy claims a standstill-to-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds. Coming from a combustion background, we’d say these numbers are phenomenal. And they are when the tires hit real tarmac. We noticed that the RST gets a little wayward under full acceleration, but not as much as the GMC Hummer EV.

For comparison, the top version of the Tesla Cybertruck makes 845 hp and hits 60 mph in about 2.6 seconds. The Rivian R1T Quad Motor is in that same ballpark. Even so, it’s highly unlikely that the words “slow” and “underpowered” will ever be used to describe the RST version of the Silverado EV on this side of the warp-speed era.

Helping to keep all those horses under control, the RST comes with all-wheel drive (AWD) as standard. All-wheel steering is also available. Together, that means a lot of grip and excellent maneuverability. Tight parking spaces are tackled easily, while canyon roads are greeted with relish. An adaptive air suspension is also offered, bringing a range of settings from comfortable to athletic, plus an adjustable ride height. During our time with the RST, it didn’t feel truck-like to drive — instead, it seemed smaller and much more composed, while the ride quality didn’t suffer with those big alloy wheels. We also found that the brakes feel confident.

Towing and Payload

The Silverado EV RST is able to tow 10,000 pounds or take a payload of 1,500 pounds. The AWD Work Truck will pull the same amount and is rated 100 pounds below the RST in payload terms. For reference, the Ford F-150 Lightning can also tow 10,000 pounds (with the Extended Range battery), while the Cybertruck and R1T claim 11,000 pounds. These three rivals all have higher payload capacities (R1T: 1,984 pounds; F-150 Lightning: 2,235 pounds; Cybertruck: 2,500 pounds), but the Silverado EV is hardly a weakling.

The 2024 Silverado EV is a crew cab only, with plenty of room for 6-footers in both seating rows and a massive 44.3 inches of rear legroom. The Silverado EV can also store lunch — a space in the RST’s center console is big enough for a reasonably sized cooler.

We’re happy to see physical controls for the air conditioning system and a few other functions. At the same time, most of the dashboard follows the contemporary low-clutter formula dominated by large screens. The feel of the RST is distinctly premium, as it should be for the price.

The rear seats split and fold in 60/40 fashion, allowing versatility in people-carrying and cargo-carrying abilities. Under the hood, there is a generous 10.7 cubic feet of stowage space, big enough to take a large suitcase.

Many potential buyers might be pleased that the new Silverado EV looks like a regular, full-size truck — only the LED strip going across the nose is an obvious electric-vehicle giveaway. This pickup is virtually the same length as the Ford F-150 Lightning. One minor detail is that instead of a 90-degree angle where the top of the bed meets the back of the cab, there’s a little slanted panel at each side (if anyone remembers the Chevy Avalanche, that had something similar).

The bed is 71 inches long, with a volume of 57.7 cubic feet — not so different from the short bed offered with the gasoline-powered Silverado 1500 crew cab model. The Ford F-150 Lightning’s bed is around five inches shorter and space-shy by about five cubic feet. Both of these trucks beat the Rivian R1T in this respect.

Chevy offers huge 24-inch alloy wheels for the RST.

Infotainment technology
The RST comes with a large 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen, plus an 11-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch head-up display that projects vital information onto the windshield directly in front of the driver. This all adds up to impressive tech. However, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Digital rearview mirror
Standard in the RST, this item can be a regular mirror or show the feed from a rear-facing wide-angle camera to give drivers a better idea of what’s going on behind them. We’re all for optimum vision.

Super Cruise
General Motors’ hands-free driving feature is compatible with many thousand miles of roads in the United States and Canada. We’ve found it works really well overall and can help perform safe lane changes, too. The Silverado EV RST gains a special version that can take trailers into account.

Multi-Flex Tailgate
We’ve enjoyed this clever little marvel in other Chevy and GMC trucks. It can act as a step into the bed, function as a workbench, or become a load stop to hold items that would otherwise be too long to fit.

PowerBase
A set of up to 10 outlets in the Silverado EV’s bed can provide power for tools (with a 240-volt supply, if necessary) and other appliances. A 115-volt outlet in the front stowage area is also available. The Silverado EV can even charge another electric vehicle.

Detachable Multi-Flex Midgate
In the RST, the entire rear wall and window can be removed and stowed. Fold down the rear seats, and there’s space for something almost 11 feet long (with the Multi-Flex Tailgate installed). Chevy also offers a tonneau cover.

According to Chevrolet, the RST can travel 440 miles before needing a recharge. That’s great. For comparison, the Ford F-150 Lighting with an Extended Range battery is rated at 320 miles, the Tesla Cybertruck’s maximum is 320 miles, and the Rivian R1T can cover up to 420 miles.

And that’s not the Silverado EV’s absolute maximum. One version of the Work Truck model is estimated to achieve 450 miles. A more affordable rear-drive Work Truck variant can still do 393 miles. We expect these figures to be repeatable in real life — or at least get close, depending on conditions.

Using a DC fast charger, the new Silverado EV can take on 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. Again, that’s competitive against rivals like the Cybertruck and R1T.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Chevrolet’s new-vehicle warranty lasts three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles, while the battery has its own warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles. These terms are typical among mainstream manufacturers.

Safety

Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, plus a following distance indicator.