Up Close With the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition
Ahead of its debut at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I spent some time with Chevrolet’s fully electric pickup truck, the 2024 Silverado EV RST First Edition. The latest in a growing number of all-electric pickups makes big promises, but after a quick walkaround, it’s difficult to say if it can deliver just yet.
Related: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV: The Avalanche Resurrected (and Electrified)
From the outside, the Silverado EV looks massive. Dimensionally, it’s not that different from a Silverado 1500 and certainly smaller than a Silverado heavy duty, but things like the aerodynamic buttresses behind the cab and the RST First Edition’s gigantic 24-inch wheels give it an imposing presence.
The front styling is less imposing, looking more like Volkswagen’s ID.4 electric SUV, particularly with the lighting element across the nose. After seeing the Silverado EV, I drove a 2022 Silverado 1500 LTD LT Trail Boss, and the EV’s lower cowl should improve forward visibility relative to the internal-combustion Silverado because things like cars and people can disappear under the gas Silverado’s nose when they get close to the grille of that behemoth.
The return of the midgate pass-through, which allows cargo to stretch from the bed into the passenger compartment (think of the erstwhile Chevrolet Avalanche) — is likely to be a helpful one, though I worry about the durability of the rear window that seems almost destined to break, either whacked by a large piece of cargo or beset by bad luck somewhere in the removal and storage process. Traditional storage seems fairly impressive, however, with the nearly 6-foot bed providing a sizable option along with a frunk that has an easy loading height under the hood.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to sit in the prototype, which meant no playing around with the new 17-inch touchscreen display or its new Linux-based Ultifi operating system, though what I did see looked pretty cool. The graphics were extremely futuristic-looking, crisp and clear, and the configurability and ability to receive over-the-air updates should help keep it up to date after purchase. The physical volume knob is a welcome touch, too, though it appears that track or tuning changes will be via touch-sensitive controls instead of physical ones — not our favorite method.
Not getting in the truck also means I can’t comment on roominess (or lack thereof), though I was told the Silverado EV should have more backseat space than the gas Silverado. It also means I couldn’t tell you much about the cabin materials, though the truck I saw was just a prototype, so what makes it to production could change.
Will the Silverado EV succeed, particularly at the RST First Edition’s eye-watering $105,000 starting price? It’s difficult to say. Chevrolet says it aims to target a mix of traditional pickup truck buyers and tech-minded early adopters, but without getting to drive the Silverado EV, let alone sit in it, we’ll have to wait longer before we know more.
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