General Motors has plans to launch 30 new EV models globally by 2025, introducing a broad range of battery-powered vehicles across a multitude of segments. That includes new pickups, with one of the most hotly anticipated reveals being the upcoming Chevy Silverado electric truck.
A rendering of the upcoming Silverado electric
As of this writing, GM has just one electric truck on the market: the GMC Hummer EV Pickup. While that model is focused on high levels of all-out performance and off-road capability, the upcoming Chevy Silverado EV will focus on the traditional light duty pickup truck values and features. As such, in order to be successful, the Silverado Electric will need to do everything that the internal combustion-powered Chevy Silverado 1500 can do, but better, without compromise with regard to space or capability. What’s more, the all-electric Chevy Silverado will be positioned as a personal truck as much as a work vehicle, with fleet variants offered as well. That’s quite different from its GMC Hummer EV counterpart, whose purpose is personal use and play, rather than for work.
The Chevy Silverado electric will likely resemble this sketch released by the GM Design team in March 2021
Exterior
Outside, the Chevy Silverado electric pickup will look quite a bit different from the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, likely with a more traditional approach to pickup styling and proportions, with less aggressive front and rear end treatments and bumpers, given that this truck will be optimized for aero, as opposed to off-roading. But just like the Hummer EV, the Silverado E will not feature a separate cab and bed, instead featuring a non-interrupted body due to its integral construction (see platform section below).
In addition, the vehicle will follow the Chevy design language, as possibly hinted at with a recent Chevy Silverado design sketch. The new Chevy Silverado electric truck will not offer removable roof panels, but will instead offer a glass roof – a first for any GM pickup – possibly using SPD-SmartGlass technology to maximize range by decreasing size of HVAC compressor.
It’s currently unclear whether the new battery-driven Silverado will offer different cab and bed lengths, or if it will only be offered in a Crew Cab, Short box configurations. Either way, GM will likely limit the available body style choices at launch, given more choices could impact profitability, and GM is looking to be as profitable as possible on EVs right out of the gate.
A rendering of the upcoming Silverado electric
In the back, the Chevy Silverado electric truck will likely feature the Chevy Multi-Flex tailgate as well as the CornerStep rear bumper feature. It’ll also be interesting to see how the Silverado EV will execute the sliding rear window, and if it will follow the Hummer EV in terms of the entire rear window sliding down, or if only a portion of the rear window will slide laterally, much like in the current ICE-powered Silverado models.
Finally, we should note that the Silverado E will offer very, very large wheels, and wheels wells that can accommodate them. More on that below.
Interior
Inside the cabin, the Chevy Silverado electric will feature a different cabin layout as compared to the Hummer EV, but with similar technology. The interior will likely be optimized for space, with a larger cab and more room in the rear sea, echoing the “no compromises” philosophy mentioned above.
As per the teaser released by Chevrolet, we see a large, horizontally-oriented infotainment in the center of the vehicle. We expect this to be driven by a system running Google Automotive, and complemented by a 12.3-inch driver instrument panel.
Other tech features will include cameras galore, including the 15 camera views currently offered on the internal combustion-powered Chevy Silverado. More cameras could be optional, including underbody cameras as seen on the Hummer EV. The Rear Camera Mirror should also make an appearance.
Platform
The Chevy Silverado electric pickup truck will be based on the BT1 platform, with a body-frame integral structure.
Chassis & Suspension
Keeping the Chevy Silverado electric truck planted will be an independent suspension with coil springs. While a non-adjustable setup is a given for base models, we expect Adaptive Ride Control (essentially Magnetic Ride Control “lite”) and Air Ride Suspension to be an option, delivering an improved ride quality and variable ground clearance.
24-inch wheels are also on the docket, hiding a set of regenerative brakes with Regen-On-Demand. Meanwhile, a mode that optimizes the truck to sprint as fast as possible and four wheel steering/Crab Walk mode – all of which are offered by the Hummer EV – are possibilities.
Powertrain, Range, Charging
The Silverado EV will launch with first-generation Ultium battery powering GM Ultium Drive motors. That said, GM is already working on second-gen Ultium goodies with lower costs, greater range, and more performance, as GM Authority covered previously. Expect the second-generation to offer 400-volt DC fast charge capability, up to 800-volt DC fast charging.
Range-per-charge is expected to come in between 300 miles and just over 400 miles, with range ratings dependent on the model and powertrain configuration. A single- and dual-motor powertrain will definitely be offered, while a three-motor setup is a possibility.
As a reminder, the GMC Hummer EV offers two- and three-motor setups, with output ranging from 625 horsepower, 800 horsepower, and 1,000 horsepower. The Chevy Silverado EV could offer some of these options, or those in between.
That said, we’ve heard that the Chevy Silverado electric will take a focus on capability rather than performance, so although features like a 1,000 horsepower rating, Crab Walk mode, and Watts to Freedom mode are possible, they are unlikely.
