GM’s promise to deliver a greener future with zero crashes and zero emissions is already off to an exceptional start with models like the GMC Hummer EV and the recently debuted 2024 Chevy Silverado EV. The Silverado EV might not look like the legendary workhorse that you’ve come to know and love, but its modern aesthetic isn’t meant to blend in with the crowd. It’s meant to inspire and attract drivers who are looking for a modern, electrified marvel on wheels. Yes, that means you.
The Silverado EV has sent the automotive industry into a tailspin over the last few years as rumors ran wild about the truck’s design and capability. Would it continue the Silverado’s legacy as a road warrior, or would drivers see a decrease in power due to its all-electric powertrain? Now that the wait is over, we know the answer and exactly where the 2024 Silverado EV stands in the segment–at the front of the pack, and here’s why.
#1 On-Demand Power
While internal combustion engines have long proven their worth in powering workhorses across America, EVs are slowly proving that electric power can be incredibly capable and versatile as well. This is certainly the case when you look at the 2024 Silverado EV that’s powered by GM’s exclusive Ultium platform. Modular in design, the 24-module Ulitum battery pack is made up of a 200 kWh two-motor system that’s responsible for the Silverado’s jaw-dropping power. The numbers don’t lie with the Silverado EV churning out anywhere from 510 to 664 horsepower and between 615 lb-ft and 780 lb-ft of near-instant torque.
How It Compares
How does this power compare to the Silverado EV’s biggest competitor, the Ford F-150 Lightning? The Silverado easily takes the lead thanks to GM’s Ultium platform. The F-150 Lightning offers a 98 kWh standard range battery pack or a 131 kWh extended range pack that delivers anywhere from 426 to 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of near-instant torque.
#2 Exceptional Efficiency
The Silverado’s exceptional power doesn’t come at the cost of efficiency, with Chevy estimating the truck will offer a 400-mile range. Chevy makes recharging easy since the Silverado EV features public DC fast charging capabilities up to 350 kW, giving you the ability to add around 100 miles to your range in just 10 minutes. Chevy’s partnership with Energy Assist makes it easy to locate these charging stations and over 100,000 other stations throughout the United States and Canada via the myChevrolet Mobile app and Ultium Charge 360.
How It Compares
Like Chevrolet, Ford makes it easy to adopt an all-electric lifestyle in a truck like the F-150 Lightning. You will, however, spend more time charging the Lightning since the standard range battery offers a 230-mile range while the extended range battery pushes that range to 300 miles. The Silverado’s 400-mile range is undoubtedly impressive, as is Chevy’s efforts to reduce your downtime on the road.
The Lightning comes with a dual onboard charging system that gives you fast-charging capability at home; however, this pales in comparison to the Silverado EV’s fast-charging capability on the road that can add up to 100 miles to the truck’s range in 10 minutes. It takes The Lightning about an hour to add 30 miles to its range or at least eight hours to fully recharge the battery.
#3 Legendary Capability
With on-demand power and exceptional efficiency, the 2024 Silverado EV continues the truck’s legacy as a capable workhorse. The Silverado EV Work Truck or WT is designed for fleet customers and will revolutionize how businesses operate with its exceptional efficiency and capability. The Work Truck is capable of towing up to 8,000 pounds, but Chevy has big plans to push the truck’s capability to 20,000 pounds with a future tow package. The Silverado EV RST First Edition, which is designed for those with a penchant for luxury and modern technology, can tow up to 10,000 pounds.
How It Compares
Ford’s “Built Ford Tough” motto earns its place on the F-150 Lightning but is it enough to outshine the Silverado EV? Not really. When equipped with the standard range battery, the F-150 Lightning tows 300 pounds less than the Silverado at 7,700 pounds. You’ll have to opt for the extended range battery to find a comparable workhorse that can tow 10,000 pounds with ease.
#4 Functional Features to Work Smarter, Not Harder
The 2024 Silverado EV lives up to its reputation as “the pickup reimagined” by replacing the Silverado’s traditional body-on-frame design with a unibody platform that’s shared with the GMC Hummer EV. This switch is a notable change in the segment that reflects the Silverado’s all-new design. This is apparent in the truck’s shortened front end and the forward placement of the cowl as well as the expansive cabin and bed, the latter of which measures 5-foot 11-inches.
The Silverado EV also takes many design cues from its long-lost cousin, the Avalanche, and uses its unibody design to its advantage to add a host of functional features that help you work smarter, not harder. The most impressive of these features is the Multi-Flex Midgate that mirrors the truck’s 60-40 split-folding second-row seat, making it easy to carry both passengers and cargo at the same time. With a single passenger behind the driver, you can fold the larger portion of the seat and open the midgate for up to nine feet of storage between the cab and the tailgate.
Chevy ups the ante by pairing the Silverado EV’s Multi-Flex Midgate with the Multi-Flex Tailgate, the latter of which is a hot commodity in the Chevy lineup because of its versatility. The Multi-Flex Tailgate extends the function of the traditional tailgate by offering six unique functions–primary gate, primary gate load stop, inner gate, inner gate load stop, full-width step, and work surface. With the Midgate opened, the primary gate folded down, and the primary gate load stop in place, you can haul items up to 10 feet 10 inches in length. When the Silverado EV is equipped with a tonneau cover, your items are secure and protected from the weather.
How It Compares
The F-150 Lightning is built on the same platform as the gas-powered F-150 and isn’t as passenger-friendly or cargo-friendly as the Silverado EV. The Lightning offers the same room in the cabin and bed as its gas-powered counterparts, and that leaves a lot to be desired in comparison to the Chevy. As far as numbers go, the Lightning features a 5-foot 6-inch bed. The absence of functional features like a multifunctional tailgate or a midgate limit what you can haul.
Leading the Pack in the 2024 Silverado EV
Unlike the F-150 Lightning that shares the same platform as the F-150 and many of the same design features, the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV doesn’t look much like the Silverado of years past. But why should it? The Silverado EV’s unique design ushers the truck into a new era of innovation and capability, marking a shift in the automotive industry to an all-electric future with zero emissions and zero crashes.
What’s even more remarkable is that Chevy took a risk with the Silverado EV’s unique, unibody design and used that design to the truck’s advantage. The Silverado EV extends its versatility as a workhorse because of its vast array of functional tools that are designed to make the truck work with you and for you. Chevy’s risk will soon prove its worth as drivers reap the benefits and everything the 2024 Silverado EV has to offer.
