GM unveils Chevy Silverado electric pickup to rival Ford’s F-150 Lightning

If General Motors is “on the road to a fully electric future,” as CEO Mary Barra often says, the new Chevrolet Silverado EV will do the heavy lifting along the way.

Barra helped remove the covers from the all-electric pickup during his virtual opening keynote at the CES tech show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, boasting that it will match the power and performance of a conventional pickup – while offering a range of 400 miles. Scheduled to go into production early next year, it will be GM’s second battery-powered pickup and one of at least 30 all-electric models expected to hit the market by 2025.

“The fastest growing segment for electric vehicles is the full-size truck segment,” Steve Majoros, chief marketing officer for Chevrolet, told NBC News.

Ford has recorded nearly 200,000 advance reservations for its F-150 Lightning electric pickup, while Tesla claims it has more than 400,000 deposits for its repeatedly delayed Cybertruck. All told, there could be 10 or more electric pickup trucks on sale by the middle of the decade, including versions of the Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra, as well as the new Rivian R1T and others.

GM’s first electric pickup, the GMC Hummer EV, went on sale late last year, priced at $ 112,595.

The two trucks share the same skateboard-like “architecture”, placing the motors, batteries, and other drivetrain components under the cargo floor. The design lowers a vehicle’s center of gravity to make it more stable, especially at high speeds. It also means that the space normally occupied by an engine compartment can be reused for passengers and cargo.

With the Silverado EV, there’s a lot of funk under the hood and a cabin with a business class room.

By switching to a battery-powered transmission, the truck may appeal to environmentalists, but Chevrolet hasn’t forgotten about buyers of conventional pickup trucks. Initially, two versions of the Silverado EV will be produced: the WT, or work truck, will be presented to fleet customers and commercial customers; and the RST First Edition will target those who want a lot of luxury features in addition to towing and cargo capacity.

Initially, the RST will carry up to a 10,000 pound trailer and 1,300 pound payload. The WT will reach a maximum of 8,000 pounds of trailer and a payload of 1,200 pounds. Later versions, according to Chevy, will support up to a 20,000-pound trailer.

The RST has a 200 kilowatt-hour battery, one of the largest in the industry, which can travel up to 400 miles per charge, although this will vary depending on the trailer and load.

Using one of the latest public fast chargers, Chevy said the Silverado EV will be able to add 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes, albeit reaching up to 80% – the normal maximum on a fast charger – will take more like an hour.

Visually, the Chevrolet Silverado EV 2024 may not look much different from a conventional truck. But they don’t share a single body panel. The battery model has spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel, with aerodynamics being critical to the range and performance of an EV.

A closer look reveals a shorter nose and more streamlined features. The conventional grille is gone, although smaller air intakes supply air to cool the battery and low-mounted engines. As you see the EV appear in your rearview mirror, you might notice the distinctive headlights connected by an illuminated crossbar and a backlit Chevy bowtie emblem.

Inside, the interior space is obvious. Chevrolet designers have gone for a high-tech look, with a 17-inch infotainment touchscreen.

The WT model will be the first in production, starting in spring 2023, and will have a sticker price of just under $ 40,000. The first edition of RST will follow in fall 2023 and will start at $ 105,000.

Customers can make advance reservations immediately on its website, Chevy said Wednesday.