Chevy Silverado EV RST first drive: Incredible range and power, but is it worth the hefty price?

Chevy is on the cusp of launching passenger versions of its all-electric Silverado EV, and I got to test out the First Edition RST before it hits the driveways of its first US customers. This Silverado pickup has tons of power and function with 440 miles of all-electric range to boot, but as much as the Chevy team got right on this one, plenty of aspects missed the mark

How we got here, driving the Silverado EV First Edition RST

Chevy’s journey into delivering all-electric versions of its renowned Silverado pickup got off and running back in September 2023, when the American automaker launched a 450-mile range version called the “WT,” short for “Work Truck.”

Only available in white, we’ve seen fleets around the US adopt the Silverado WT EV and share feedback, some of which Chevy took into account when designing its first-ever passenger version, the Silverado EV First Edition RST (that just rolls off the tongue every time, doesn’t it?)

Chevy took its 100+ years of experience in trucks and adapted for the all-electric age, while being sure to deliver customers familiar with the brand and the Silverado nameplate similar performance to its ICE counterparts.

By taking a ground-up design approach rather than try to retrofit a battery and powertrain into the chassis of a combustion Silverado, Chevy was able to maximize the space for its Ultium battery pack, which should help it make good on its promise to offer a consumers a new EV with “true truck capabilities…” as long as you’ve got a fat wallet.

Let’s start with the specs and some of the Silverado EV RST’s exterior functions.

The Silverado EV RST is a behemoth of a pickup truck

As you can see from the images above, Chevy was able to develop a massive, somewhat aerodynamic pickup that doesn’t stray too far from the brand’s ICE design language. Each of the media on the drive got an opportunity to drive an all-black version of the Silverado EV, and it looks tough (it’s just not the ideal color for photos in the sun).

The truck sits on 24- (yes, I said 24-) inch wheels, the largest in the EV segment. Sure, I’m sure it’ll be cool to tell people your electric truck is “sittin’ on 24s,” but as a self-proclaimed EV expert, I couldn’t help but keep asking myself, “Why?”

With the amount of torque EVs put out, especially the 785 lb-ft in this bad boy when in “Wide Open Watts” mode (more on that later), I can’t help but wonder how much it’s going to cost consumers to replace the truck’s tires and how often they will need to do so? I’d be interested to see what sort of range this truck can get on smaller wheels as well.

Speaking of range, here are some of the key specs so you get an idea of the power and performance I was wielding around the Detroit Metropolitan area:

• Powertrain: Dual motor “e4WD” system
• Horsepower: 754 hp (WOW Mode)
• Torque: 785 lb-ft (WOW Mode)
• Range: 440 miles (GM estimated)
• 0-60 mph acceleration: 4.5 seconds (GM estimated)
• DC fast charging: Up to 350 kW
  • ~100 miles of range in 10 minutes of DC charging (GM estimated)
• Onboard charging: Up to 11 outlets (110 and 220V), totaling 10.2 kW
• Towing: up to 10,000 lbs
• Payload: Up to 1,500 lbs

When we sat through “Silverado EV RST 101” before our drive, the Chevy team stressed the capabilities of the truck beyond its comparable payload and towing to gas pickups, such as its bed and “Multi-Flex” technology. The bed itself offers 5′ 11″ of storage capacity that can be expanded to over 9-feet when the tailgate is open. Better still, the Multi-Flex Midgate utilizes the rear folded seats to offer 10′ 10″ of storage capacity, the largest in its class (see below).

I found the Multi-Flex Tailgate easy to figure out after a couple of attempts, blindly feeling around for buttons to deploy all the different variations it can offer. I also found it easy to close up (even one-handed while I was filming, as you’ll see in my video below).

Lastly, the frunk, or as Chevy calls it, the “eTrunk” offers ample front storage of 10.7 cubic feet that is lockable and weatherproof. There is no shortage of cargo space inside and outside of this truck, that’s for certain.

A nice interior for a pickup, but is it worthy of the RST tag?

My first impression of the interior of the Chevy Silverado EV RST is one of spaciousness. Despite the pickup’s large, intimidating exterior, the cabin feels welcoming and comfortable. The leather seats are quality, but Chevy chose to add red and blue stitching in this variant, and it simply doesn’t work for me stylistically, especially with virtually everything else being black. I think it was the blue, it just doesn’t fit the aesthetic.

