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Understanding Aftermarket Aero OptionsChevrolet Silverado EV: Welcome to the Party
Electric pickup trucks are the hottest automotive trend right now, and Chevrolet just revealed their newcomer to the segment with the Silverado EV!
Joining a Group of Tough Competition
Ford is bringing their all-electric F-150 Lightning to the market soon, the Rivian R1T is already out there on public roads, and the GMC Hummer EVs are starting to drive off the production line. A new era of automotive technology is here and 2022 will be known as the year that the electric pickup truck segment got its start. However, we’re still missing a major contender from the truck market that hasn’t debuted anything electric yet. Where’s Chevrolet in all this? The company has kept their electric truck champion under wraps for a while now, but the day is finally here. The all-new Chevrolet Silverado EV has finally been revealed and you can put your reservation in for one right now! Here’s everything we know about the new model and everything else that Chevy has unveiled about their electric future.
The All-New Chevrolet Silverado EV
And here it is, the all-new Chevrolet Silverado EV. The electric pickup truck actually diverges from the new 2022 model of the Silverado we’ve seen when it comes to design language, but there’s a reason for that. Like most GM products, this model shares components and body lines from a corporate cousin, GMC for this instance. The GMC Hummer EV was already revealed last year and has started its journey across the production line. It is the correlating model that the Silverado EV is derived from, as it shares similar wheel arches, roofline, four-wheel steering, and runs on the same Ultium Platform.
But this isn’t a complete copy and paste. Chevrolet added their own flare to the project that makes this truck stand out from the GMC it relates to. The front and rear facias are updated to a sleeker appearance, the body panels have been slimmed down to create a thinner appearance in comparison to the Hummer, and the newly designed wheels are made better for on-road surfaces. Let’s see what else we can expect from the Silverado EV.
Performance and Charging
GM states that the Silverado EV will be capable of an estimated range of at least 400 miles on a single charge from its 24-module Ultium battery pack. This range is helped by the way that the front end is designed on this truck, because the design team made sure that it efficiently redirected air through side gaps to reduce drag and turbulence. GM states that this design helps the WT model reach one of the lowest drag coefficients of any currently available full-size truck. DC fast charging of up to 350 kW is standard on the WT and RST trimmed models, the first and only trims available, and equates to 100 miles of range being added every 10 minutes. The Silverado EV isn’t just taking in power though, it is capable of providing 10.2kW power through all 10 of its available outlets and even charging other electric vehicles when needed.
The WT trim will only launch for fleet customers like Enterprise and Quanta, but this Silverado EV will prove to be a very capable work truck. GM states that the WT model generates 510 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque. The initial fleet models will be capable of up to 8,000 pounds of towing and a 1,200-pound payload capacity. Following launch, the Silverado EV will introduce a fleet model capable of a max towing capacity of 20,000 pounds with the max tow package.
The other available trim is panning out to be the more fun model. The Silverado EV RST opens up the power of the Ultium Platform by providing customers with Wide Open Watts Mode. This gives the electric truck 664 horsepower, 780 lb-ft of torque, and allows it to hit 60 mph in an estimated 4.5 seconds. The RST also gains four-wheel steering, an automatic adaptive air suspension with two inches of adjustment in either direction, and trailering-capable Super Cruise, an industry first advancement that allows drivers to let the truck basically drive itself with a trailer attached on compatible roadways. Towing will max out at 10,000 pounds and payload maxes out at 1,300 pounds for these RST models.
Looking Inside the Silverado EV
Chevrolet has made the Silverado EV a highly advanced truck on the inside. The Silverado EV provides a driver approach feature that works in conjunction with the key fob or a user’s phone to start the vehicle. Inside is a 17-inch LCD infotainment screen that sits adjacent to the 11-inch driver instrument display. Both of these large displays work together with the 14-inch HUD to provide the Silverado EV’s driver with tons of information and apps. The Ultifi software platform will keep all of these technological interfaces up to date with over the air updates and allow the driver to even craft their experience through available performance tunes, themes, and other exciting capabilities that were not available originally.
Crew Cab is the only configuration available currently on the Silverado EV and the interior is looking great. Passenger room looks to be top notch inside this truck and even tall individuals will enjoy sitting in the back seats thanks to the pushed back second row design that accommodates those with longer legs. Looking up, passengers will be presented with a picture of the sky above them as the Silverado offers an entirely see through fixed-glass roof. This glass roof design also helps open up headroom and brings more light into the cabin. Those looking to keep items inside the vehicle will enjoy the cavernous modular console found in the RST that can hold over 7 gallons of things. Plus, the rear seating offers 60/40 folding capability to provide room for gear back there while still having available seating for additional passengers. That’s not the only reason for that folding seating adjustment though.
The Midgate is Back
It’s been a while since we could appreciate the midgate design found on the old Chevrolet Avalanche, but it’s back in action on the Silverado EV. This midgate opens up the rear of the cabin to allow for longer cargo, such as kayaks or lumber, to fit in the back of the bed better. The normal bed length measures out to 5’11, but opening the midgate and lowering the tailgate provides over 9 feet of useable load floor. That tailgate by the way is the Multi-Flex one that we’ve grown to love from GM’s truck line that can flip into different configurations depending on the task at hand. Not everything has to be thrown in the back of this Silverado EV though.
The eTrunk
The automotive space has been commonly referring to the front cargo area under the hood on these electric vehicles as a frunk, but Chevrolet decided eTrunk sounded cooler. The space is weatherproof, lockable, and provides a nice storage solution that doesn’t take away from cabin space or the bed area. Chevrolet has plans to provide their eTrunk with tons of organizers and other storage solutions.
Bed Additions for the Silverado EV WT
While the WT trimmed model isn’t as jaw dropping or alluring as the RST, there were some nifty bed accessories showcased available for it. A full truck cap with roof rails, ladder racks, bed organizers, tonneau covers, and even a sliding work deck. Couple any of those WT accessories with the ability to power tools using the available power outlets and I think anybody at a job site will be pleased.
Chevrolet is Ramping Up their EV Game
Following the reveal of the all-new Chevrolet Silverado EV, reservations opened up online for customers. The current starting price is listed at an MSRP of $39,900 for the WT and a fully loaded RST First Edition model will debut at an MSRP of $105,000. GM also announced a Trail Boss trim that makes this EV more off-road focused and plans for fully electric versions of the Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer that will be fully showcased later in the year. This is just the tip of the electric iceberg for GM though.
During the CES keynote, GM stated that they plan to have their company be completely carbon neutral by 2040, have 30 EVs in their lineup by 2025, providing heavy-duty capable EVs by 2035, and plan to have 50% of their total production focused on EV production by 2030. They plan to accomplish these goals by establishing more battery plants to produce more Ultium Cells, secure semi-conductor manufacturing to help production efforts, and expend EV charging station availability all around the United States and Canada.
GM also noted their stance to reduce their carbon footprint by aspiring to have all their production plants running on 100% renewable energy and have dedicated 25 million dollars toward climate equity efforts. The company has also established key zero emission efforts by utilizing the Ultium Platform with companies that focus on rail transportation, aircrafts, and even watercrafts. This effort is a part of what GM calls the Ultium Effect, which is an effort that is already being established with their Brightdrop delivery platform that is being used by both Fedex and Walmart to help create zero emission environments when it comes to shipping tasks.
All this electrification effort alongside GM’s autonomous driving technologies, like Super Cruise and their ridesharing Cruise service, is panning out to be an interesting disruption to the automotive landscape. Be on the lookout for more news about GM’s Ultium Platform as more brands like GMC and Cadillac make their debuts on roads near you.
Great job!!!