2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Test Drive Review: Real Highs, Real Lows

For causes we’ll clarify on this assessment, the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV could be probably the most irritating car DrivingOnRoad has reviewed this yr. Do not hear what we aren’t saying – the Silverado EV shouldn’t be a nasty truck, neither is it anyplace near the worst car of the yr. Our frustration stems from the selections made by Normal Motors when designing this truck, which completely encapsulate the corporate’s engineering historical past. You must learn on.

Few automakers have larger highs and decrease lows than GM, and this one truck demonstrates each on the identical time. A 440-mile driving vary bests each different electrical truck in the marketplace (in addition to the mechanically similar GMC Sierra EV), and the class-exclusive Multi-Flex Midgate offers it an extended storage space than even the most important gas-powered pickups.

On paper, the Silverado EV is a superb demonstration of GM’s engineering excellence. However sadly, this truck additionally displays the one trait that has ruined many GM automobiles prior to now: cost-cutting. The Silverado EV’s spectacular specs and practicality are tainted by poor construct high quality, low-cost supplies, and a transparent concentrate on the powertrain that has left different areas feeling unbaked. We mentioned it in our First Drive Overview, and after spending every week within the Silverado EV, we have confirmed a couple of key issues.

Exterior: Extra Choices Coming

Regardless of utilizing the Silverado identify, the EV is a completely totally different truck than its gas-powered up to date, constructed from the bottom up on GM’s Ultium platform. It is completely monumental, stretching 233.1 inches from bumper-to-bumper, with a 145.7-inch wheelbase. For comparability, the Tesla Cybertruck is barely 223.7 inches lengthy, the Ford F-150 Lightning is 232.7 inches, and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup is barely 216.8 inches. It is price noting that the gas-powered Silverado 1500 will be longer, relying on the configuration.

For 2024, retail prospects solely have a alternative of 1 trim: the RST First Version. This mannequin rides on gigantic 24-inch wheels and solely is available in Black or Summit White, although extra colours might be added subsequent yr. You’ll be able to simply inform the Silverado EV aside from a gas-powered Silverado based mostly on its distinctive physique form, which features a clean entrance finish with a linked mild bar, sail panels on the mattress that resemble the previous Avalanche, and delicate EV-related badging. We favor the styling of the 2024 GMC Sierra EV, which seems to be a bit extra like a traditional truck than its Chevy sibling.

Inside: Publish CarPlay World

The GM frustrations come up within the inside, the place all consideration went to the massive screens, leaving nothing for the remainder of the cabin. In Chevy’s protection, the usual 17.7-inch touchscreen is simple to make use of and there are some bodily buttons and knobs for quantity and local weather. Nevertheless, GM’s choice to remove Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wasn’t absolutely thought by means of.

The built-in Google interface adequately handles many duties, together with controlling in-car capabilities just like the local weather and radio. It might probably additionally reply any query you’d ask of a Google Residence machine, which is handy whereas driving. However there are nonetheless a couple of cases the place CarPlay is superior. These embody responding to texts (CarPlay is faster, extra intuitive, and does not chime each time you get a brand new message) or listening to podcasts (there isn’t a 30-second fast-forward or rewind operate).

Issues are rather a lot higher when you use Spotify, or different apps which can be downloadable, however the default system is not good for music or podcast listening. In case you use Apple Music, put together to both sift by means of an undecipherable hodgepodge of folders to search out the fitting tune or playlist, or be a distracted driver and use your telephone. We must also point out that the preliminary setup for the entire Google interface is pretty sophisticated, involving a name to an OnStar consultant, however that is solely a one-time annoyance.

We centered rather a lot on know-how as a result of it is a key promoting level of the Silverado EV, however we do not need to ignore the remainder of the cabin the way in which Chevy clearly has. The RST is the supposed high trim degree of the Silverado EV, but it surely might nearly go for a base mannequin. You get a couple of good options, akin to heated and ventilated seats, however no therapeutic massage seats such as you get in different vehicles at this value level.

There is just one inside shade scheme for 2024: black with blue and purple stitching. The stitching seems to be OK in most locations, however it’s crooked on the dashboard proper in entrance of the passenger. Talking of the sprint, it is lined in a textured materials that is much like what’s discovered within the Hummer EV, and easily feels low-cost. The middle console at the least has a pleasant design with a sliding cupholder tray that strikes to disclose an enormous storage space.

Practicality: Undisputed King

Each Silverado EV will get a 5’11” mattress, which is shorter than even the Brief Mattress on the Silverado 1500. The EV makes up for its small-ish storage space by bringing again the preferred function from the discontinued Avalanche: the Multi-Flex Midgate. The Midgate permits house owners to drop the wall that divides the cabin from the mattress, opening the entire storage space to 10’10” of load area, together with the Multi-Flex Tailgate with its build-in mattress cease. This distinctive function makes the Silverado EV not solely extra sensible than different electrical vehicles, however no pickup truck on sale can match it on load flooring area. If you wish to maintain your cargo dry and safe, there’s additionally an “eTrunk” underneath the hood, which provides 10.7 cubic toes to the equation.