The dash features two separate displays: an 11-inch driver screen that is clearly visible as long as you have your steering wheel positioned correctly and a 17.7-inch center display that offers a mix of touch screen and physical buttons—a nice balance, in my opinion.

While the center display is very easy to access as the driver, certain ***** and buttons are not as easily reachable from the passenger seat, especially the volume dial. Across the dash is more red and blue stitching, which looked a little haphazardly sewn. Maybe I’m just biased because I’m not a fan, but you can take a look at the images I snapped below.

The entire roof of the Silverado EV RST is panoramic glass and offers a feeling of spaciousness, especially from the back seat. However, there is no retractable shade, so I worry about the cabin heating up quickly in the sun. It’s a good thing this variant comes with air-conditioned seats—my favorite! Apologies to the rear passengers, however, you only get heated seats.

The center console is modular and slides to create extra room for purses or massive Stanley mugs. It also has a wireless phone charging pad and there are USB-C ports throughout the cabin.

Driving impressions, SuperCruise, and WOW mode

As you’ll see (and hear) in my video review below, the Silverado EV RST is large and powerful but also noisy. It could be those 24-inch wheels; just sayin’. When driving at higher speeds, the cabin noise from the tires and wind coming at the EV cannot be ignored.

Furthermore, the pickup features an active air suspension, which is great for towing and sprinting in Wide Open Watts mode. However, it didn’t absorb road bumps as much as I thought it would. It’s definitely not the smoothest ride I’ve had in an EV.

The head-up display is massive but effective, showcasing your speed and navigation, but because it is so tall, I had to move it down out of my line of sight, then it was much better. Chevy nailed it with the one-pedal driving on this one, too. There’s “normal mode,” which is plenty stiff, and also “hard mode,” which I found a little jarring, even for someone like me who prefers the stiffest of regenerative braking. The regen paddle on the steering wheel is a welcomed touch as well for those times you want to manually slow down without the brake.

The Silverado EV RST features multiple drive modes including Normal, Off-Road, Tow-Haul, and My Mode, which is fully-customizable. A feature we absolutely have to mention is Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode, which garners the full horsepower of the Silverado EV for sprints off the line.

We got a chance to take the truck on a closed straightaway and do a couple of 0-60 mph runs in WOW mode with the truck’s air suspension lowered its full two inches. You can see actual footage of some of the runs in my video, but we clocked in at 4.3 seconds, faster than Chevy’s estimated time of 4.5 seconds.

Given its size and weight (over 9,000 lbs), the truck got a little squirrelly at higher speeds on the straightaway, but nothing alarming or cause for concern; just a little wobbly. She’s a big girl!

What else is great about WOW mode is that it can be used anytime, anywhere, at the push of a button—there’s no need to charge it up. However, the more battery life you have, the more power you’ll get, but that’s standard.

As always, GM’s SuperCruise was a shining feature that I used quite a bit during my day with the Silverado EV RST. It worked seamlessly and was even available on roadways I did not expect it to work on, easily overtaking slower cars while keeping my passenger and me safe. My only qualm with the ADAS is that it loves to switch lanes, especially when there is no one ahead of you, and there’s no need for it. It’s a minor inconvenience, but still, some amazing tech is at play here. Bravo.

Additionally, the Silverado EV enables drivers to utilize SuperCruise for hands free trailering, another first and a huge perk for future drivers planning long trips with a trailer or boat behind them. But what do such power and towing performance cost? In my opinion, it’s a bit jarring.

Silverado EV RST pricing, availability, and our video review

Overall, the Chevy Silverado EV First Edition RST is one helluva pickup truck. It can deliver nearly the same power and performance as a gas truck, and its 440-mile range is outrageous (and genuine).

If you’re looking for a large, powerful truck with ample storage and hauling capabilities that can accelerate quickly and offer enough range for a road trip, this could be your truck. However, if you’re looking for a pickup to drive around town and occasionally transport furniture for your buddies, you might want something less expensive.

I can’t get over how noisy and bumpy the ride of this pickup is, and although the interior is very nice, I personally would not pay the $94,500 (plus destination fees) Chevy is asking for it. The automaker is planning to release a passenger version of the Work Truck (WT) as well as an LT trim later this year, as well as a Trail Boss version coming in 2025. I’m interested to see how those variants compare on all levels, because I can’t justify that price for what you get, but that’s just me. I’m not a contractor or a boat owner.

