@@gregduhon5510 everyone complains about EV prices AND deflation like... You know the latter is somebody else's problem and helps everybody else out with the first problem, right? I could easily see those things loosing half their value as fleet workhorses in 3 years and going onto the resale market as the base warranties expire.
@@transportevolved For a lot of people it is simply too big. A smaller truck would need a lot less battery to get the range. The guy who cuts my grass drives a pickup about 2/3rds the size each dimension and pulls a trailer loaded up with the gear he uses mostly at other stops. He doesn't need anything bigger as far as I can see.
I just picked up my 4wt yesterday as a private non fleet sale. The range is just what the world needs. Drive all day somewhere then charge overnight. I have a 400 mile trip Monday and am so excited!
On the topic of range...I think the idea being the giant battery is that it's needed to achieve a 200'ish mile range while towing, which is generally viewed as a minimum acceptable value for road trips. Which is fine, but not everybody who needs a truck needs to tow those kinds of distances, so it shouldn't be the only option. For instance, a landscaper who works in a city needs a truck that can tow, but they don't need a truck that can tow 200 miles on one charge; there is definitely a huge gap in the EV market for cheaper pickup trucks with smaller batteries. (I read somewhere that such a truck actually is for sale in China, but not in the U.S.). For a business operator, the decision about what truck to buy is purely financial; an EV truck either saves enough money on fuel compared to a gas/diesel truck to offset its purchase cost over a reasonable timeline, or it doesn't, and a very high purchase price makes the decision to go electric much harder to financially justify.
Yeah there's a Maxus truck from China you can buy in the UK, Modern Heroes is leasing one for a year to see what it's like even though he has little real use for a pickup truck, if you're curious about it you could check out his channel.
It's not the the only option but she never mentioned that . I'm with you that it's in the towing, the winter and you need the power if you are going to use the energy from the truck to power tools all day. Also with fleets, the less often you need to charge lowers the number of chargers you need in the yard when it comes in at night.
My main concern is that GM does not seem to want to sell many of these trucks. They are only making 500 per quarter, and delayed construction of a new ev truck factory...but they did find a way to buy back 10 billion in stock for their shareholders...
Seems the problem is Ultium battery supply. The good news is the Tennessee Ultium plant seems to be ramping up quicker than the Ohio Ultium plant. GM resumed Brightdrop production 1 April after a 6 month pause due to a battery shortage.
Battery Pack on wheels, with some computers controlling the EDM's, yup, perfect. Now we need a real fast charging tech to further speed up the charging time. 10 minutes 0-100%. 7 minutes 10-80%, 700 miles range.
I love the backdrop of the 405 south. Feels very real and like I'm home. I can feel myself in the car much moreso than watching lovely curated snowy mountains.
I paid a $100 refundable reservation fee as soon as they opened. The starting price was projected to be around $39,000.00 at the time. What I really want is a small, efficient pickup with heated seats and steering wheel. Maybe someday. Until then I’ll plan on driving my 2017 Bolt.
Chevy Boltorado EV, crew cab, 6ft bed standard. 8ft bed available, with GM's new adaptive wheelbase technology, telescopic chassis for the adjustable bed length.
If you're into cars of any type then Orange County is almost like heaven. I saw the area you were driving in go from orange groves and little two lane roads in the '60s to what you see in this video. BTW, you weren't too far from where Orange County International Raceway was located. (There's a bit of car trivia for you.) I'm so lame, I get excited that you were driving through my old neighborhood in Irvine. I retired out of state for money reasons but if I could afford to go back I'd do so in a split second.
Your honesty & frankness as exemplified by your comment, at 11:50, is what keeps me coming back. Also, yours is one of the first dedicated EV channels I subscribed too. I hope you never change. Kudos.
The reservation holders have model year 2025 availability. That seems to be the timing for consumer orders opening up for this WT for non-fleet customers. This looks like a winner in the pick up segment.
