Video: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV: Up Close

This is the RST First Edition which should arrive in dealerships in the fall of 2023. And it aims to give other EV pickups like the upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, and even its GMC Hummer EV pickup cousin, a run for their money. Styling is, you know, distinctly Chevy, but it's not just a Silverado thrown over an LTM EV platform. There is a little bit of Avalanche to it, but much more modern and much more functional upfront. You get sort of this grilles design. Obviously, it's an EV. You don't need the grill of a traditional combustion engine. You do get a frunk. It's got a nice, little, low load-in height. Few cool little details. You get charging icons here. Nice little bow tie in the side marker. Dimensionally, it's not that different from a Silverado 1500, and it's certainly smaller than a Silverado HD. But things like the aerodynamic buttresses behind the cab and the RST first additions gigantic 24-inch wheels give it an imposing presence. In back, a few more cool little styling details. You've got the charging port here. You got this large tail light assembly that actually has the LTM logo built into it. Traditional Chevy helpful steps to give you some bed access. The Silverado EV does have some cool features, which should make it appealing to a lot of shoppers, such as its multi-flex midgate, which allows longer items to pass through the midgate into the cabin. While the bed is nearly six feet long, when all enclosed with the midgate folded down, you get just over nine feet, and with the midgate and tailgate open, you get almost 11 feet of cargo space for storage. The backseat is a 60/40 split, and the rear glass can come down and store behind the backseat when the backseat is fully lowered. Chevy says there can be up to 10 outlets in the Silverado EV, offering a total of 10.2 kilowatts of power. There's a mix of 240-volt and 120-volt outlets, but Chevy didn't say just how much one could get from any particular outlet. The Silverado EV will also offer buyers the ability to charge another EV with an available accessory cord. One last cool feature in the Silverado EV is its available four-wheel steering, which should improve its low-speed maneuverability. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to sit in the prototype, which means I can't really tell you anything about roominess or materials quality. But again, this is a prototype, which means that things could certainly change between now and production. What I can tell you about the interior is that the techs certainly looks great. The RST First Edition has a new 17-inch touchscreen display that runs GM's latest Ultifi operating system. And while I wasn't allowed to play with it, what I did see looked pretty cool. The graphics were both extremely futuristic and crisp and clear, and the configurability and ability to receive over-the-air updates should help keep it up to date after purchase. There's also a physical volume knob, which is a welcome touch though it appears that track or tuning changes will be via touch-sensitive controls instead of physical ones, not our favorite method. Again, I can't really comment on roominess. But Chevrolet does say the Silverado EV should feel a little more spacious than the Silverado with an internal combustion engine, particularly in the backseat, which should have a little more legroom. Also, the available all-glass roof should add to that expansive feeling inside. One of the first things buyers want to know about an EV is its range, and the Silverado EV should have an estimated 400 miles of it, according to Chevrolet. That's more than the F-150 Lightning, which is in the low two hundreds or 300-mile range depending on battery pack, and more than the Rivian R1T, which is currently EPA rated at 314 miles. Tesla promises over 500 miles for the Cybertruck, but nothing's finalized yet, and the GMC Hummer EV is currently rated at an estimated 329 miles of range. The Silverado EV will also have standard DC fast-charging up to 350 kilowatts, which should add 100 miles in 10 minutes. That's still not as fast as a fill-up at a gas station, but it's not that bad. Power is also an important consideration. And while these are just estimates right now, Chevy says the RST First Edition should have at least 664 horsepower and 780 pounds-feet of torque in what it calls wide open watts or WOW mode, which is close to the dual-motor GMC Hummer EV, and more horsepower and just a little more torque than the F-150 Lightning. Meanwhile, Chevy says the work truck version should have up to 510 horsepower and 615 pounds-feet of torque. Chevy says the RST First Edition should be able to tow up to 10,000 pounds, while the work truck should be able to tow up to 8,000. Chevy did also say that later work truck versions could offer up to 20,000 pounds towing. Payload capacity is on the lower end for a pickup truck. The RST First Edition offers 1300 pounds, and the work truck 1200. That's lower than a Ford Maverick and significantly lower than internal combustion pickups. That's likely due to the overall heavy weight of the battery pack and the truck in general. Chevy says the Silverado EV work truck will be the first to go on sale in spring 2023. But again, that will initially be sold only to commercial buyers. The loaded RST First Edition will follow in fall 2023 with a price of $105,000, not including destination. Eventually, the Silverado EV lineup available to consumers will expand to include the roughly $40,000 work truck, a regular RST trim, a trail boss variant, and more, with prices anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 or more, depending on equipment. That's a lot of information about the Silverado EV, and there's still a lot to be finalized before production, but what we've seen so far is pretty impressive. Chevy is targeting a mix of buyers with the Silverado EV, not just traditional pickup buyers. And with a combination of tech, performance, and luxury in the higher end, as well as more work-friendly features at the lower end of things, the EV pickup truck race is really heating up. Be sure to check out cars.com for all the details. (soft upbeat music)