• Auto123 test drives the 4WT version of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV
Oshawa, ON - Next week, we'll be taking a little trip to Detroit, Michigan, to test drive the RST version of the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the long-awaited electric version of General Motors' full-size pickup.
On the menu at the model launch will be three variants: the 3WT and 4WT, aimed primarily at commercial users (WT = Work Truck), as well as the RST performance variant.
In Canada, the WT variants will be available to the general public this year, while in the U.S. they will be available to everyone in 2025.
We had the chance to test drive the WT trucks for a very short time, this while we were in Oshawa for workshops on towing equipment and accessories offered with GM pickups. We’ll have a report on that soon, but we couldn't pass up the occasion offered by this first contact with the Silverado EV before next week's test drive.
See also: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Gets More Range - and a Higher Price
The short introduction took place on the General Motors test track, on its Oshawa grounds. We were able to complete a few laps on a two-km oval circuit, with a 5000-lb trailer hitched to the rear, no less.
A six-km test isn't enough for a complete portrait of the model, we agree, but we focused on three elements.
Range of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV 4WT
Chevrolet announced, for the three variants, ranges of 632 km for the entry-level 3WT model, 724 km for the 4WT version and 708 km for the RST version.
Output is given at 510 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque with the WT models, which is more than enough. The RST variant is more performance-oriented, with 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque.
Towing capacity is 12,500 lb with the 4WT version, 10,000 lb with the others.
So much for the numbers. What I kept an eye on was the ratio between the number of km covered and those subtracted from the dashboard indicator. When I started up, the display showed 430 km displayed. After 6 km, the figure read 424 km – a reassuring number, given what we were towing, and given that we did test out acceleration capabilities. The truck will likely perform better unladen.
As a point of comparison, on a recent test drive of the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning, we were stunned to see the initial 516 km of range melt away to 285 km – after driving only 117 km. to be fair, we should remember that the Lightning version is based on a regular F-150, whereas GM developed its pickup as an electric vehicle from the ground up. Ford will certainly want to do better with the next-generation Lightning model, which was recently delayed by a year, by the way (2025 to 2026).
Acceleration and regeneration with the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV 4WT
The second thing we looked at was the force exerted on acceleration. The sensation is radically different from that of a gasoline-powered model. Above all, its smoothness is exemplary, in fact it’s essentially akin to using the Eco mode of an electric SUV. You feel a restriction, but the thrust is linear and convincing.
Remember, this is with the 510-hp version. We can imagine what it will be with the 754-hp Silverado EV version.
As for regeneration, we were told that it was greater with the trailer, due to the extra weight. We'll need to find out more about this detail in order to grasp all its subtleties, but single-pedal driving seemed very well suited to this model with a rear hitch.
Overall, then, it may have been a very short first contact but it was pretty convincing. We'll have more to tell you following our test of the RST variant next week.
One thing's for sure: if General Motors delivers on the promised range of its electric pickup, Ford will be sitting up and taking notice.