I drove one today at work for the first time...and although it is not the largest vehicle I have ever driven, it did feel like it....having to back it into the only spot left in a tight parking garage was crazy.
Thank you for pointing out the prices. Many reviewers and RUclipsrs have forgotten how most people can’t afford 50k+ vehicles. I need a work truck and love EVs but can afford all these 80-120k trucks.
Just got the first 4WT in at the dealership I work for. These are a compelling option for those who will be doing a lot of miles per year. The savings in fuel, maintenance and time spent refueling can help soften the financial blow of the MSRP. Re: 450 mile range, the 4WT is meant specifically to fill the niche of people who need very long range or extra energy capacity for towing. Upcoming variants with less range will come in a bit cheaper while retaining all the other aspects. I fully agree that max range is not always the best answer, so I would advise buyers consult with an expert to determine what range they actually need before just going with the max range option, at least once the shorter range variants are available.
I think even "moderate equipment" may be taken by many to be more than is needed. Climate controls are needed. A radio is sort of needed. I can't think of any more that really need to be part of the car. Everyone has a cell phone these days. There is no need to reproduce the navigation software you can have on a cell phone. They can just provide a place to put a cellphone holder.
I think the thing that's missing here is the towing ability, it halves your range hence the larger battery, certainly if you need to tow an RV with an EV, this is the one to do it.
Towing ability is probably why the Silverado EV has such a large battery. With the 1 mi/kWh you can generally expect while towing, 200 kWh equates to a 200-mile towing range, which, while much less than gas/diesel, is still much better than the electric competition; the Cybertruck and Lighting truck, for example, don't get nearly the towing range that the Silverado does.
It's far too much truck for 90% of people who use trucks. Same can be said about all the trucks on the road unfortunately. Everyone really just needs a 2 door truck with like a 6-8ft bed, and even that's more than most people who own trucks need. That being said this truck rocks for anyone who tows often.
I wish Hyundai would come out with a Santa Cruz EV, or Subaru a Baja EV, or Ford a Maverick EV. Something compact and car-size, but with a bed for carrying things too big for a hatchback or "dirty" like mulch/gravel; and with at least a 4000 lb tow capacity. I'd buy one of those in a heartbeat. Because there are times I *DO* need to do things that need a pickup, but even my current Rivian R1T is oversize for much of that use. (Although I have hauled multiple loads of mulch/gravel, and a 10' conference table that wouldn't fit in a Maverick/Baja/Santa Cruz-size, the table was a "once in a decade" situation that I could rent another vehicle for, and the mulch/gravel could be done by splitting half pickup-bed, half trailer, or just taking multiple trips.)
I agree with you, there should be space for securing ones tools and being able to carry supplies in the accessible back area. Having to place one's work tools inside the cab so thieves can do window shopping and be able to carry construction supplies in the back just seems like an expense that is rather hard to justify in a work vehicle. Or alternatively having to drag around a trailer because after placing a job box in the back one has no space for a lawn mower or anything more than a couple rolls of tar paper is turning them into just another RV vehicle for a rich family needing space for the kids in the back while towing the holiday trailer to the next campsite.
Honestly most people who use trucks for work actually need a van. Nikki mentioned municipal fleets in the video but here (UK) municipal pickups are transit crew cabs with beds (usually with cage) on the rear and most contractors use vans of various sizes with anyone who needs a bed usually opting again for a van derived truck because basicly none of them need any offroad capability a van can't handle. Work pickups here are generally the preserve of farming, construction, and other industries that actually need the ability to reach something off the beaten path. Nearly every pickup you see in the city here is someone with an office job and a fragile self image.
When I hear 200kWh, it's such an unbelievable amount of energy inside a pack. But, it is very important if you want 200+ miles range when towing, and 400+ miles when you are not.