Capability
As a pickup focused on usability, one big question mark is payload and tow ratings. After all, batteries are heavy, potentially impacting both metrics. As such, GM will need to find a balance between battery capacity and towing capacity. That said, EV power should make the Chevy Silverado electric rather quick, even without an overarching focus on performance.
Pricing
Pricing for the Chevy Silverado electric will be more accessible than that of the Hummer EV, which starts at about $80,000 for the base-model Hummer EV2, which features 625 horsepower and 7,400 pound-feet of torque. The range-topping Edition 1 model costs $110,295 and features a three-motor setup and gets an estimated 329 miles of driving range and is rated at 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque.
We have heard various rumors about the starting price of the Silverado E, including that it will start at $35,000 or $60,000 range. For the sake of context, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning – Ford’s upcoming electric pickup and direct rival to the Silverado E – will start at $39,974.
The trim level structure will be quite interesting for this vehicle. Given that Chevy will want to launch with the “core” trims first, we expect Work Truck, LT, LTZ/Premier models to launch first.
Branding
expect the new electric Chevy Silverado pickup to be called Chevrolet Silverado E, rather than Silverado EV or Silverado Electric. With that all covered, let’s dive into the specifics.
Launch Timeframe & Availability
The new Chevy Silverado electric pickup will debut January 5th, 2022 in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). General Motors was originally planning to reveal the pickup in-person at the event, but due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated Omicron variant, GM has decided to withdraw from an in-person appearance at CES and debut the vehicle digitally instead. Reservations will open in conjunction with the reveal, including both fleet and consumer versions.
Production
Production of the Chevy Silverado electric pickup will kick off at the GM Factory Zero facility (previously known as Detroit-Hamtramck) in early 2023.
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Comments
I’m ready to make my deposit without hesitation. I think the new Silverado and Sierra EV’s will be highly desirable trucks. The possibility exists to have class leading range, this is where it could really separate itself from its competition. A combination of this, plus any of the Hummer features with new ones specific to an electric truck platform. GM will be landing some haymakers against its rivals. Looks promising.
Needs a bigger screen. gm bragged about Ultium for years, how the hell did Ford beat it to market with electric pickup?
gm will cut its own throat by overpricing this truck and then wonder why nobody will buy it.
F150 Lightning is a rush to market retrofit of the F150 platform. It’s the classic “you don’t have to be best, you just have to be first”. It will only serve a 3 year life cycle, Ford will then have their own purpose built EV truck platform ready. So in many ways Ford is 3 years behind GM.
The Silverado on paper should be a much better platform for both GM and consumer.
Ford had originally intended on leaning on Rivian for an EV platform back when they pumped a few hundred million $ into Rivian years ago. But they weren’t going to get their say (which is what GM wanted from Rivian and why they walked from an investment) and there was going to be production ramp up hurdles. Fast forward a couple years and Ford decided they had progressed far enough into their own full size EV platform that they would just go it alone, well they are still sourcing ‘off the shelf’ batteries. And in approx 3 years we’ll see what they can offer. By then the Silverado EV will be closing in on a refresh, maybe gen2 Ultium.
1st impressions matter, Ford will steal the market from gm even if their truck is inferior. GM is a follower, always waiting to see what others do before acting.
This is the rumor but all Chevy has is a rumor so far. Rumors and a below average Bolt. Yup, their #1 in EV. LMAO
If history repeats itself and it always does with GM it will be great except….(probably awkward looks and cheap interior). About the only thing GM is doing right these days in the Tahoe and Traverse. Corvette is awesome but has a little if that awkward GM showing through.
People like you complain that GM will not beat Ford to market, yet if they did you’d complain that they did not take their time to get the truck right.
It’s a no win for GM with folks like you.
As noted below, the electric Silverado will be a new truck from the ground up, not a hybrid of the existing truck platform. It will feature technologies and capabilities Ford won’t have.
And you also complain about the pricing without even knowing what the pricing will be.
I almost get the impression you’re a Ford or Ram troll just trying to make GM look bad.
Oh yea that makes sense a person on a gm forum that is not even the official gm website is making gm look bad To a bunch of people who aren’t going to buy it anyways that makes a ton on sense.
How can you defend GMs ev truck when we don’t know anything about it. People like you defend GM no matter what.
Glad they are sticking with the horizontal screen versus the ipad slapped on the dash look ala Hummer and f-150.
The interior is hardly the concern with this truck.
Wait until you see the outside of this truck…good God.
Good god as in good or bad?
Not good…at all.
I expect the Silverado EV to be expensive, sold in very limited quantities, and be nearly impossible to get your hands on.
Just like the rest of the EV trucks.
looks juicy to me and what’s good will be a war to get at first, example: corvette.
I consider “a war to get at first” as a completely negative thing for everyone, unless maybe you’re a dealer and want to mark up the price.
We just went through “alot” getting our brand knew Tahoe RST. You had to be open to different model/options choices and except vehicle with no delay cause of first choice customer waiting list.
Not fun when G.M. tells you what options on what models are being built coming in and the Dealer sitting with the Pricing Power.
