US automotive giant GM has officially unveiled its upcoming electric pick-up, the Chevrolet Silverado EV – and it looks set to go toe-to-toe with Ford’s F-150 Lightning in almost every department.
Lifting the lid on the battery-powered beast at CES 2022, GM announced that the Silverado will ship in two variants, a basic work truck (the WT) and a fully-loaded luxury model (the RST), some time in 2023. The former will start at $39,900, with the latter set to cost an almighty $105,000.
For comparison, Ford’s electric equivalent – which is expected to arrive between March and June this year – is expected to start at $39,974. But the similarities don’t stop there.
Both automakers claim their respective pick-ups will be able to shoot from 0-60mph in around 4 seconds (4 for the Ford, 4.5 for the Chevy), though GM has only revealed the speed stats for its pricier RST version. That same version is set to boast 664bhp and 780 lb ft of torque, which narrowly surpasses the F-150 Lightning’s 555bhp and 775 lb ft of torque.
We don’t expect the regular Silverado to lag too far behind when it comes to power, mind.
Both the WT and RST versions of the Chevy will, however, share identical range and charging specs. GM says each model will be capable of up to 400 miles of range on a full charge – that’s 100 miles further than the Ford – and use standard DC fast charging up to 350kW.
The Silverado will also grant users up to 10.2kW of offboard power (with optional equipment) to charge their homes during a power outage, which is comparable to the 9.6kW figure offered by the Lightning.
Broadly speaking, then, GM’s standard Chevy Silverado is set to match Ford’s electric pick-up in most areas. It’s likely to be slightly slower (although we’re talking fractions of a second) and offer less torque, but what it loses in power behind the Ford it’ll more than make up for in range.
Bang for your buck
Naturally, though, the RST version of the Silverado hopes to justify its six-figure price tag with a few more bells and whistles.
GM says the first edition model will ship with four-wheel-drive, adaptive air suspension and expandable cargo space, as well as the industry’s “first true hands-free driver-assistance technology” – which will allegedly allow drivers to travel hands-free on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the US and Canada.
Then there’s the interior displays. The Chevy Silverado RST will boast a large 17-inch LCD infotainment screen alongside an 11-inch instrument panel, which itself sits below a multi-colored heads-up display (HUD) offering a field of view over 14 inches.
It’s also no surprise that the RST’s body styling is decidedly more aggressive than that of the standard work version. Seriously, you won’t want to be coming face-to-face with this brute of a machine in the Oregon woodland.
Whichever variant of the Silverado you’ve got your eye on, though, GM’s automotive pedigree appears to have translated into the electric re-imagining of its iconic pick-up.
What’s more, the company announced (in name only) two more electric SUVs – the Chevy Equinox EV and Blazer EV – at its CES 2022 conference, so we’re expecting plenty more noise from the automaker as the year rolls on.
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