The Silverado EV performs like a gas-powered pickup. A full charge on the “Max Range” battery can take you up to 493 miles, making pit stops for recharging infrequent.

Thanks to an enormous 205 kWh battery, I drove from Reno, Nevada, to Hayward, California, a 350-mile trip and  then ran errands for two days—all on a single charge. Throughout my week with the Silverado EV, I traveled nearly 1,000 miles and only needed to stop and recharge three times. When the Silverado EV needs a charge, it supports 350-kW DC fast charging. A 10-minute charge adds about 100 miles of range .

Silverado EV Utility

Functionally and appearance make Silverado EV the spiritual successor to the Chevy Avalanche. Its drop-down (Multi-Flex) mid-gate maximizes utility by converting from a crew cab short bed to a standard cab long bed. With the mid-gate lowered, the standard 5 feet 11 inches bed extends to 9 feet.

Lowering the tailgate (with integrated load-stop panel) further extends the load floor to a generous 10 feet 10 inches. Not since the first-generation C/K series trucks and the subsequent 1968 – 1972 “Longhorn” series has a Chevy truck had a bed length exceeding 8.2 feet.

EV Truck Weight Penalty

The Max Range battery pack weighs about 1,500 pounds, which limits max payload to 1,400 pounds, about 40% less than an internal combustion engine (ICE) Silverado.

Work Truck trim (WT) Silverado EV’s have a GVRW of 9,990 pounds, just under the 10,000-pound limit for a Class 2b vehicle. Trail Boss / RST Max Range versions top out at 10,500 pounds, making them Class 3 vehicles. Commercial operators will have to stick to the WT trim to avoid HD commercial vehicle regulations. This includes those time-consuming stops at weigh stations and DOT’s bothersome medical card requirements.

Maximum towing for the 2026 Silverado EV Max Range Trail Boss is 10,200 pounds. With the smaller extended-range battery, that number bumps up to 12,500 pounds. I didn’t have the opportunity to tow with the Silverado EV, but gmfleet.com reports a range of 177-240 miles when towing a heavy trailer.

Silverado EV on the Road

The 10,000-pound pickup handles heavily, with moderate understeer push, as if it’s burdened with cargo, even when empty. While solid and well planted, I found it a bit bouncy. As a guy who drives a crew-cab long-bed 4×4 2500HD pickup, this feels normal, a twisting road will limit driving enjoyment, however. The Silverado EV cruises the Interstate nicely but I would not choose it to drive the backroads. An adjustable suspension might help.

Around town, the Silverado EV proved surprisingly agile. Standard four-wheel steering enhances maneuverability. U-turns feel as tight as a Honda Civic. Clipping curbs with your rear tire when making right turns will no longer concern you. All long-wheel-base trucks would benefit from this feature.

Comfort and Convenience

I found the interior of the Silverado EV suburban-luxurious. Rubberized dash and door panel surfaces and full floor liners give it a finish soft to the touch but are easy to clean.

GM’s Super Cruise level 2 semi-autonomous “driver assistance feature” ranks among the best in the auto industry. The system worked flawlessly throughout my 350-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada on Interstate 80. The system alleviates much of the stress of driving in traffic.  

EV Pickup Performance

With dual motors, the as-tested Silverado EV Trail Boss makes 760 horsepower and 775 lb.- ft. of torque (WT models produce 725 hp). The Silverado EV dispatches 0 to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds. That’s performance car territory. Unfortunately, there’s torque steer when mashing the accelerator to the floor in Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode. This results in unpredictable wandering.

Silverado EV comes standard with four-wheel drive across all trim levels. It shares its Ultium “skateboard” truck chassis with the Hummer EV. Like the Hummer, the Silverado EV is similarly capable off-road and in snow. The much-touted “crab walk” feature enhances off-road prowess. I have yet to find a use for crab walk, other than showing it off in the office parking lot. But I admit it. I’m not an avid off-roader.  

Value Proposition

The market has been slow to respond to the reincarnated Avalanche. Chevrolet sold just 11,275 Silverado EVs in 2025. By comparison, Chevy sold 577,434 ICE Silverados in the same model year. As a result, GM is offering several sales incentives on the Silverado EV.

Pricing for the Silverado EV Trail Boss Max Range starts at $86,600. As-tested, including a folding tonneau cover, panoramic glass roof, NACS DC adapter, all-weather floor liners, and destination, the MSRP is $93,185.

This is the first EV I’ve driven that I could imagine being my only vehicle. The battery charges quickly and depletes slowly. The Silverado EV is the Swiss Army Knife of pickup trucks, and economical to operate.  Sales incentives and rebates (as of July 2026, GM is offering a $4,000 cash allowance and 0% APR for “well-qualified” buyers) combine to make Silverado EV a solid truck and a competitive value.