Will I trade in my 2020 Silverado for a 2022 Silverado E? I don’t think so for years to come.
Hey Nate Hitler got to war first… Actually he started the war and look what happened to him and Germany. Rushing this Truck to market would be a mistake it will just amount to recalls and bad vehicles! Remember slow and steady wins the race in the real world where people keep their trucks for years and lots of miles… This isn’t some look at me showey Telsa this is supposed to do hard work then go out and play on the weekends you need a reliable truck for that. The Ford will fail because they are rushing it and if it’s anything like the Bronco dealer mark ups then forget it one person was charged $10,000 dollars above sticker for a Ford Bronco he told Ford to stick it.
So weird to bring up something that happened over 75 years ago and try to compare hitler to the car market.
Lol Hitler and WW2 is a crap analogy. Hitler almost had it, it’s butt-clenching how close it was to losing Europe
People don’t understand if he would of ordered the attack on Dunkirk when those 350,000+ soldiers were trapped there the war would of been over. America would of had no chance at that point to get involved with the entire British army gone France gone everything.
The Hitler mindset is alive and well in the good ol’ right wing USA. Forget about ridiculous military spending, the real threat is from within…
This isn’t new as a large portion of Americans supported the Nazis including Hitler’s #1 fan; Henry Ford.
Will it be good at towing my 10,000 lb. 5th wheel RV across the country in 3 days?
Who will stock the 24″ rim & tires across the country? Cost???
Lot of real things to answer for me.
This is nothing more then a toy for the rich and the WOKE.
Didn’t know inanimate objects can sleep…..
What’s the complaint if GM didn’t have an EV pickup while Ford, FCA and startups have one?.
Don’t option the 24s. It will have more torque and power, and its weight will bring stability. Grade braking will likely be better than engine braking and won’t risk cooking the actual brakes. So yes it will tow better. Its energy consumption per unit will actually be more efficient than ICE. It’s the charging that is the hiccup at this current time.
You act like all these narrow issues are what you’re stuck with.
In relatively short order battery densities will jump and charging times will be slashed and 800v or better DC charging will roll out en masse. 200+ miles in 10 minutes may become reality with gen 2 Ultium or Tesla’s next cells
Will it be good at towing a 5 ton trailer as a 100% ev in -30 degree Canadian Weather with 400 miles between stops? Probably not..
I love all these comments by people who say they have 8 cars and they all drive 1600 miles combined per day. And then wonder how they are going to recharge their cars at home (since they drive a combined 584,000 miles per year). I forget the user’s name but he ACTUALLY claimed that here on GM Authority.
Hint #1: Electric vehicles perhaps will not be suitable for even 1/2 of the driving public ; and/or they may just prefer a gasoline vehicle.
Then they say, it will overload their home’s existing electric panel.
Hint #2: Since they are spending over $105,000 per year on refueling (they drive 584,000 miles per year, don’t you know), and my 3 evs cost between 1/3rd to 1/2 the amount to refuel using electricity vs $3.59 / us gallon gasoline, I’d take that $60,000 per year savings on refueling EIGHT electric vehicles every night, and spend $20-30,000 ONE TIME to have an electrician install 8 car chargers for me, along with the 400 ampere electric service. You don’t have to worry about Governments for Road Use forgetting to raise taxes…. That’s the FIRST thing they always remember to do.
As far as these goofy auto executives who say they will no longer manufacture ANY internal combustion engines after a certain date, I can only state that their companies will go bankrupt.
You do realize that the Government/State/County/City hasn’t forgotten anyone with a Hybrid or EV. Wait until you got to register/get plates for any of them, then you will know what sticker shock actually is. They are already charging extra for them based on the loss of gasoline taxes. As more of these hit the road, the surcharge will only continue to escalate.
Likely more expensive base price and more expensive top end than Lightning, but also more feature and content rich on both ends of the spectrum.
I could see a $45k starting price, but 300 miles vs Lightning 230.
If they can do $60,000 AWD, crew cab 400 mile it sounds tempting to reserve one, at least until more details come out. I have a 70/240 circuit ready and waiting a charging station to be plugged in.
AWD full size truck with 400 mile range will probably be more like $90k.
I doubt it. Fully loaded sure
You can guarantee that the full size truck with 400 miles of range will only be available on a higher trim level.
Unless you think GM is suddenly going to change how they price vehicles.
They have a 4×4 6.2 10spd crew cab with lift kit for what, $44? That is different from the past 10 years.
I could see an LT/RST equivalent, cloth seats, 400 mile battery for the 60k bracket.
Well I guess we’ll find out, but the battery needed to push a full size truck 400 miles is going to be enormous.
I do not believe that will come cheap, and I don’t believe GM is going to suddenly start selling the rest of the truck at cost either.
I’d expect 150-175kwhr
GM doesnt that to sell their ICE trucks at cost or even adjust pricing. If an LT equivalent EV is 60, that’s High Country 6.2 price range.
