Chevrolet Silverado EV
Size matters electric
Chevrolet Silverado EV 2023
© press-inform – the press office
Despite the keynote address by CEO Mary Barra, General Motors canceled the CES 2022 at short notice due to the ongoing pandemic. The pick-up bestseller Chevrolet Silverado was presented to the public as a new electric model virtually from the company’s headquarters in Detroit and not live in Las Vegas.
The delayed Tesla Pick Up will not go it alone in the USA either – on the contrary. In the spring, Ford presented its F-150 Lightning, an electric version of its mass-produced pick-up model, which should become a successful model. In spring 2023 it will be followed by the second best-selling pick-up in the USA, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, now also as an electric version. “First of all, in addition to the First Edition, we will be presenting our Work Truck in spring 2023,” says GM CEO Mary Barra, “and the electric Silverado RST will follow in the fall.” Their technical framework data make private and commercial customers want more, because while the basic model of the 510 hp work truck as a commercial vehicle is to start at just under 40,000 US dollars, there will be carefully orchestrated different power levels and battery sizes. The RST top model offers up to 664 hp, 1050 Nm and thanks to the new Ultium platform, on which the Hummer EV will also be on the road, ranges of up to 400 miles – the equivalent of 650 kilometers – are possible. The impressive price of the particularly exclusively equipped Chevrolet Silverado EV First Edition: 105,000 US dollars. There is a 10.2 kW charger on board for the electric pick-up, and the battery pack in the underbody of the fast charging station is strengthened with up to 350 kW. The North American should be able to refuel for another 160 kilometers within ten minutes.
“The Ultium platform enabled our design and engineering teams to start from scratch and develop a pickup with impressive performance and capability,” explains Nichole Kraatz, Silverado EV chief engineer. “The result is really impressive evidence of creativity and innovation that our teams can bring to market quickly and on a large scale. ” Visually, the Chevrolet Silverado EV differs significantly from its combustion brothers. There is a closed front with a new light signature and a modified rear with a vario flap that can be opened and closed electrically in various modes. The new electric pick-up can pull trailers up to a weight of 4.5 tons and the car version has a payload of almost 600 kilograms. Further heavy-duty variants are being planned, which will then be able to hook a similar amount and transport it on the loading area as the current Silverado combustion versions with diesel and petrol.
A key is no longer required to start the electric Silverado – all you need to do is use the appropriate smartphone. Shift into gear and off you go almost noiselessly. In addition to the generous amount of space in the passenger cell, the Chevrolet Silverado EV also offers a fixed glass roof, 14-inch head-up display, 11-inch instruments and a 17-inch multifunctional display in the middle of the dashboard. The rear of the spacious cabin can be opened towards the loading area, so that longer items can be loaded to the front from here and even surfboards or large loads can be transported. Air suspension and the optional all-wheel steering ensure comfort and agility. One or the other previous Silverado customer is likely to ponder as well as potential new customers from competitors. The pick-ups that will be available in the next three years, which only name full-size trucks here, could pave the way for the new electric mobility in the USA – not only in the coastal states, but also in the Midwest.