The late '90s EVs were absolutely acknowledged to be ridiculously high priced more as "technology demonstrators" than "full production cars." That's also why nearly all of the manufacturers of them tried to only lease out the vehicles at lower-than-full-sale-price rather than sell them outright. Similar to Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell vehicles - they really want you to lease them, not buy them, and they cost WAAAAY too much when bought outright.
@@AnonymousFreakYT The same is going on today. In fact last month you could lease a Hyundai Ionic 6 for $239 a month, without having to put down $3,000-$4,000. They were practically giving them away.
Thanks, Nikki! I completely agree that the WT is really the version that people want. It feels like GM wants to push the Silverado EV RST and Sierra EV Denali to private customers first, and then they'll open the LT and WT models for private purchase later.
I love mine, I do plan on trading it in for the RST version next year. My only gripe is the sound system is horrible and the speed is limited to 110mph. I also need a sunroof. It has spent two weeks out of the two months that I've had it, in service. The module that controls cooling the battery during charging failed and it took 10 days to just get the part. That sucked!
I've been a Tundra fan boy ever since I bought my 04 with 260000 miles. It now has almost 280000 miles on it. Love the rear window rolling all the way down. That being said, other than being a uni-body truck (meaning the bed is physically part of the cab and can not be removed without the cab), it is pretty much everything I look for in a truck. Basic, reliable and tough.
You also need to consider winter and towing range reduction for a fleet work truck. Even at $80k, the maintenance and fuel cost savings should be attractive to fleet owners.
I'm not a business owner so I'm asking this from a lack of knowledge. As a tangible, capital expense, wouldn't depreciation count in the truck's favor as far as cost goes?
One of your best reviews ever! I really like the simplicity of the truck, less stuff to break and adds to the life of the truck. If GM reduced the price to a competitive level, they could sell loads of them.
Good video. 3wt has 393 miles of range vs 4wt which has 450. Remember these are just like intended to be work truck so even though they may not use the range, the idea is they will be powering up alot of equipment or sites or both Also remember it gets the $7500 point of sale tax credit and theres no ompararison based on range/price to the Ford/Rivian or the Cybertruck
Im not sure if this is Chevy's answer to the F150 as it is more so the answer to their future F350 Lightening whenever that comes out lol this truck is massive especially when it comes to actual towing power. The deep bed mode and no frills setup makes this is a real EV work truck. No offense to Lightening owners this is just a different category of truck I'd say.
I think another flaw is that they don’t offer it as a single row truck. With the same or similar wheelbase but only 2 seats, it could have a massive bed and be way more practical in a lot of work-related scenarios.
I know that one of the large portable toilet companies in Washington State I just took delivery of their EV Silverado and now they have to kit them out with their pump tailgate lift the people who will been using them have already had the chargers installed at their house it' will be very interesting to see how it works out they do a lot of the cost in savings in gas alone could be incredible for a company and one of the gas trucks does about 180 miles a day one thing I didn't understand why they do not have fast chargers at a company yard
@sirgardensalot Fast Chargers are not cheap to install, plus many only have CCS adapters when NACS is coming soon. So many they are waiting for NACS to take the plunge. The other issue is getting the Transformers installed for Fast charging... there is a backlog.
To add to what tonespeaks said: "slow" charging at home is easier on the battery anyway. Though the 200kWh battery is getting close to the limit of what you can comfortably charge overnight with an L2 7.7kW EVSE (240V, 32A (40A derated 20%)). (200kWh)/(7.7kW)=26 hours to fully charge. Though charging 30-80% should be about half that time (13 hours).
@@jamesphillips2285 Can't you get 3 phase AC for a business in the US? A 3 phase 400V 16A outlet for a wall box is almost standard for home and EV owners here in Germany. Several 400V 32A outlets in a workshop are not unusual.
The wt excites me a ton... it's too big for what I want but if the used prices follow all other EVs I might just have to trade my bolt for one of these in a few years
I’m with a small road building company, we’ve bought two that we should be receiving in June and will most likely be following that with at least 3 more. We’re expecting 10’s of thousands in fuel savings.