Passenger area is equally beneficiant, with 43.9 inches of headroom and 44.8 inches of legroom up entrance. The again seat is spacious too, boasting 38.7 inches of headroom and 44.3 inches of legroom. There are heated seats, air vents, and USB ports within the rear, however no ventilated seats can be found again there.

Efficiency: Wow, Wow, Wow

There is just one powertrain provided for the consumer-grade Silverado EV, because the WT trim is just for fleet prospects. A twin-motor setup delivers 510 horsepower and 615 lb-ft throughout regular driving, although a Large Open Watts (WOW) mode can push these figures as much as 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft.

Chevy claims WOW mode will ship a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time, however we truly bested that estimate with a 4.3-second run. The Silverado EV races off the road, spinning all 4 wheels within the course of to combat for grip. It is a scary however exhilarating course of. Certain, a Cybertruck or a Hummer would beat it in a drag race, however that is nonetheless faster than any pickup truck has any proper to be.

GM is cagey with releasing precise specs for its Ultium batteries, however the Silverado EV’s pack measures 213.7 kWh with about 204 kWh usable capability, which is barely bigger than the one within the Hummer EV Pickup. The EPA charges the Silverado EV at 440 miles in RST guise (450 miles for the WT), besting all different electrical vehicles and falling behind solely the Lucid Air amongst all EVs. For 2025, effectivity enhancements will bump the RST as much as 460 miles of vary, whereas a brand new LT trim will go as much as 408 miles with a smaller battery. As for the WT, it boasts as much as 492 miles for 2025. The Cybertruck can solely come shut with the Vary Extender added (a $16,000 additional).

To cost such an infinite battery, Chevy gave the Silverado EV an 800-volt structure that accepts as much as 350 kW, including as much as 100 miles in simply 10 minutes. This makes it among the many quickest-charging EVs on sale as we speak. At residence, the truck can settle for as much as 19.2 kW utilizing a PowerShift ($1,699) or Powerup+ ($1,299) charger, which is costlier to arrange than a standard Degree 2 unit. Even at these speeds, which may add as much as 34 miles per hour, the Silverado EV’s huge battery requires greater than an in a single day cost.

Driving Impressions: A Loud EV?

EVs are presupposed to be fairly silent, proper? Effectively, nobody advised Chevy. Put the Silverado EV into gear, and you’ll instantly hear a low, throbbing hum that may not be deactivated. Chevy says it is there for pedestrian security, however no different Ultium car we have pushed displays such a distinguished and annoying noise. Highway and wind noise rapidly drown out the hum, except you activate WOW mode, which dials the sound up much more. We hope Chevy decides so as to add an choice to silence or at the least decrease the buzzing.

Although the Silverado EV rides on air suspension, it could possibly’t compensate for the ridiculous 24-inch wheels, which all the time trigger the truck to really feel unsettled even over pretty clean pavement. Smaller wheels might be out there for 2025, which might be a welcome addition. This truck nonetheless feels monumental regardless of having rear-wheel steering, which is much less superior than the system used within the Hummer. The large dimension mixed with huge energy leads to some fascinating dealing with traits. You’ll be able to rapidly zoom previous site visitors with out effort, although fast maneuvers nonetheless really feel unsettling because of the practically 9,000-pound curb weight.

Lengthy journeys are made simpler with Tremendous Cruise, GM’s hands-free driving software program. The system may even change lanes routinely to go slower automobiles or manually utilizing the flip alerts. We had an opportunity to make use of the system over a weekend journey to South Florida, the place it operated practically flawlessly except for a couple of phantom braking occasions.

Pricing & Verdict: High quality Issues

Journalists are usually powerful on press automobiles, so we’ll sometimes ignore small high quality points that come up throughout our week-long critiques for the sake of equity to the automaker. We have been about to take this stance with the Silverado EV after noticing the driving force’s aspect air vent was damaged (unable to regulate left or proper), till our passenger seen theirs was the identical. That is greater than only a consumer error. Later within the week, the illuminated Chevy Bowtie appeared to have water in it, partially altering its shade and making it appear like an growing older strip mall with a damaged signal. These are unacceptable points for a “new” car with simply over 4,000 miles on the odometer – particularly one at this value.

Talking of the value, the 2024 Silverado EV begins at $94,500 earlier than vacation spot for the one trim RST First Version. That is massively costly, even in comparison with a full-loaded F-150 Lightning Platinum, although it is cheaper than the Cybertruck Cyberbeast. Chevy will provide a less expensive LT trim for 2025, which ought to assist the Silverado EV attraction to a broader viewers.

Although we’ve not pushed it but, the GMC Sierra EV looks as if the superior electrical truck from GM. It solely prices $3,500 greater than the Silverado EV, however will get a extra premium inside and good-looking exterior styling – nevertheless, at current solely the $97,500 Denali Version 1 is presently on sale. We might have an interest to assessment a lower-tier 2025 Silverado EV with a extra enticing beginning value, but it surely’s extra essential that Chevy fixes a few of this truck’s high quality considerations in its second mannequin yr, as a result of it has the potential to be a real contender within the section.