I wish all new owners luck at receiving future consistent / fair electric rates to charge them not to mention crooks hurting/robbing people at charging stations in the news. Crooks seem to be smarter nowadays having victims come to them. Scary for now till security somehow deters them.
The first new owners will be the “Pioneers Of Public Access Charging”.
The consumer always gets most R & D and infrastructure costs passed down to them in a ton of ways, either directly or indirectly.
Do you get flat gasoline/diesel rates? Mass American perception is “how can I save money”. That’s not really what it’s about, it’s just one of the current day-to-day perks of electric charging vs gasoline. A lot of people concerned about ROI on EV vs ICE too.
What are the perks about about electric charging besides getting robbed so your pockets are not as heavy?
I meant E-vehicles vs ICE, not charging.
Right now, 80% of electric vehicle charging is done at home…I pay 12 cents/kilowatt-hour (1000 watts for one hour of use – about 3-4 miles of driving in the Spring, Summer, and Fall in my compact Volt… So for each dollar expended in refueling gives me 25-33 miles.. Gasoline in my area at a ‘cheap’ gasoline station is $3.49 and 9/10ths per US Gallon (128 Fluid Ounces). So for my refueling cost over 3 seasons to be the same as an equivalent gasoline compact (which is what my 2019 VOLT is) – would be 87 1/2 to 115 miles per gallon…. so its from 1/2 to 1/3rd of the current refueling cost..
In my area, I also have the option (Western NY State) of paying about 5 cents / kwh from Midnight to 8 am. This lowers the refueling cost to 1/5th to 1/7th the cost of visiting the gas station..
Yes Pickup Trucks in general use more fuel – but the dollar amounts to be saved are therefore much more with pickup trucks.
I’m avoiding the Winter Season for a comparison – since during the coldest days of winter I let the engine run in my VOLT, and use the ‘free’ jacket heat to warm and defrost the cabin. During these times my vehicle is no worse than any other gasoline powered car.
That’s cool as long as you have a garage issue is most people don’t. I would not be comfortable with installing it outside without a garage. Sure you can charge while you are out and about but I don’t wanna sit for 15+ minutes.
Why are you afraid of installing it outside? The cord can spoil up inside a locked cubby. And you can have password/phone protection/access so only those authorized get juice. Are you afraid of leaving your hour with no one home? No because you lock the door.
You fear what you don’t understand
Where I live there are some punk kids who like to play around a lot I wouldn’t trust they would destroy it or at least try to just because they could. They are the type to take a package off your porch and if it isn’t something they want you will find it in the ditch a mile away.
Yo. SUP. Not to mention trying to hook up my gangster small crap E car 800 amp. draw rap boom box needing the power grid and 8 pitbulls to keep it. and picture of hair sniffer on center console. Won’t be easy.
You fail to mention your VOLT has an internal combustion engine
He did say he runs the engine in his Volt
No problem, I charge at home. Got my 357 to avoid any problems there.
HMMMM. Interesting. Just got me thinking…. I wonder what it would cost for battery replacement and what would happen to a big E car battery with a round put in it? Wondering if U.L. will test that and consumer reports steer you to their patrons?
I have a constant electric rate for the next 25+ years. SunPOWER.
Screw all this. Bring back the REAL trucks, and leave them alone
Exactly. I don’t think the 100% all electric concept will ever work out. I don’t think they have all the future impacts thought out. To me it’s just having us to pay for retooling their assembly lines to charge us.
I agree with you J. Even though I currently own 3 GM evs, I do not think even 1/2 of the ICE vehicles will ever be replaced… ICE vehicles are simply too efficient and effective and economical for what they do – so they’ll be used for decades in the future.
A modern society, with all the chemical industry applications for petroleum products, simply NEEDS oil refineries… Prior to Heny Ford’s Model “T”, they used to burn unwanted gasoline in rivers or lakes, simply because the approximate percentage of gasoline, whether wanted or not, from the cracking tower is about 50%.
Surely it is better to cleanly burn it in a modern clean ICE (about 50 times cleaner than they used to be) and get some practical use out of the gasoline.
I do not see any compelling argument for why ICE vehicles cannot co-exist with electrical vehicles.
What will BACKWOODS FARM area charging stations charge for electric cars passing thru.?
Hope cracker barrel will like tourists there for a couple hours waiting for charge to finish. I’m sure they will have a few stations too.
I wonder how the range is affected in very hot or very cold weather? Are we to be expected to return to the fifties where open windows were the way to cool off in hot weather and blankets were the order of the day if it was too cold for the small heater to adequately warm the vehicle? I routinely drive 600-700 miles in a day. How long does it take to charge once the battery is depleted? I admit that I know little about all-EV vehicles but I doubt I will have any use for one anytime soon. My current diesel half ton gets me a long way down the road between fills and I have no trouble finding a refuel location. I guess if all you do is commute and don’t want to tow anything substantial for any distance, an EV might be okay. I just am not ready to be forced into something because the government thinks it will help the environment. As long as I can still choose, have at it! If you want one, get one. Just please don’t tell me I HAVE to drive one, too.