Mary Barra has been terrible at GM especially regarding EVs......$80k for a "Work" truck is ridiculous and what is even more ridiculous is TRY TO BUY ONE. GM has chosen to freeze themselves out of the EV market because of this kind of nonsense.
It would be interesting if you can add a paddle later. i do love the paddle for slowing down. Its one more time i dont need to move foot over to the brake. Maybe we can just add a button to the back of the steering wheel spoke I think the paddle is just great. it allows you to guess when to let off the gas to slow for a light.. but if you underestimate. just use the paddle for extra stopping power.
28:50 I would argue that this battery is the size that it is, because that's its differentiator between it and the Pro Lightning. That is to say, it can tow, a lot, without the fleet operators really having to think about it.
This WT is the best Silverado EV, IMO, for the many reasons you've mentioned in the video. Now one thing that's a bit more subjective: IMO this WT interior with rectangular center display and rectangular driver's display is also better than the RS or RST or whatever with those weirdly-shaped overstyled displays.
Great talk on a first drive. Thank you. Now, about that Mid-gate. (thing) As a pick-up owner/user for that last 40 years, I can say with a great deal of confidence that the idea of "whatever-it-is-that-is-in-the-back" can now easily penetrate the occupied area of the cabin during a quick or abrupt stop is absolutely ridiculous. Or am I not understanding something? "No problem. The 2x4's will fit when I open the mid gate" Am I getting this right? If that is true, then I know why that is NOT a feature on a work/utility truck.
While I absolutely love my Rivian (that I paid less for than this truck thanks to pre-price-increase locked in pricing) having the extra range when towing would be nice. I've never been truly stranded while towing with my R1T, but I have had to slow to 45 MPH in 55-60 MPH zones a few times to make the gap between charging stations. Having double the towing range would make it effectively the same as towing with my old diesel F-250, where my body's need to stop was the primary driver of refueling stops. But I also love the more luxury-level features of the R1T that the Chevy "Work Truck" series don't have. To get those, I'd have to upgrade to the "consumer" RST, which is *WAAAAAY* more expensive. (For me, it was originally a toss-up between the Rivian and an Extended Range Ford F-150 Lightning PRO; but Ford both increased the price before I was able to order, and made it so that consumers couldn't by the Extended Range PRO, which ruled it out, as I would have had to spend more than the price of the Rivian to get the larger battery, while getting far less amenities. If Ford had offered ER PRO, and my dealer hadn't screwed up my reservation, delaying my purchase opportunity by 9 months, I'd probably have a Lightning instead of a Rivian.)
Shame about the price, indeed. I have to wonder what the specs of two "Ranger-sized" trucks made with the same amount of battery would be. Surely they'd surpass the S-10, and at a price point far more accessible to independent work truck drivers. Thanks for such a comprehensive off-the-cuff review!
26:56 You're giving Ma Barra the Benefit of the Doubt again. The simple answer (parsimony) is that legacy OEMs (esp. their dealers) don't like EVs. I did a quick calculation on 131kwh of the new CATL batteries (only) for the Lightning. It came out to $11k. Call it double that for the Silver. Add another $20k for the rest of the truck (hey come on - what is it?) and it comes to a reasonable $42k, not much higher than the price they started with. So the answer is simple: GM doesn't want to sell EVs. They will gouge and pretend there is no demand, but that's nonsense. And if a contractor needs to tow, they don't need to worry about range. Load it up with even more battery I say.
Yep. If you truly need the long towing range, the extra cost is probably worth it. If you don't need it, there's always the 3WT (which still has an impressive just-shy-of-400mi-range when not towing.)
Interesting about the vibration of relevant butt cheek sides. That’s a good idea instead of only having a light or the beeping. More options or variety is so good!!!
Of course a pack the size of 3 normal electric cars will charge at 3 times the power. And as I’m a former Elon fan, your objection to the charge port on the left rear made me grin. ❤-U!
