Is the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST’s Range Really an Issue, or Are Your Expectations Unrealistic?

How Far Does an EV Need to Go to Satisfy Americans’ Range Anxiety? Is it 300 miles? 400? For the sake of everyone’s peace of mind, we’re hoping—begging, really—that the 440-mile range of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST will finally lay this concern to rest.

Yes, we get it—your second cousin tows a 10,000-pound trailer 600 miles up a mountain every day for work. But for the majority of truck-loving, suburban-dwelling Americans, this electric pickup simply needs to cross that critical range threshold. With Silverado EV RST deliveries starting, you can now drive a full-size truck from Chicago to Cleveland, Dallas to Jackson, or Boise to Salt Lake City without needing to stop. Roll out the banner and snap a photo of this 9,100-pound behemoth, because this should be the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED moment for electric pickups.

Chevy’s Engineering Marvel

Chevy achieves this impressive range not through proprietary battery chemistry or an obsessive focus on efficiency, but by leveraging brute-force engineering. The RST stacks battery modules in two layers like Big Mac patties to fit a massive 205-kWh pack under the floor. It’s a quintessentially American solution to the American desire for large, capable passenger vehicles that can traverse entire states in one go at 80 mph.

Solving One Problem, Creating Others

By addressing the range issue in this manner, Chevy has inadvertently made it harder to tackle the broader EV concerns. The large battery pack doesn’t help lower the price or enable faster recharging. The entire first year of RST production is devoted to the $96,395 First Edition, and it’s worth considering how much cheaper the Silverado EV might be with a 30 to 40 percent smaller battery, like the electric trucks from Ford, Rivian, and Tesla.

Home chargers will likely see significant savings, with refueling costs around $40 for a full-size truck. However, those using the expensive fast-charging infrastructure may still end up paying over $100 to fill up. At the most powerful stations, the Silverado can charge up to 350 kilowatts, adding 100 miles in just 10 minutes, which sounds impressive. Yet, this advantage is somewhat negated by the Silverado EV’s lower efficiency. Real-world efficiency reductions of 20 percent or more mean Chevy’s truck will only be marginally quicker at regaining range than other EV trucks we’ve tested.

A New Driving Experience

Truck owners aren’t likely to suddenly prioritize efficiency just because their vehicle is electric. Silverado EV buyers will probably be too captivated by the driving experience to notice. Besides its range, the Silverado EV RST offers a quick and comfortable ride. Chevy engineers aimed to make their electric truck drive like its gas counterpart, but the EV actually surpasses it. The unibody structure and four-corner independent suspension tame the busy ride typical of an unloaded, nose-heavy body-on-frame truck. With air springs, adaptive dampers, and near-even weight distribution, the electric Silverado handles with the smooth competence of a crossover. It even outperforms a crew-cab, short-bed Silverado 1500, making U-turns in a space that’s five feet narrower, thanks to four-wheel steering and a slightly shorter wheelbase.

Comfort and Power

In Tour mode, the ride is generally smooth without being overly soft. However, hitting a big pothole or switching to Sport mode (there’s also a Normal setting) reveals the Silverado EV’s stiff ride, especially with its 24-inch wheels and low-profile tires. The ride becomes harsh, sending shocks through the cabin. Despite this, the truck turns eagerly enough in Tour mode that you might never feel the need to use the other settings.

Power and Speed

The heavy Chevy is powered by front and rear permanent-magnet motors that deliver a combined 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque. Possibly, this is too much power. During a demonstration of the full-power Wide Open Watts mode, drivers often started to weave around 40 mph. Despite a clean launch and a 0–60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, which is relatively modest for an EV, the steering felt overly sensitive, likely due to torque steer management through the electric power steering.

Innovative Features

WOW mode isn’t the Silverado EV’s main selling point. Chevy’s standout feature is the midgate—a complex system of gaskets, trim, and hinges between the cab and the bed. This extends the bed from 5 feet, 11 inches to 9 feet, solving the problem of transporting long objects. The midgate isn’t new—Chevy’s Avalanche did this more than a decade ago—but the Silverado adds a 60/40-split function, allowing the use of one or two rear seats with the pass-through open. The rear window and optional hard tonneau cover create a large weatherproof, lockable space, complemented by a 10.7-cubic-foot frunk.

Like the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Silverado EV has enough plugs to power an elaborate campsite and can act as a backup generator for your home. It boasts a 10,000-pound towing capacity, comparable to similar gas trucks and electric competitors. However, its payload capacity of 1,500 pounds is relatively low for a truck of this size.

Interior and Tech

The cabin is spacious with a limo-like rear seat, but the seat bottoms sit close to the floor, and the roof is a large glass pane with no sunshade, which are compromises to comfort. The interior quality doesn’t fully match the price, with stitching that looks poorly finished in some areas. However, the First Edition includes many convenience features, including GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance system, which is highly impressive.

The Infotainment Controversy

One potential deal-breaker is the absence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Instead, the 17.7-inch screen runs Google Maps, Google Assistant, and streaming apps natively. While functional, this setup requires a subscription after a three-year trial period, which may not appeal to all buyers. As a workaround, you can stream music from your phone over Bluetooth, or opt for a different truck.

The Future of Electric Trucks

We’ll wait for a MotorTrend Road-Trip Range test on the Chevrolet Silverado EV before declaring the range issue resolved, but early impressions are promising. With Chevy entering the market, there are now five brands vying for a share of the electric pickup segment. While this seems like a lot for a currently small market, the competition should lead to better electric trucks with more range, faster charging, and hopefully lower prices.

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