It is almost two years ahead – the Ford F-150 Lightning, which launched very successfully and is therefore the electric version of the best-selling car in the world. The F-150 has not only been the undisputed number one for pick-ups that are so popular in the USA for decades – there is also a clear number two: the Chevrolet Silverado. And it will finally be available to customers in the USA in the coming months as a long-awaited electric version. It is intended to put the currently sluggish electric market in the USA back on the fast track after the Tesla Cybertruck hardly has what it takes to become a bestseller due to its design.
Visually, the 5.92 meter long Chevrolet Silverado EV – only available as a crew car – is clearly recognizable as a member of the successful Silverado family. However, details on the front and rear clearly show that there are neither six nor eight-cylinder engines working under the hood, but rather, based on the Lightning model, there is a cargo space of over 300 liters in which equipment can be transported and charged. Similar to the Ford F-150 with a plug, the E-Silverado will also be available in a wide range of models ranging from commercial vehicles to luxury trucks. The top version is a 554 kW / 754 hp all-wheel drive vehicle, which, thanks to its impressive torque of 1,068 Nm, can not only transport objects weighing up to 590 kilograms on its loading area, but also trailers weighing up to more than 4.5 tons can pull. If the driver puts his mind to it, the electric pick-up, which weighs more than 2.5 tons, sprints from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reaches a limited top speed of 170 km/h.
The commercially oriented basic model WT3, as a so-called work horse, produces 375 kW / 510 hp and a maximum torque of still immense 835 Nm. A particularly rustic version is to follow later this year, which will tow trailers weighing up to nine tons. “GM Fleet has a long history of providing customers with great products and services, an exceptional customer experience and innovative solutions to meet their unique business needs,” said Ed Peper, General Motors’ fleet business manager. “We are excited to bring the Silverado EV to market “Providing our customers with a truly workable commercial vehicle that will ease the transition to an electric fleet and help them achieve their own sustainability goals.”
The battery pack in the underbody offers a range of 500 to 720 kilometers for the Silverado EV 4WT, depending on the version. The significant time delay has a significant advantage in terms of charging speed, because while the main competitor, the Ford F-150 Lightning, can recharge up to a maximum of 200 kilowatts, the 800-volt electrical system of the Chevy, which is produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, enables a charging speed of up to 350 kW, which is The charging stops are significantly reduced. In ten minutes, the pick-up refuels at a hypercharger for another 160 kilometers. Technically, the Chevrolet Silverado EV with a wheelbase of an impressive 3.70 meters is closely related to the new edition of the electric Hummer. Both are based on the Ultium platform, which not only enables all-wheel drive, but in versions such as the elegant RST First Edition also includes all-wheel steering (turning circle: 12.90 meters) and variable air suspension, which increases the ground clearance by almost 23 centimeters can vary up to five centimeters. “Chevrolet has continually revolutionized the Silverado to make it the powerhouse it is today,” explains Steve Hill, vice president of Chevrolet, “The Ultium platform is a critical factor in the performance of a next-generation pickup truck, both for both fleet and personal customers, whether they are currently driving a Silverado or are considering a pickup truck for the first time.”
In the interior, the electric Silverado does not differ significantly, but definitely noticeably, from the versions with combustion engines. Not only is there plenty of space for five people and a foldable rear seat, but not only an eleven-inch instrument unit, but also a color 14-inch head-up display and a central 17-inch infotainment screen in the middle of the dashboard . Like other models from the General Motors Group, the Silverado also offers the Super Cruise driver assistance system, which allows the driver to take his hands off the wheel on more than 320,000 kilometers on North American highways. The Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition costs $105,000 in the US market; the other price range is between 50,000 and 80,000 dollars. A launch on the European market is not planned at the moment – but it is hardly ruled out in the long term.