Thanks for the first drive review! I hope Chevy starts making these for regular consumers, I think it would do them well to do so. As always great episode!
This helped me put into perspective why Aptera has so many different battery sizes. So people who what the range can pay for it, but if you know your got going far, you can get a much cheaper one with less range.
If someone made a KISS EV car that fit my needs, I would already have bought it. I hope next years models have one. The climate controls need to be knobs and buttons because I change them while I drive and find them by feel. The same goes for the controls on the radio. I want a real spare tire as I go off of paved roads from time to time. I need ground clearance that is good for poorly maintained and unpaved roads. Something the size of a Subaru Impreza is about right in total size. If I need to carry an 8 foot 2x4, I should be able to fit it between the hatch and the dashboard. 300 miles of range is about right. AWD would be nice. 0-60 time doesn't really matter 35MPH to freeway speed does matter a bit
Put a topper on it. Take put the back window. Cut out the metal and make your own mid-gate. Build a cave down the center of the bed3.5ft wide and 18" high. You can pull over any time and put your legs in the cave while the rest of the bed is fully loaded with camping/vacation gear and sleep with heat or a/c
I agree about the price but disagree that the battery is over spec. If it were just a bus to move workers to a job site, then yes. But as a work truck, it will likely be towing, carrying heavy loads, or be used as a power source. Additionally with batteries that are sensitive to charging over 80% for fear of degradation, it’s only fair to consider this as the practical full charge. Where I live, corrosion from road salt destroys vehicles before they wear out. This is true even for pickups. I wonder if any considerations were made by Chevy to address this weakness on such an expensive vehicle.
It's likely a 3WT as I didn't think any rental companies got the 4WT. If it's indicating 450 @ 100% it should be 4WT. 3WT should industry around 400 @ 100%. I have a 4WT right now and am getting an RST next week 😊
Prices are coming down. Just got the 4WT with 30 miles on it for $67k. This truck is going to save me $800 a month on fuel cost. I live in Texas and get free power from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on my electric plan, which will be enough to charge this every night. The fuel savings will pay for this truck.
good and straightforward review. I can't see any reason to buy this over a Rivian - except for range. 450 miles is great. The price of ~$80k is way too much. Rivian needs only more range, and then lesser prices. This is waay too expensive for what you get.
I agree with you that even for regular vehicles, there needs to be EV variants that still provide tactile buttons, switches, etc., but simply has an EV drivetrain. I don't need all the bells and whistles that even ICE vehicles have these days. I also want to control regen braking MYSELF and not have the vehicle do it (unless I want it too). Old school for sure in many ways, but that's a market segment the EV manufacturers are neglecting to support. I do like the fact it has a big battery and ton of range. The trick there is to make the battery pack affordable for that size.
I bought my first EV, a Leaf, back in 2012. Then Volt, Mitsubishi... was so hoping to see reasonably priced EVs, especially trucks. I even put down a deposit on the Chevy when they claimed it would be reasonable. Now, all EVs are exceedingly expensive, comically so. My home town, San Antonio, has less plugs than when I started driving EVs. My Outlander PHEV is out of warranty and I'm in the market again, but I will be getting my deposit back from Chevy (and Tesla) and buying my first fully gasoline car since 2012 as I can no longer even consider the price of a new EV. I loved the technology, too bad the manufacturers chose to ignore the "every man" and go boutique silly expensive. I'm sure they'll make some quick big money, but they'll pay the usual price in the long run for that strategy.
As for battery size and range, I use an F250 for work that I load with a stupid amount of weight and then hook up a heavy trailer for work around the PNW. I like this "closer to a work truck" Silverado. Not a hyper-stylized gadget mobile! Now. Full bed + extended cab. Less like a car.
I think you oversell manual gates and hatches; power hatches can reduce the torque and wear that a gate can take. A small motor can have just the right leverage to pop ice or latch it more securely.