Exactly, well said.
It’s going to be below zero the next week here by me, how much charging time will I need to keep warm in my total electric vehicle?
You’ll get 50 miles to a full charge in below zero weather!
Brandon has a truck for you my friend, it’s called the SilvyErado!
I have a feeling this is going to fail just like the Silverado Hybrids did.
The hybrids failed because of price, cheap crappy interior, they where not much better then then a regular GM truck… This is new from the ground up they should call it Cheyenne or Custom Deluxe.
Gm has used cheap crappy interiors for decades this is nothing new. They are just now finally starting to make them decent with the new 22 trucks
Yes true Shane but in the hybrid trucks where like 70,000 thousands dollars and had a work truck interior design by Rubbermaid and pleather. I have an Equinox LTZ the interior is great quality. I remember a 2002 Camaro I had door panels would come loose, everything was grey plastic, you pull apart the raido surround plastic with your hands and a flat head screwdriver in 5 minutes.
Their mild hybrid should’ve been a full hybrid like F150 power boost
LGBFJB
Stay classy, my friend, stay classy
does that mean LETS GO BUTT F++K JOE BIDEN?
When the weight of the battery exceeds max payload weight, I think it’s time to consider propulsion with a smaller battery supplemented with an ICE based range extender. If max payload is 2000 lbs, a 1,000 lb battery with about 75 kWh supplemented with a 100 kw range extender with 20 or 30 gallons of fuel would weigh less but still provides the benefits of all electric drive for around 200 miles unloaded and 80 miles loaded AND provide conventional truck like ranges, loaded or unloaded, when the range extender is engaged. In addition the MPG efficiency will be better than a conventionally powered truck.
Good idea but a hybrid adds weight and complexity no you have a gas engine and batteries the weight difference will be made up for with the engine, transmission, drive shaft, 4WD old school transfer case, gas tank, exhaust… Good idea but not for a gas engine the 3.0 Duramax should be a hybrid imagine the fuel mileage. Who knows maybe Toyota and GM will work on solid state batteries together or whatever Toyota new battery technology is called. Besides battery technology in general is getting smaller and more efficient.
Would like to see more about the capabilities. If you want to beat Ford will the new chevy be able to run your house during a power outage? Will the screen rotate? Will GM be able to meet the pre-order demand?
Competing in the World today is good.I,spent 10 years in the auto repair business in the 60s and 70s.Wev have learned so much and look forward to driving one of these electric Trucks,GM,Ford and Dodge is fine with me.I have had many since 1967.Go American truck makers.Good Luck.
Aerodynamics of this design will be really bad. GM should hire a few aero engineers and then listen to them. A Cd of 0.07 is what the competition is bringing. This legacy shape has a Cd of around .5.
The renders in this article aren’t even close to what the Silverado EV will look like. There are pictures of it out there. It is certainly more aerodynamic.
Where? I haven’t seen any leaks. Everything has been third party renders or various sketch concepts from GMs design studio that have no where near realistic proportions
Will every Star Bucks have a charging station ? Will the Gov. charge a form of road tax on the power needed to charge EV ? Did they learn from the “Bolt” problems ? Finally what will the real cost of replacing the batteries be after they die ? They could end up having the worlds worse depreciation of Any vehicle sold because everyone will be afraid of the day their “Chevy” died. Did anyone see the video of the guy blowing up his tesla when he was told he needed to replace it’s battery pack ?
dave baker the bolt problems were asian made batteries, noit the Bolt itself, bring mnfg back to America to slove that problem, almost every problem with any American vehicle can be traced to something made in asia/china. GM has the best auto engineers in the world but suffer from parts made in korea, japan , china
Where we live in Thunder Bay Ontario, we are 400 miles from Winnipeg to the west and 400 miles to Sault st Marie to the east with only a few towns in between. I cannot see trying to do a trip in winter in -35 or -45c with the heaters blasting. Don’t think we could get very far. And our highway is frequently closed suddenly because of bad weather or accidents, there would be no way to stay warm for extended hours of road closures, so no to electrics for me
I agree… somewhat. But the best ?? Hardly ! Plus those that would or could achieve that title will be stopped by cost over value . Bonus ‘s over quality . Unfortunately something the General has become far to good at lately .
I’m Ready to buy one Right NOW – Today.
I wish they had ‘em at the Dealership !
Lots of outdated information in the comments. The Silverado E (and the Ultium platform) are using solid state batteries. There is no electrolyte like these is in the Li-ion batteries in the Volt/Bolt. That being said – this battery technology is less affected by cold temperatures, charges faster, longer cycle capacity (less degradation over time), and stores about 40% more energy than traditional Li-ion batteries. They also weigh less.
I think like the F-150 Lightning, it will be Chevrolet’s best Silverado yet. Once the OEM’s are cranking these vehicles out I can guarantee gas stations will have charging stations installed quickly. Gas stations are a real-estate play. A 5-10 minute charge time guarantees customers in their door purchasing items more than those filling up with gas.
