The Silverado EV Is Big, Dumb, and Fun: Review

Motor 1

21 hours ago

Quick Specs
2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV LT Extended Range
Battery
170.0 Kilowatt-Hours
Output
645 Horsepower / 765 Pound-Feet
Range
390 Miles
Charge Type
350-Kilowatt DC
Base Price / As Tested
$75,195 / $83,485
Pros: Insane Power, Insane Range, Sublime Ride, Comfortable Cabin
Cons: Massive, No CarPlay, Super Cruise Is Optional
Chevrolet Silverado EV Overview: All-Electric, All Truck
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
If you want an electric pickup, the pickings are pretty slim. Ford offers the F-150 Lightning, and Rivian produces the R1T. General Motors, meanwhile, has two EV pickups on the market (or three if you count the barely usable Hummer): The
Chevrolet Silverado EV
and the GMC Sierra EV.
The Chevrolet Silverado EV is the Bowtie brand's first electric pickup. It has a massive battery pack with two electric motors, and on paper, at least, it's insanely capable; over 600 horsepower and more than 400 miles of range on the base model, and a towing capacity that stacks up to many gas trucks.
The question is: Why would you buy the electric Silverado over the tried-and-true gas version? Well, if you want a pickup that's as quick as a sports car and rides like an Escalade, you won't do much better than this one. Just prepare to pay up.
Battery & Motors: Huge Power
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
Chevrolet
offers a few different battery packs for the Silverado EV, depending on which trim you choose. Options range from a standard 119.0-kilowatt-hour pack to a massive 205.0-kilowatt-hour pack. This particular model, an LT Extended Range, sits smack dab in the middle of the two, with a 170.0-kWh pack.
This Silverado LT EV's two electric motors give it 645 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque, with 390 miles of driving range. The RST with the larger pack has slightly more torque (785 lb-ft) and a bit more range (460 miles), but the LT does the job nearly as well.
It's powerful—really powerful. Activate the 'Wide Open Watts (WOW)' mode to unlock launch control and uncork the Silverado EV's full output. It takes less than 5.0 seconds for the supersized truck to reach 60 miles per hour on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 114.
Technology & Infotainment: No CarPlay
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
Here's where the Silverado EV gets its first ding: There is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. As with all modern Chevy EVs, the Silverado has ditched smartphone mirroring in place of its built-in setup.
That said, the system still looks good and is easy to use. The Silverado has a 17.7-inch central touchscreen and an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster that both look crystal clear. The native Google Maps navigation is easy to use (just like on your smartphone), and it offers specific waypoints for things like charging stations, so you'll never run out of juice.
Chevy's hands-free Super Cruise safety system, unfortunately, does not come standard on the Silverado EV. It costs an extra $9,800 at a minimum when adding the LT Premium package, which includes other tech add-ons like a rearview mirror camera, a trailer camera, a bed-view camera, blind spot monitoring, and a bit more. But if you plan on doing lots of highway driving, Super Cruise is almost always worth the splurge.
Driving Impressions: A Pickup Truck On Steroids
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
Most modern pickups are already too massive as it is. The Silverado EV is even bigger still. It takes up a concerning amount of space in its lane, especially when driving on narrower roads around town. It's difficult to navigate through tight obstacles—like smaller parking lots or shopping centers—and impossible to park without the many different camera angles Chevy offers.
That said, the four-wheel steering system makes navigating tight areas slightly less impossible; it actually has a better turning radius than you might think. And if you're in a really tricky spot, the Silverado EV does have a 'Sidewinder' mode that moves all four wheels in the same direction laterally. It's mostly for off-road use.
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
If you're cruising on the highway, though, the Silverado EV is a perfectly pleasant road-trip companion. Even for something that weighs around 8,500 pounds as tested, it doesn't feel all that lumbering; the suspension is soft, the cabin is whisper quiet, and the entire experience is supremely comforting. Add hands-free Super Cruise onto that (which this particular tester did have), and the Silverado EV eats up highway miles as well as a luxury vehicle.
And did I already mention that this thing is quick as hell? With Wide Open Watts activated, the Silverado EV races off the line with an absurd amount of ferocity. It'll shove you and all four passengers firmly into their seats backs before you run out of pavement.
Range: Miles For Days
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
Chevrolet's EVs offer some of the best range on the market today. The Silverado is no exception. The Silverado delivers 390 miles of range on this LT Extended Range model, 460 miles on the RST, and up to 492 miles with the Work Truck.
For most buyers, even 390 miles of range should be plenty for their weekly commutes. Plugging into a DC Fast Charging station yields up to 350 kilowatt-hours, which means you should be able to add 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes. Charging at home on a 19.2-kilowatt Level 2 charger should yield around 34 miles of range per hour.
The only other electric pickup that comes close is from Rivian. The R1T offers an estimated 420 miles of range with the dual-motor Max Pack.
Payload & Towing: Best In Class
Electric pickups aren't exactly the go-to options for buyers looking to tow, but on paper, at least, the Silverado EV certainly has what it takes. The LT has a maximum towing capacity of 12,500 pounds—the most of any Silverado EV, matching the Work Truck. Even the sporty RST trim has a modest 10,000-pound capacity.
The Ford F-150 Lightning has a max 10,000-pound towing capacity by comparison, and the Rivian R1T comes closer to the Silverado, with an 11,000-pound towing capacity.
Pricing & Verdict: You Get What You Pay For
At $75,195 to start for the base LT Extended Range, the Silverado EV certainly isn't the thriftiest pickup on the market—even among its EV counterparts. The Ford F-150 Lightning is still cheaper out of the box for the base XLT model, which starts at $65,540. And the Rivian R1T starts at $71,900.
Add on things like the $9,800 Premium package (Super Cruise, 22-inch wheels, and more), $395 Riptide Blue paint, and a few dealer accessories—as equipped here—and the final as-tested price comes out to $83,485. Not exactly a bargain.
That said, the Silverado beats both of those trucks with the best standard range of the class and the most horsepower. For the amount of money that Chevrolet is asking, you definitely get a lot of truck.
31
Source: Jeff Perez / Motor1
Competitors
Ford F-150 Lightning
GMC Sierra EV
Rivian R1T
More Silverado EV Reviews
The Silverado EV Might Just Save America
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck First Drive: Powering Productivity
2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV LT Extended Range
Motor
Dual Permanent-Magnet Synchronous
Battery
170.0 Kilowatt-Hours
Output
645 Horsepower / 765 Pound-Feet
Drive Type
All-Wheel Drive
Speed 0-60 MPH
5.0 Seconds (est.)
Maximum speed
114 Miles Per Hour
Weight
8,500 Pounds (est.)
Efficiency
74 City / 61 Highway / 68 Combined MPGe
EV Range
390 Miles
Charge Time
10-80% In 38 Minutes
Charge Type
350 Kilowatts DC Fast Charging
Seating Capacity
5
Towing
12,500 Pounds
Payload
1,800 Pounds
Base Price
$75,195
As-Tested Price
$83,485
On Sale
Now
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