As an operator, I can’t see anyone making the business case for a 80k work truck. The 20-30k delta to a basic version is a lot of fuel and maintenance. A lot. 80k is Denali range.
Lots of cabin comforts listed for a "work" truck. Price, max load, bed size, towing weight, charging speed, range and unknown durability vs Hilux for example.
Really glad you rode the Fuell bikes. Yes, utility cycling requires sun gear here in SoCal. This year I bought a Ridge wool hoodie that is a sustainable, sun protective covering top that even extends over the back of your hands. More retro movement to prepare for the hot future. Light weight wool woven for sun protection will wick your sweat and has natural anti-stink built in. So you don't have to wash after every wear. I know that will sound gross to most, but it's a Climate Emergency, so time to get out of our comfort zone. Unlike this 200+ kWh EV truck which is squarely trying to stay in everyone's comfort zone at the expense of becoming an even less sustainable EV.
GM is seeing the sales of full-size trucks disintegrate before their eyes. The only thing saving them is fleet sales right now. I agree that this should be readily available to consumers, people sre tired of the 80k and higher priced trucks.
that's what i want in a truck plane jane , and i like time tested buttons same wiper switch same headlight switch low to the ground round steering wheel
This is exactly what I want to see on the dealers lot. I don't always need all the bells and whistles .
But at a lower price, right? We loved it, but for the sticker price… no.
Based on that sticker price, I will not own one of these anytime soon 😯!
@@gregduhon5510 everyone complains about EV prices AND deflation like... You know the latter is somebody else's problem and helps everybody else out with the first problem, right?
I could easily see those things loosing half their value as fleet workhorses in 3 years and going onto the resale market as the base warranties expire.
@@transportevolved For a lot of people it is simply too big. A smaller truck would need a lot less battery to get the range. The guy who cuts my grass drives a pickup about 2/3rds the size each dimension and pulls a trailer loaded up with the gear he uses mostly at other stops. He doesn't need anything bigger as far as I can see.
I'd like to see a "utility grade" trim level on all vehicles.
I just picked up my 4wt yesterday as a private non fleet sale. The range is just what the world needs. Drive all day somewhere then charge overnight. I have a 400 mile trip Monday and am so excited!
On the topic of range...I think the idea being the giant battery is that it's needed to achieve a 200'ish mile range while towing, which is generally viewed as a minimum acceptable value for road trips.
Which is fine, but not everybody who needs a truck needs to tow those kinds of distances, so it shouldn't be the only option. For instance, a landscaper who works in a city needs a truck that can tow, but they don't need a truck that can tow 200 miles on one charge; there is definitely a huge gap in the EV market for cheaper pickup trucks with smaller batteries. (I read somewhere that such a truck actually is for sale in China, but not in the U.S.). For a business operator, the decision about what truck to buy is purely financial; an EV truck either saves enough money on fuel compared to a gas/diesel truck to offset its purchase cost over a reasonable timeline, or it doesn't, and a very high purchase price makes the decision to go electric much harder to financially justify.
Yeah there's a Maxus truck from China you can buy in the UK, Modern Heroes is leasing one for a year to see what it's like even though he has little real use for a pickup truck, if you're curious about it you could check out his channel.
It's not the the only option but she never mentioned that . I'm with you that it's in the towing, the winter and you need the power if you are going to use the energy from the truck to power tools all day. Also with fleets, the less often you need to charge lowers the number of chargers you need in the yard when it comes in at night.
Excellent news and commentary as always. Keep them coming
What a cool truck. I appreciate the simplicity.
Thanks to you and your team for all of your videos!
Thank you for the kind words and support!
My main concern is that GM does not seem to want to sell many of these trucks. They are only making 500 per quarter, and delayed construction of a new ev truck factory...but they did find a way to buy back 10 billion in stock for their shareholders...
