General Motors’ efforts to launch it’s lineup of new electric vehicles based on its Ultium architecture has been fraught with challenges ever since the debut of the GMC Hummer EV in late 2021. The company has faced challenges with battery module assembly and software in particular. CEO Mary Barra has declared 2024 as the year of execution for GM as it attempts to ramp up production on its existing EVs and launch additional models. While it remains to be seen if GM can address its manufacturing and software problems, it seems to have at least recognized that it needs to do something about pricing as well. After slashing prices on the Chevrolet Blazer EV by $6,000, it has now cut the price of the first consumer version of the Silverado EV by $10,000 before it even goes on sale.
The Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First-Edition is now scheduled to go on sale in mid-2024 after being delayed from late 2023. When it was first announced, Chevrolet priced the high-end consumer version of its electric truck at $107,000. That price has now been cut to $96,495 including delivery charges.
To be clear, Chevrolet says they are not actually cutting the price, since this is the first time they have announced an official price for the Silverado EV RST. However, since they revealed the Silverado nearly two years ago, the automaker has been consistent with that $107,000. When asked if Chevrolet would be reducing the prices of the work truck which currently range up to nearly $78,000 for the 4WT, a spokesperson didn’t comment on it.
While the RST price is still about $3,000 more than a Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, Chevrolet is also offering considerably more for that price. Most notable is the 440-mile driving range. While we haven’t had an opportunity to drive the RST, other independent tests of the 4WT work truck variant have shown that it can easily match and exceed its 450-mile range rating.
GM has achieved this in part through sheer brute force with a massive 2-layer battery pack that provides about 215-kWh of usable energy, nearly double what is available in the Lightning, Cybertruck or large-pack Rivian R1T. That battery comes at a cost, both financially and in weight. At over 2,900, it outweighs a Honda Civic.
However, if you do partake in one of the major activities that people purchase big trucks for, towing, no other electric truck comes even close to what the Silverado can do. Even towing near its maximum of 10,000 lbs, the Silverado has been demonstrated to be able to go well over 200 miles and as much as 250 miles between charges.
The Silverado is also the only electric pickup with features like the mid-gate and multi-flex tailgate that allow hauling objects up to 10-feet-10-inches long. The heavy battery and curb weight that is likely to exceed 9,000-lbs mean that payload for the first-edition RST is only 1,300-lbs.
Like other early generation electric trucks, the RST will offer way more performance than almost anyone actually needs with up to 754-hp and 785 lb-ft of torque. That means drivers that use all of that tractive effort on a regular basis will probably go through its expensive 24-inches tires on a very regular basis.
Unlike the work truck, the RST gets lots of other features standard including four corner air suspension, hands-free Super Cruise driver assist, 17-inch infotainment screen and four-wheel steering. Chevrolet is also bundling a 19.2-kW bidirectional charger, just as Ford does with its extended range Lightnings. Like the Hummer, the Silverado can charge at up to 350-kW which will be important with that massive battery.
At some point following the first-edition, Chevrolet will start adding additional consumer variants of the Silverado EV including a Trail Boss off-road version and some with smaller battery capacities and lower cost.