For folks driving 600-700 miles a day — what’s your fuel bill? Electric will be one tenth of what you’re paying for fuel. Early on you’ll have trouble but the world is moving away from combustion quite quickly.
Chris I could not have said it better myself… The Ultium batteries will be a major leap forward in all applications. I can break down my fuel bill for my car… With current gas prices at 3.25 a gallon in NJ I fill up for $50 dollars Evey week that’s $200 a month for one car for my wife’s car whick is about the same price give or take a few dollars that $400 dollars a month to run two vehicles. My electric bill with running all the appliances, Christmas lights, without Christmas lights it’s about $100 a month and whatever else uses electric in the house is on average about $200 a month now if I bought an electric car I would just use the money I am no longer spending in ⛽ gas . The bolt is an older platform more related to the Volt as far as batteries go. I don’t understand why people are so afraid of new technology… I think the Silverado EV will be the best yet and it’s also nice to see GM actually committed to these cars and the technology that goes with them.
For my 600 mile trips, my average fuel bill is about $52-$55. These are work trips and I make them in one day. I could never do that with any EV, especially given that the trips are in rural eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska. There are simply not enough rapid chargers in those locations. I admit I do not know much about battery technology or EV vehicles in general, but I do know that I have been stranded on Colorado and Nebraska roads in the wintertime for up to 3-5 hours in bad weather waiting for the roads to clear. I can idle that long, even at -10 to -20F and still have plenty of fuel in the tank to get to a fuel station or back home. I disagree with your comment that “the world is moving away from combustion quite quickly.” ICE engines will still be in use long after we are gone. If 75KW or more is needed for a decent charger, gas stations will need to charge a premium rate for the electricity to recover the cost of charging stations and new infrastructure. Not to mention that in a lot of rural areas (not all of us live in or near large cities), the existing electric distribution system simply cannot handle the usage that would be developed from a large number of charging stations. I routinely drive long distances in rural areas where there are no charging stations at all. How long does it take to charge the batteries if plugged in to 110 Volts?
That’s a lot of miles. You’re definitely an edge case, and something like the new Duramax 3.0 diesel is perfect for that. Eventually EV’s will get there. This technology moves fast — Chevrolet shipped the Volt with a 40mi. range and a decade later they’ll be shipping a 400mi. range half-ton pickup for a similar price point. So basically a 100% increase in range per year. You don’t see returns like that with combustion. The new Silverado diesel with SuperCruise sounds right up your alley…
Chris, funny you should mention the baby Duramax, that’s exactly what I have in a Silverado 1500. For now, that’s exactly what I need. Maybe you’re right and the technology is moving faster than I think. I should get a lot of mileage out of my 3.0 before I need to switch to something else. For sure I can’t see myself driving as much as I do in a smaller vehicle.
Really really hoping for a 6.5ft bed.
What if going electric is a mistake like buying oil from Arabs?
Even F 1 is looking for alternate fuels to replace gasoline as they know the ICE powerplants can’t be replaced (yet) by battery powered cars. I will be shocked if our world doesn’t do the same. Cost could certainly be lowered if it were to be manufactured in bulk as gasoline is now.
I think Porsche and some other OEM’s have been working on synthetic fuel that is compatible with existing combustion engines but the cost is upwards of $9/gal. I think the use case is really to keep classic and exotic combustion cars still on the road but isn’t meant to be a replacement for unleaded fuels we have today.
I’m with you to a point. But what will the actual distance under load on a Hot or Cold day be. Plus there will need to be many many more charging stations ready to go before I even consider one. If I lived in a city and did strictly city driving then I might do so sooner. However I do not and thus will not be buying one anytime soon.
The bill right now for “refilling” your EV is low now. But when the Gov. learns the tax for gasoline isn’t coming in I assure you they will find a way to tax the electricity to charge the EV’s .
I’m good with technology (when it works). But I will be waiting past the teething stage. As we know the auto companies really do rely on the consumer to do some of the RnD and work out the bugs. I’d hate to see more issues like the lifter problems that years later they are finally seeming to address. Until then c’mon “Future Fuels”.
I agree. I’m somewhat hesitant with the Silverado E given GM’s recent problems with the Bolt batteries catching fire. On the other hand, the new battery technology from what I’ve read isn’t as flammable as Li-ion. I told myself I’d buy again once the next-gen solid state batteries are available so I think I’ll be pre-ordering in the first couple of minutes if I like what I see. The waiting list for the Cybertruck is over 1M right now, so any chance to get an EV pickup with a service network and a solid warranty is GM/Ford and I’m a GM guy.
I imagine once exxon , shell etc see that another fuel source has been perfected ,they will convert their refineries to make the syn. fuel. That alone should lower the price. Gee what will the poor middle east do for money then ? As if .
Not Sold On Giving Up I.C.E.
1. 100% Electric Vehicles for 100% of the People with never work.
2. You can’t paint the U.S.A. with the same paint brush.
3. Too much future fossil fuels expended to make all components of E vehicles, solar panel power and wind generators.
4. Battery Recalls and recycling will be a nightmare.
All of that is true but all of that will eventually change.