Seems the problem is Ultium battery supply. The good news is the Tennessee Ultium plant seems to be ramping up quicker than the Ohio Ultium plant. GM resumed Brightdrop production 1 April after a 6 month pause due to a battery shortage.
They will be lucky to sell 500 a year.
Most ev are cars with battery packs. GM decided they were going to make a battery pack with wheels.
Battery Pack on wheels, with some computers controlling the EDM's, yup, perfect.
Now we need a real fast charging tech to further speed up the charging time. 10 minutes 0-100%.
7 minutes 10-80%, 700 miles range.
I love the backdrop of the 405 south. Feels very real and like I'm home. I can feel myself in the car much moreso than watching lovely curated snowy mountains.
I paid a $100 refundable reservation fee as soon as they opened. The starting price was projected to be around $39,000.00 at the time. What I really want is a small, efficient pickup with heated seats and steering wheel. Maybe someday. Until then I’ll plan on driving my 2017 Bolt.
Cut half the roof off your Bolt: El Boltamino!
Chevy Boltorado EV, crew cab, 6ft bed standard.
8ft bed available, with GM's new adaptive wheelbase technology, telescopic chassis for the adjustable bed length.
40k would be single motor with half the battery size.
If you're into cars of any type then Orange County is almost like heaven. I saw the area you were driving in go from orange groves and little two lane roads in the '60s to what you see in this video. BTW, you weren't too far from where Orange County International Raceway was located. (There's a bit of car trivia for you.)
I'm so lame, I get excited that you were driving through my old neighborhood in Irvine. I retired out of state for money reasons but if I could afford to go back I'd do so in a split second.
Your honesty & frankness as exemplified by your comment, at 11:50, is what keeps me coming back. Also, yours is one of the first dedicated EV channels I subscribed too. I hope you never change. Kudos.
Thank you!
The reservation holders have model year 2025 availability. That seems to be the timing for consumer orders opening up for this WT for non-fleet customers. This looks like a winner in the pick up segment.
I drove one today at work for the first time...and although it is not the largest vehicle I have ever driven, it did feel like it....having to back it into the only spot left in a tight parking garage was crazy.
Thank you for pointing out the prices. Many reviewers and RUclipsrs have forgotten how most people can’t afford 50k+ vehicles. I need a work truck and love EVs but can afford all these 80-120k trucks.
An interesting truck, thanks for the first look.
Just got the first 4WT in at the dealership I work for. These are a compelling option for those who will be doing a lot of miles per year. The savings in fuel, maintenance and time spent refueling can help soften the financial blow of the MSRP.
Re: 450 mile range, the 4WT is meant specifically to fill the niche of people who need very long range or extra energy capacity for towing. Upcoming variants with less range will come in a bit cheaper while retaining all the other aspects. I fully agree that max range is not always the best answer, so I would advise buyers consult with an expert to determine what range they actually need before just going with the max range option, at least once the shorter range variants are available.
Hopefully we see a massive reduction in price for a 1WT with 150 mile range!
Yes I’m glad to see yall review the Silverado!!! I want one so badly lol. Seen other reviews but stoked to see yall!!!
Price is a deal breaker. We have to get decent range, moderate equipment vehicles to market before EVs can truly succeed
I think even "moderate equipment" may be taken by many to be more than is needed.
Climate controls are needed.
A radio is sort of needed.
I can't think of any more that really need to be part of the car. Everyone has a cell phone these days. There is no need to reproduce the navigation software you can have on a cell phone. They can just provide a place to put a cellphone holder.
It has a huge battery. This truck tows better than any other currently available EV truck.
Price is the only deal breaker. The rest you stated has already been achieved.
I think the thing that's missing here is the towing ability, it halves your range hence the larger battery, certainly if you need to tow an RV with an EV, this is the one to do it.
Towing ability is probably why the Silverado EV has such a large battery. With the 1 mi/kWh you can generally expect while towing, 200 kWh equates to a 200-mile towing range, which, while much less than gas/diesel, is still much better than the electric competition; the Cybertruck and Lighting truck, for example, don't get nearly the towing range that the Silverado does.
