Chevrolet Silverado EV WT to Launch With 450-Mile Range

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Chevrolet has announced that the all-electric Silverado will boast a much-higher maximum range than anyone had anticipated. Rory Harvey, General Motors' incoming president for North America, has stated that the Silverado EV Work Truck (WT) will have an EPA-estimated 450 miles of range 450 miles on a full charge. That’s far better than what its rivals are currently offering and exceeds earlier assumptions made by those watching the industry.


General Motors had previously hinted that it was targeting a maximum exceeding 400 miles. But nobody really expected the outer limits to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.


At present, Rivian will sell the R1T with 328 miles of range and Ford will offer up the Lightning with 320 miles — both of which require you to option trims with the largest battery pack. While that may likewise be the case with the electric Silverado, the final figures are no-less enviable.

"We think that is a real winning proposition," Harvey told the media on Thursday. "We previously announced that it was going to be a 400-mile target, so the team did just an exceptional job in terms of being able to extend that up to 450 miles."


That version of the pickup is also supposed to be the one that’s first available to consumers, with Chevrolet offering a 350-mile variant of the Silverado EV WT “soon after launch.” Based on the data we have, that’s still supposed to take place this spring.


First edition models are expected to be all-wheel drive and offer 510 horsepower with 615 lb-ft of torque. Payload capacity is assumed to be 1,200 pounds with 8,000 pounds of towing. That is not terribly impressive for a full-size pickup. However, the manufacturer claims that the towing Max Towing Package will upgrade the capacity to up to 20,000 pounds in 2025.

Though the real question is how towing will impact the truck’s maximum range. We’ve seen a lot of testing showcasing just how much energy EVs tend to run through the second they’re hauling even moderate loads. GM’s longer range will undoubtedly help with this. But it may not make it a desirable alternative to liquid-fueled pickups — as it sounds like the Silverado will need about 10 minutes to recoup 100 miles of range on a DC fast charger.


"With respect to the work truck, which is predominantly a fleet vehicle, we believe that that'll give us a competitive advantage in terms of those fleet customers," Harvey said. "It's one of those that is optionality based upon customer need. And I think the key there is that we will be able to provide customer choice moving forward.”


Though pricing remains a big concern. All-electric pickups remain expensive, even with government incentives, and the long-range versions always cost more. The glitzy, fully loaded RST First Edition, scheduled to launch this fall, comes with a GM-estimated 400 miles of range and a price tag of roughly $107,000. But GM has promised to offer the WT at prices comparable to the non-electric Silverado (which admittedly ranges pretty broadly depending on how it’s optioned).

[Images: General Motors]

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Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • EBFlex EBFlex on May 20, 2023

    "Rory Harvey, General Motors' incoming president for North America, has stated that the Silverado EV Work Truck (WT) will have an EPA-estimated 450 miles of range 450 miles on a full charge."


    This is a bigger lie than the under $40k fake lightning or the $35k Model 3. This will never happen. Real world won't be over 400 miles.

    • VoGhost VoGhost on May 21, 2023

      The Model 3 was sold for less than $35K. You've been shown the sources repeatedly, and yet you continue to post lies. Are you incapable of learning, or just like the humiliation?

      And don't worry, I already reported this post to your daddy Putin to save you the need to snitch.


  • Craiger Craiger on May 21, 2023

    Electric motors are fantastic for hauling. Just look at trains and ships. The problem is the current draw. A PU with a smaller battery and an optimized on-board diesel charger would be the right engineering answer. Even more applicable would be that design for 18 wheelers. The engineers know this, but their decisions are guided by management, who are trying to appeal to customers who think that anything with fossil fuels is baaaadddd.


  • Ajla " China on Thursday encircled Taiwan with naval vessels and military aircraft in war games, as it vowed the blood of 'independence forces' on the self-ruled island would flow." Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin then delivered a warning that included language more commonly used by China's propaganda outlets."Taiwan independence forces will be left with their heads broken and blood flowing after colliding against the great... trend of China achieving complete unification," Wang told reporters.--------People can buy what they want but the mirrors still work in my house.
  • AZFelix The younger demographic is also more likely to have a septum piercing. So there's that to consider when evaluating the profundity of their decision making.
  • Haze3 The main advantages of this scheme would seem to be low/isolated pollution (single source NG) and high uptime. Electric is definitely better for net particulate at worker level and may also be preferred for long term maintenance.This said, the CA grid runs a little under 40% fossil fuel (pretty much all NG), so charging these trucks directly from the grid would have lower emissions than generating directly from 100% NG. It would also be more power efficient. However, it's likely that supply reliability and cost would be worse (this cuts out the power co). This is a LOT of charging.Overall efficiency should be equal to or a little worse than direct NG fueling, depending on NG generation process type. Should run 30-40% vs. 40% for direct NG fueling.
  • Canam23 When I moved to France a little over two years ago, one of the first things I noticed is the French buy French... everything. Seven out of ten cars you see on the road are French. When you go to the Home Depot equivalent, almost all the products are French or European Union, even the food in the grocery stores is labeled as being produced in France. This probably isn't surprising from a country that makes its own airliners, fighter jets and submarines but coming from the US where so much is imported from outside and especially from China, this was a revelation. Does France have protective tariffs? Yes, but nothing over the top. The French are proud of their products and they enjoy their employment and the benefits they receive. They do sell a Chinese brand here, MG, and you get a bit more for your money, but not much.If Americans had the same attitudes as the French, there might be a lot more manufacturing jobs in the US.
  • Fred Remember when "made in Japan" was cut? Face it people bought 10 year old Fiats made behind the iron curtain. People will always shop price, the rest be damned.
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