Nearly everything about the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV First Edition RST is over the top, from its weight and available wheels to the performance, range, features, and, yes, even the price tag. All this excess makes the Silverado EV a segment leader in numerous important areas, though these best-in-class accolades do come with tradeoffs.
Looks can be deceiving
This battery-powered pickup is closely related to the reborn Hummer models as well as the upcoming Cadillac Escalade IQ. On the outside, this Chevy looks absolutely gargantuan, practically as big as a heavy-duty truck, but dimensionally, the Silverado EV is no larger than other “half-ton” rivals. With a 145.7-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 233.1 inches, this rig is nearly identical in size to the Ford F-150 Lighting, arguably, this Chevy’s top competitor, though customers are also likely to cross shop the Rivian R1T and potentially even the Tesla Cybertruck.
Up front, this bowtie bruiser’s hood is very tall, but also surprisingly sleek for a vehicle with practically the same frontal area as a main battle tank. LED lamps light the way, with a light strip running across the truck’s face.
Under the hood is a handy front trunk that clocks in at a healthy 10.7 cubic feet, though it is noticeably smaller than the Lightning’s frunk, which is more than 14 cubes. The Ford has a significant advantage here, but the Silverado EV’s bed is far, far more useful than the Lightning’s.
Unsurpassed versatility
This Chevy is only offered with a crew-cab body, meaning it has four full-size doors and miles of room in the backseat. On its own, the cargo box is a respectable 5-feet-11-inches long, but this bed has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Just like the old Avalanche pickup, the Silverado EV has a folding midgate, basically, the wall behind the backseat is split 60/40 and can drop down to dramatically increase the cargo-carrying capacity. Lowering this extends the bed to more than 9 feet. If you use the cargo stop feature built into the brilliant Multi-Flex tailgate, this pickup can carry items that are nearly 11 feet long. Simply put, the business end of this pickup is absolutely ingenious, but there’s even more to cover.
Like other EVs, this all-electric Silverado can run your campsite on the weekend or a jobsite Monday through Friday. Combined, all of its power outlets can provide up to 10.2 kilowatts of juice. Chevy also offers a Power Bar accessory, which is basically like a power strip that plugs into the charging port, giving you easy access to additional outlets. When it comes to getting things done, engineers have crammed more groundbreaking innovations into this truck’s bed than we’ve seen in the last century.
Hit-and-miss interior
This Silverado EV’s interior isn’t as innovative as its bed, but there’s still plenty to like. The backseat has no trouble accommodating even the lankiest of adult passengers; they’ll be comfortable back there for days. The truck’s fixed glass roof helps improve headroom and lets extra light in, though there’s no retractable shade, so if your eyes are sensitive to glare, this could be an issue. The center console is also quite sizable, offering some 7 gallons of carrying capacity.
As for tech, there’s a multi-color head-up display and you get a colorful, crisp and attractively designed 11-inch digital instrument cluster. Aside from that, the dashboard is also home to a gorgeous 17.7-inch touchscreen running a Google-based infotainment system that absolutely files. This system not only looks great and is easy to figure out, but the performance is phenomenal, with almost zero lag or stutters, though, there is one major downside. GM is moving away from Apple CarPlay, so iPhone users will no longer have simple and familiar smartphone mirroring, and that’s a bummer.
The rest of the Silverado EV’s cabin is something of a mixed bag. Chevy nailed the tech, versatility and comfort, though the design and materials could be improved. The interior of the First Edition RST is dark, with little contrast aside from red and blue stitching on the dashboard and center console armrest. Many of the materials used are quite workaday and some parts of the interior – particularly around the steering column – look quite cheap for the price of this truck, which we’ll get to shortly.
Segment-leading performance
The Silverado EV First Edition RST offers mega performance, in fact, it’s the most powerful Silverado ever offered by Chevy. With two electric motors onboard, this pickup provides up to 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque with the Wide Open Watts (yes, that’s WOW for short) acceleration mode engaged. All that giddy-up can propel this truck from 0 to 60 mph in a lickety-split 4.5 seconds, a staggering performance for something that weighs around 9,100 pounds.
As for range, this truck has a gargantuan battery pack that clocks in at around 205 kilowatt-hours. That’s enough capacity to deliver an incredible 440 miles of estimated range, a figure that absolutely blows the Lightning out of the water, which tops out at just 320 miles.
Aside from the battery’s massive capacity, it also provides segment-leading – or more likely – industry-leading DC fast charging that peaks at a thundering 350 kW. If you can find a charger powerful enough, that will get you 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Level 2 AC charging is impressive, too. The Silverado EV can absorb 34 miles in just one hour.
This Chevy offers chart-topping range and charging speed, though its capability isn’t quite as impressive. Towing maxes out at 10,000 pounds, equal to the Lighting, while payload capacity is rated at up to 1,500 pounds. When properly equipped, the Ford can haul a little more than that.
Some weighty problems
The Silverado EV’s straight-line acceleration is incredible, if not as explosive as the tri-motor GMC Hummer EV Pickup’s. Regardless, in normal driving, you’re never, ever wanting for performance.
This truck also comes with four-wheel steering, which greatly enhances agility, particularly at low speeds, reducing the turning circle to 42 feet and change. There’s also an adaptive air suspension system with four inches of travel.
Unfortunately, no matter the steering or suspension settings you select, the ride quality is not great. The Silverado EV often feels unsettled on rough surfaces and all manner of roadway imperfections percolate through the suspension system and into the cabin. Undoubtedly, this is partly because of the 9,000-plus-pound curb weight, but the truck also rides on unnecessarily huge 24-inch rims, yes, they’re a full two feet in diameter. These rollers look great and fill the wheel wells beautifully, but they’re complete overkill.
Similarly, the steering is a bit ponderous and this Chevy’s weight is undeniable. There’s noticeable body movement in corners and the truck can feel a touch unsettled at times, particularly on undulating surfaces. Additionally, noticeable noise breeches the cabin’s NVH defenses. You get some wind rush around the A-pillars and a bit of racket comes up through those massive wheels.
This truck’s driving dynamics are a bit disappointing, but the Silverado EV trounces the competition in one other important area: It has Super Cruise, arguably the best hands-free driving aid available today. This system can be engaged on some 400,000 miles of roadway in the U.S. and Canada, though that will expand to around 750,000 by 2025, a huge leap forward. Beyond that, you can also tow with Super Cruise, a feature no other hands-free driving aid can match.
Too much of a good thing?
The 2024 Chevy Silverado EV First Edition RST offers some groundbreaking innovation – versatility is off the charts with that midgate, the DC fast charging performance is unbeatable, four-wheel steering makes this pickup practically as agile as a family sedan, the acceleration is stellar and Super Cruise still feels like magic. Unfortunately, though, there are a few impactful downsides. This truck’s interior could be nicer, Apple CarPlay is missing, the dynamics could use some work and the price is far from affordable.
The First Edition RST starts at about $96,495 including $1,995 in destination fees. Despite being built in GM’s Factory Zero in Detroit Hamtramck, this rig is not eligible for any tax credits because the price is too high. Fortunately, though, Chevy is developing more affordable versions of the Silverado EV including Work Truck models and even an off-road-focused Trail Boss trim, so if you want an electric Chevy pickup but can’t stomach spending nearly six-figures just sit tight for now. More affordable versions are in the works, models that might even address some of the First Edition RST’s shortcomings.
