The Chevrolet Silverado EV will take on the Ford F-150 Lightning. GM isn’t content with that. There will be multiple electric Silverado models including the Silverado Electric Trail Boss. This variant was briefly shown at CES. Mary Barra, GM CEO was delivering her keynote address at CES 2022. The Trail Boss was being driven on a dirt track, tackling very difficult terrain, while Mary Barra was delivering her speech. GM released a single photo later that showed the vehicle in more detail.
It looks very similar to the Silverado 1500 Trail Boss V8. However, its visual appearance is quite distinctive. The Trail Boss EV Trail Boss grille can still be seen on the fascia. However, it appears that it was not painted. It has a unique look thanks to its matte grey finish. The V8 Trail Boss includes four-wheel drive, skid plates, and Hill Descent Control. It has unique wheels and Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Mud-Terrain tires that are off-road-oriented. The standard Silverado Ev set of 24-inch wheels will be smaller than this one.
It might be able to simulate locking differentials. It could share its platform with GMC Hummer EEV’s GMC Hummer EEV, which could allow it to get the vehicle’s rear-ax steering and air suspension. Trail Boss’s modifications can reduce the range of your vehicle. The tires are the main reason for the decrease in range. The lift kit’s efficiency will decrease at higher speeds, where air resistance is greater.
Release Date & Pricing
Silverado EV Trail Boss will cost about $65,000 and will be offered with other models once production starts next spring.
EV Motor, Power, and Performance
The Silverado EV will have two electric motors instead of the Hummer EV’s three. It should still deliver strong acceleration and Chevrolet claims that the RST trim has at least 664 horsepower. The base WT trim only has 510 horsepower. As standard, all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering are available. The RST model comes standard with adaptive air suspension. An optional set of 24-inch wheels will be available for those who choose it. Trail Boss models will likely add locking differentials and meaty all-terrain tires to the Silverado EV’s suspension. We’ll update this article with driving impressions once we have a chance to test-drive drive Silverado EV.
Towing and Payload Capacity
The Silverado EV’s maximum weight towing capacity at launch will be 10,000 pounds for RST models and 8000 for WT models. Chevrolet stated that the model will eventually have a 20,000-pound towing capacity.
Battery Life, Charging, Range
General Motors’ new Ultium battery technology will be used in the Silverado Electric Vehicle. This can be scaled to make a 200-kWh battery pack. Chevrolet claims that the Silverado EV will have a range of 400 miles per charge. While real-world range is likely to vary depending on how heavy the vehicle is being towed, the Silverado should be able to handle this task with relative ease. The Silverado EV will have DC fast charging capabilities. It can add 100 miles to its battery in as little as 10 minutes at a DC charging station.
Infotainment & Connectivity
All models come standard with a digital dashboard. This includes an 11.0-inch infotainment screen and an 8.0-inch digital gauge display. Upgrade to the highest-level RST for a larger 17.0-inch screen and an 11.0-inch gauge. Both systems can be reconfigured to suit the needs of the driver. However, the climate controls are still simple analog knobs that are located in the lower portion of the dashboard. Chevrolet has not yet released information about the Silverado EV’s infotainment system. However, we expect Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and in-dash navigation to be standard. There will also be an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot and SiriusXM satellite radio.
Batteries, range, and performance
The Silverado Electric is approximately the same height and length as the regular crew-cab, short-bed Silverado. However, the only thing they share is their names. The Silverado EV was not assembled in the same factory. It’s constructed on a narrower version of the GMC Hummer Electric EV’s underpinnings. This means an independent front and back suspension, front and reverse electric motors, (albeit two of them, instead of the Hummer’s three), as well as a 200.0-kWh battery pack that has 400 miles of range.
Chevrolet claims that the Silverado EV’s electrical architecture can charge at 800 volts, 350 kW, and 100 miles per hour. This is similar to the Hummer EV. This impressive range figure applies to the truck with 24-inch wheels. These wheels are standard on the RST, the first trim level. Chevy claims that the WT has 18-inch wheels. It has yet to discuss the impact of those wheels on range estimates. We don’t yet know the range for the $39900 WT. However, we think it will be similar to the lower trim levels in the Hummer EV. GMC currently estimates that it will travel between 250 and 300 miles.
The WT has 510 horsepower and 615 pounds-feet torque. At the same time, the RST offers a “Wide Open Watts”, (WOW, get that?) drive mode. This mode enables 664 horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque. Chevy claims that this mode will accelerate to zero-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. This is faster than Ford’s claim of the most immediate F-150 Lightning. Although Chevy has not yet specified how much power RST has in its normal mode, it should be equal to or greater than the WT’s.
The Folding Midgate Returns
The Avalanche with its handy folding Midgate? Chevy claims that the truck’s unmistakable resemblance to the Avalanche’s Midgate folding mechanism is not only back in the Silverado Evo, but also the Silverado EV. The MultiFlex Midgate is now called. The wall that separates the bed and cab can be lowered in 60/40 splits to increase the bed length, while still allowing for rear passengers. The rear glass can be removed by owners and stored in the folding section. This will increase the opening. Chevy claims that the Silverado Electric Vehicle’s tonneau covers provide weatherproofing. However, we weren’t able to see it in action during the reveal.
Silverado EV also comes with Chevy’s MultiFlex Tailgate. The tailgate can be configured to extend the bed length or act as a step. The bed measures 5.9 feet in length in its standard configuration. However, if you drop the midgate and place the tailgate in its bed-extending position, the bed will grow to 10 feet, 10 in. Do you need more storage? Three large suitcases can be carried in the front trunk.
Interior and Towing
The interior of the RST is raunchy, with a fixed roof and a red-white-blue color scheme. The column-mounted shifter provides extra storage space in the central console and hosts many USB outlets. The RST is included with GM’s Super Cruise driver assistance technology. It allows hands-free driving on pre-mapped freeways and monitors driver attention with cameras.
The huge 17.0-inch screen at the center and 11.0-inch digital gauge cluster featured flashy graphics. The surrounding controls, which are both physical and capacitive, have a mix of physical and capacitive. The WT has an 11.0-inch central display and an 8-inch gauge cluster screen.
Towing ratings for the RST are 10,000 pounds and the WT is 8000. These numbers are comparable to F-150 Lightning’s claims. Chevy however says that a future Silverado Electric variant will have 20,000 pounds of towing capacity. Conversely. The Silverado’s payload ratings for the Silverado’s EV are lower than those for the Lightning, which is 1200 pounds for WT and 1300 for RST.
Four-Wheel Steering and Air Springs. Charging Capability.
Like the Hummer EVs, the WT and the RST have four-wheel steering. This improves low-speed maneuverability and high-speed towing. Air springs can be used to raise or lower the RST by up to two inches. There are no locking differentials and no CrabWalk features on the RST, unlike GMC’s Hummer. Future variants will feature more off-road equipment.
The Silverado can also supply power to other sources, just like the F-150 Lightning. You can use it to charge your battery pack, which has up to 10 outlets, as well as a 240-volt outlet inside the bed. It can also provide 10.2kW to power anything, from camping equipment to your home, to an electric car, if you have the correct cable. Although you can make a reservation for the Silverado Electric Vehicle now, production won’t begin until the second quarter of 2023. The WT trim-level trucks will be the first, and RST fully equipped RST trucks won’t become available until fall 2023.