KBB Finds Features They Love on the Silverado EV

You may find an electric pickup like the Silverado EV to be every bit as capable as a gas-powered full-size pickup, even more so in some significant ways. Kelley Blue Book (KBB) spent some time with a Silverado EV and found several features they, in their words, love. Some are available on standard gas-powered Silverados, and others are exclusive to the EV, but all of them are likely to be features you would love too. Chevrolet of Spring Valley passes on what they found.

Range is more of a subject for EVs than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles because it takes longer to recharge than refuel. The flip side is that if you charge at home and drive within the range, you never have to stop at all. The Silverado EV makes that easy to do with an EPA range estimate of 450 miles for the RST model KBB tested. That is 130 more miles of operation than the Ford Lightning, 110 more miles than the Rivian, and it has a combined 63 MPGe (MPG equivalent). Even Silverado EVs, rated at 393 miles of range, beat those competitors and have a combined 67 MPGe.

Performance

The Silverado EV is rated as having 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque, which beats the Ford F-150 Lighting on both counts. That only tells part of the story because that isn’t peak torque but simply torque. After all, electric motors produce maximum torque at any engine rpm. Due in part to its tremendous torque rating, the Silverado EV can tow up to 10,000 pounds. That is more than any Silverado with the TurboMax engine.

4-Wheel Steering

This feature works two ways for two distinct functions. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front to increase the big truck’s maneuverability in parking lots and other tight spaces. On the highway, the wheels turn in the same direction as the front for more stable handling and ease of lane changing.

Portable Power Source

The Silverado EV can use its massive battery to run power tools or lights, charge up other EVs, or power your home during an outage. Compared to moving the vehicle, powering tools or lights use very little battery power. However, you can still set it up so you never use more energy than you need to get home.
Design
With its smooth bed integrated body and flying buttresses just aft of the cabin, the Silverado looks like a modern Chevrolet Avalanche, which is appropriate since it adopts much of the Avalanche’s flexibility. With no upper grille but a full-width LED light bar up front, the model displays its EV status proudly. As KBB states: “Make no mistake: Although the EV loses some of the brutish appearance of the traditional Silverado, make no mistake; it’s still a big, imposing truck.”

Multi-Flex Midgate

Yes, the Silverado EV comes standard with the Avalanche’s star feature. The rear seats and bulkhead behind them can fold forward to extend the cargo bed floor from the tailgate to the back of the front seats. This enables the ability to haul items nearly 11 feet long and have them contained within the tailgate.
Multi-Flex Tailgate (available)
For further cargo flexibility, the Silverado EV is available with the Multi-Flex Tailgate available on ICE Silverados. Its six configurations include a load stop for hauling cargo with the tailgate down. Most of the top half can drop to contain long, thin items like poles or wood beams over the top without having them shift to either side. It can drop down vertically while the main tailgate is horizontal to give you better access to the load, or you can use the load stop as a step to climb to the bed. It is not exclusive to the EV, but it is still a great feature.

Digital Displays

The Chevy Silverado EV RST KBB looked at was equipped with a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen, as well as an 11-inch digital and configurable driver gauge cluster, and then a 14-inch head-up display (HUD) that can give you most all the information you need while keeping your eyes on the road.

Digital Rearview Mirror

A standard rearview mirror is a simple and effective driving tool until you load the bed with something tall that blocks the view. With the push of a button, the rearview mirror on the RST switches to a wide-angle display from a rear camera, giving you a clear, unobstructed view of what’s behind you.

Super Cruise

Available on gas-powered Silverados as well, Super Cruise is the ultimate road trip companion. It enables the vehicle to steer, accelerate, brake, and even change lanes without driver interaction. The system is based on the GPS reading of pre-mapped highways. Over 400,000 North American highways were mapped by the beginning of the year, with 750,000 miles expected by the year’s end.

The Silverado EV is likely to be the best pickup truck customers have ever had. Check out the Silverado EV at Chevrolet of Spring Valley and see if it can work for you.