I commend you “Sun Power”. But once our Gov. agencies see the tax loss ,if gas sales decrease, they Will come looking for it to replace the lost tax revenue. Perhaps a meter connected to Every charging station, whether it be home based or commercially based. You must know they will be looking to replace the loss somehow.
Well J a real good question. I know when they start burning they are pure hell to put out.
Amen to Bill . Towing a trailer or a pile of firewood or running with the electric heater on full blast. Or only works in Southern California. Maybe like the smart car ? Not baaadd in the city .
Hi Dave – thanks for the complement.
I view personal vehicles in General as ‘Freedom Machines’ . That is why, in the next several years they will have sneakily installed breathalizers in the vehicles since we poor peasants aren’t allowed to do anything not approved by ‘our masters’.
I know I could get lower rates by letting the insurance companies to constantly monitor my driving, but to me, that is just ‘A bit’ Too Far in allowing them to see what I am doing, so I forgo that savings….Of course now that ONSTAR is part of almost all GM vehicles – they can disable the vehicle anytime they want – great if a burgler is trying to get away with it but not so great if YOU are the person they are trying to prevent driving to an unapproved location.
I have been straining the point that ICE vehicles are very, very suitable for some users or usages, but I don’t want to obliterate the fact that a transistion to an ev for many people (4 out of 10 of them, minimum) makes great economic sense, as the repairs are at least 30% less costly overall, and they are almost all quiet, sporty, and fun to drive…
Public Charging can be a trying experience currently, but some people (like me) never have to do this since they leave every morning with a full tank of juice put in the night before.
You think you get 400 miles pulling a trailer against a head wind? Get real. You’re lucky if you get 12mpg and with a 25/gal tank you’re lucky if you even get 300 miles. Try doing it at high elevation. I’m not saying EV truck solves that use case today, either. It really boils down to energy storage. The F150 Lightning with the large pack will get close to 300 miles pulling two jet ski’s. Pretty great if you ask me.
I feel we are all judging to soon. EV tech is still relatively new. If i was to put it in as an analogy i would say we are back in late 1800s getting ready to transition from horses to the automobile all over again. Range and charging speeds will get better over time like everything. Might take another 100 years till we can pop out a portable solar panel and charge up in 5 seconds like Wall-E haha.
I personally know of an EV designed and 1 built. Used 4 electric motors, 1 at each wheel. A computer was used to maintain an even wheel speed when turning or going straight. It included a small on board diesel generator to recharge the batteries if and when they got low. Then someone at what was known as the big 3 (Chrysler, Ford, GM) came into the shop and bought every piece of paper, scrap,or doodle or blue print and Every picture. Paid them off with lots of “hush money”. After signing them to an NDA, took the 1 off and left. We have never seen or heard about it since. It’s not rocket science people. But they really did and do not want it used. That was about 30 yrs ago. The car companies and especially the refinery folk have been doing their best to delay that which has now come to be. Now to play catch up .
Hey Bill . Good for you charging up at home. Makes good sense if you can. But I’ve got to wonder how long the batteries will last (in the real world) and at what cost will they be to replace. On that subject there’s a grr8 video on a guy strapping 66lbs of dynamite to his tesla after learning what it was going to cost to replace his cars batteries. Just say n .
Hi Dave !
Yeah I saw that ‘professionally demolished’ Tesla. I owned one Tesla but I doubt I ever will again… The car just couldn’t hack Western NY weather like any GM electric vehicle can.
Tesla batteries in the past have been far more dangerous than GM batteries, – and I think its quite obvious that GM is **NOT** going to be ignoring battery troubles for the next decade at least… They’ve been caught too publically with their pants down on the BOLT ev troubles.
But – GM is giving every bolt owner a NEW battery, AND a reset to 0 both time and mileage of the 8 year/ 100,000 mile warranty of that new battery… Its almost TOO GENEROUS…
BY the way, my VOLT constantly sits outside in the driveway – the 2 car garage getting the other 2 evs… I charge it by slipping the cord underneath the people door’s weatherstripping… both 120 and 240 volt cords just as easily reach the car.
I use much energy in my house, but my 3 evs charge up each night on my Never Modernized 62 year old original electrical service….
As appliances wore out, I replaced them with gas-fired appliances since even though electricity is considered reasonable here, the natural gas is still well under 1/2 even that reasonable cost, and it allows sufficient capacity to recharge the 3 evs simultaneously.
Most people probably won’t need it, but with the BOLT ev’s lately they were offering $1000 off sending an electrician to your home to install a ‘220’ outlet in your garage or carport, and the BOLT EUV comes standard with a beefy 110-220 charger cord which will replenish 230 miles overnight. I didn’t need those things, but for people who would like them , its like a free $1800.