Like the WT before it, the First Edition RST feels like a work in progress as Chevy looks to fine-tune the Silverado EV as it continues forward with additional trims. A lot of people are going to love this truck, but I think the later models will provide more bang for your buck or, at the very least, a smoother ride. Hopefully.

The Silverado EVs will be built in Michigan and go on sale soon. As previously mentioned, the First Edition RST will be followed by a 4WT (450-mile range), 3WT (393-mile range), as well as an LT and standard RST. You can see the pickup in action in the video below.

https://electrek.co/2024/05/23/chevy...h-price-video/

 

Had another wonderful experience at Electrify America chargers. I was on my way home, had about 40 percent SoC, since I have free charging, why not. 3 chargers, one was taken. Brand new 350 kW hyper fast chargers. First charger, not working. Went to the second charger, same thing. Had some time to kill, so got on the phone with EA support. Meanwhile people are coming to charge, not able to, giving me that look for some hope, not seeing any and leaving. Spent about half hour, rebooted the charger, no luck. I finally gave up and told her it will be faster to charge at home. BTW, these things run what looks like windows 10.

In one year I've only run into one bad Tesla charger. I've lost count on how many bad EA chargers

 

I will be traveling with my Plaid this weekend to PA so hopefully there are so decent charging stations where I’m going. Will report back.

Well maybe a normal trip for EVs in PA for a single destination may be okay but for a hockey trip going back and forth between rinks is a disaster so far.

First off trip planning between going between two different rinks and the hotel didn’t seem like a big deal except that one of the superchargers I planned to use wasn’t even there but the app said it was there even though the nav said no superchargers nearby. Now i had to head back to the rink for a 9:15 game which means I won’t be out of here until around 10:30.

Right now I’m at under 10% charge and need to drive 17 miles to the nearest supercharger that I hope is actually there or else I’m screwed because I can’t make it much further once I get out there. To say I’m stressed is an understatement and I won’t get back to the hotel until late now.

 

At one point on the S before the beginning of this year there was no upcharge for that color on the Model S. After 1/1 they started upcharging again for colors except stealth gray.

 

You can easily find out by putting your trip destination in the map. It will layout all the charging stops, and you can research the charging stations ahead of time. But you know that already

 

I'm a horrible sucker for a nice metallic red.

 

Silverado EV RST review

 

that's bad... as you know, i've had 100% success.
maybe tesla's sabotaging them out there.

 

Tesla has some paints that are many many layers like that but Ultra Red isn't one of them. I think the only thing "special" about Ultra Red is that it has a red-tinted clear coat on top of the red paint, rather than red paint with a non-tinted clear coat.

 

To you EV officionados, my friends asking what is the reason for global EV slowdown and price cutting?

Is it because the population of early adopters is small and reached its limit, while the remaining mass majority of buyers are not yet ready for electrification, hence sticking mostly to hybrids?

 

It hasn't slowed down in California, where EV adoption has reached 24.7 percent of market share, and accounts for 26.7 percent of new car sales, which is a record. As far as EV growth in general, it's slowed down but is still growing steadily, the slower growth is most likely due to uncertainty, record high car prices, and high interest rates.

I can tell you where I live, I see hundreds of new EV's everyday. Majority being Tesla, but lots of Mach-E, Ioniq 5's/Kia EV6 and other EV's. Also the non Tesla charging stations are filled, meaning they can't keep up with the demand of EV's on the road

I would say most automakers are doubling down on EV's, not scaling back, especially Hyundai/Kia where there is an explosion of new Ioniq 5's and Kia EV6's

 

I know you've said math isn't your strong suit 😂 but how do you explain 24.7% market share and 26.7% new car sales? How is market share 24.7%? Wouldn't that mean 1 in 4 cars in the road is an ev?

 

I didn't come up with those numbers, I pulled it from new registration stats. I think the 26.7 sales number is only Q1 2024

 

Let's ignore California.
Talking from a global perspective.
I mean, why are these videos all over the place?

 

Here's from the California Energy Commission:

• 23.9% of all new cars sold in California last quarter were ZEVs, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC)
• 102,507 sales in Q1 of 2024
• 1,872,429 total ZEV sales to date
• 34% of new ZEVs sold in the U.S. are sold in California, according to the California Air Resources Board

https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-...ious%20quarter.