Dave Baker funny how you didn’t say that the Telsa was a 9 years old and no information was given on how the car was taken care of, what maintenance was done to it. I think 9 years is a pretty good run for a car… My wife’s old Dodge journey we recently traded in was 9 years old and it had transmission trouble, the suspension was falling apart, the engine leaked oil and the car in general just seemed to be giving up… My mechanic said it was going to cost thousands to fix. EV technology as a whole is still new compared to ICE cars and trucks… In time the technology will catch up to where it should be charging at home is ok but we need charging stations at work, gas stations, anywhere people can charge up for a fast charge and right now nobody knows how long the batteries will really last… But then again look car companies still can’t guarantee that an ICE engine won’t breakdown either.
Funny how you try to turn things around to suit yourself. At NO point did I offer more than a look at a tesla being blown up. But you might want to note a battery is a simple fuel source. If you had to spend 10s of thousands of dollars to replace your ICE fuel system you’d note it has ZERO resale value. You can spend $30,000 dollars and rebuild a very nice car. With that you’d have a new drive train, suspension etc. Or you could buy a battery. As I’m writing this parts of I 95 is closed , people have been stranded for over 10 hrs. I wonder how long a EV would last. I wonder how long you’d have heat, or the reserve power to drive off under your own power. I’m not against technology. I’m stating it has to catch up and meet all needs i.e. infrastructure before we should blindly jump in with both feet.
I am not jumping in and buying an EV I at least want to wait 5 or 10 years also my car is paid off no need to go looking now.
Hey Bill. Just what I’ve (not an expert) and some of the Auto experts have been saying for some time. You’ve just got to know all the various levels of Gov. have already calculated what the potential Tax Revenue loss will be. Therefore you know they WILL find a way to claw it back.
Hey P B maybe a real smart move. The lack of supporting infrastructure will be the biggest problem, especially for those of us not living in large cities. Someday an EV driver may want to drive to Key West or Anchorage and get there in less than 3 wks. Someday recharging stations may be as plentiful as gas stations are not. (Some Day)
I think the smart people will let those that have the money by the first generation with all the issues first editions can have and they will be a whole new bunch with a different drive train. The smart people will wait out the growing pains (those AMF engines?) and buy the truck after the majority of the bugs are worked out. pricing starting at $39K? In today’s crazy pricing for trucks that’s pretty reasonable.
15 cameras or more on your truck, cameras UNDER the truck? That’s pretty narcissistic isn’t it? Looking at how cool the underside of your truck looks as you beat the crap outta your hugely expensive truck?
Sorry, I just don’t get that. It’s a truck, not a luxury ocean liner.
Not to mention… The more goodies it comes with the shorter the distance it will go. More Power drained, the sooner it will need a recharge. i.e. Lights, Camera, Heater, A/C, etc.
That’s a ROG… I get parking camera system, a radio/media player, interior lights, pwr windows, seats, door locks, heated mirrors and back glass. I want to know cargo max load and trailering capabilities. Being an electric vehicle precludes charging your travel trailer using the tow vehicle’s charging system. So, can the truck’s battery be charged with a portable generator such as is carried by travel trailer?
Disappointed! Was expecting a Truck and got a new version 2013 Avalanche. I always thought the Avalanche was a FLOP and this one will join it, only reason to go for this “Light Weight” will be the EV status..
Looks like I will be crawling back to Ford and look at the Lightning F-150, at least it looks like a truck. I really expected a lot more from Chevrolet/GM.
I don’t think it’s a flop, there are highly dedicated owners (like me) that really like the truck. I read somewhere it has a cult following like the VW Bug. I have a 2006 so I don’t have those AFM issues. Also there is a disclaimer that the truck appearance may not be what
s pictured…. so no one knows what its going to look like.
So we have choice in this country (right now) so go crawl back to Ford if you want to.
I saw the Silverado EV and I like the look of and I also think the return of the midgate is neat… If you don’t like it there are going to be other versions of the truck also you can still buy a gas or diesel Silverado. I wish that front end was on the ICE trucks.
I own 6 Chevy Trucks, I like the appearance of a truck. I also have several Chevrolet SUV’s, as well as several Chevrolet Classic Cars, I am a Loyal GM fan and owner, but for GM to call this a truck is stretching the definition of truck. Was an El Camino a truck, not really, same for the Avalanche. Sorry but I feel GM is Late to the Party once again and has pulled an old set of plans and Fignigaled them and have claimed a New from the Ground Up EV Truck, just to try and keep up with Ford,
I call BS.
Of all the upcoming electric trucks – I feel the Electric Silverado is the nicest looking from the front…. I’m not wild about the ‘horseshoe’ light shaped Ford f-150, and the ‘Edsal inspired’ Rivian front end.
CULT ? That about says it all. If you keep expecting quality but will settle for the krap ? Well my thinking is… You may have already drank the Koolaide.
I’ll take your Truck question 1 step further. I drove Real trucks, Macks, KWs, Freightshakers,Binders etc. for over 45 years. The ones you are referring to, are pickups and and just SUVs. The Avalanche … well really just a Caddy in disguise. I like my 04 Avalanche but I’d rather still have my 72 with the 8 ft box Any Day .