It's far too much truck for 90% of people who use trucks. Same can be said about all the trucks on the road unfortunately. Everyone really just needs a 2 door truck with like a 6-8ft bed, and even that's more than most people who own trucks need. That being said this truck rocks for anyone who tows often.
I wish Hyundai would come out with a Santa Cruz EV, or Subaru a Baja EV, or Ford a Maverick EV. Something compact and car-size, but with a bed for carrying things too big for a hatchback or "dirty" like mulch/gravel; and with at least a 4000 lb tow capacity. I'd buy one of those in a heartbeat. Because there are times I *DO* need to do things that need a pickup, but even my current Rivian R1T is oversize for much of that use. (Although I have hauled multiple loads of mulch/gravel, and a 10' conference table that wouldn't fit in a Maverick/Baja/Santa Cruz-size, the table was a "once in a decade" situation that I could rent another vehicle for, and the mulch/gravel could be done by splitting half pickup-bed, half trailer, or just taking multiple trips.)
I agree with you, there should be space for securing ones tools and being able to carry supplies in the accessible back area. Having to place one's work tools inside the cab so thieves can do window shopping and be able to carry construction supplies in the back just seems like an expense that is rather hard to justify in a work vehicle. Or alternatively having to drag around a trailer because after placing a job box in the back one has no space for a lawn mower or anything more than a couple rolls of tar paper is turning them into just another RV vehicle for a rich family needing space for the kids in the back while towing the holiday trailer to the next campsite.
Honestly most people who use trucks for work actually need a van. Nikki mentioned municipal fleets in the video but here (UK) municipal pickups are transit crew cabs with beds (usually with cage) on the rear and most contractors use vans of various sizes with anyone who needs a bed usually opting again for a van derived truck because basicly none of them need any offroad capability a van can't handle. Work pickups here are generally the preserve of farming, construction, and other industries that actually need the ability to reach something off the beaten path. Nearly every pickup you see in the city here is someone with an office job and a fragile self image.
When I hear 200kWh, it's such an unbelievable amount of energy inside a pack.
But, it is very important if you want 200+ miles range when towing, and 400+ miles when you are not.
Adjusting for inflation the 1997 Chevrolet S-10 EV would cost $65,636 today. So maybe the sticker shock of the new truck isn't quite so bad.
The late '90s EVs were absolutely acknowledged to be ridiculously high priced more as "technology demonstrators" than "full production cars." That's also why nearly all of the manufacturers of them tried to only lease out the vehicles at lower-than-full-sale-price rather than sell them outright.
Similar to Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell vehicles - they really want you to lease them, not buy them, and they cost WAAAAY too much when bought outright.
@@AnonymousFreakYT The same is going on today. In fact last month you could lease a Hyundai Ionic 6 for $239 a month, without having to put down $3,000-$4,000. They were practically giving them away.
Thanks, Nikki! I completely agree that the WT is really the version that people want. It feels like GM wants to push the Silverado EV RST and Sierra EV Denali to private customers first, and then they'll open the LT and WT models for private purchase later.
I’m here for the “enabling”, thank you for your content!!! 🎉
I love mine, I do plan on trading it in for the RST version next year. My only gripe is the sound system is horrible and the speed is limited to 110mph. I also need a sunroof. It has spent two weeks out of the two months that I've had it, in service. The module that controls cooling the battery during charging failed and it took 10 days to just get the part. That sucked!
I've been a Tundra fan boy ever since I bought my 04 with 260000 miles. It now has almost 280000 miles on it. Love the rear window rolling all the way down. That being said, other than being a uni-body truck (meaning the bed is physically part of the cab and can not be removed without the cab), it is pretty much everything I look for in a truck. Basic, reliable and tough.
You also need to consider winter and towing range reduction for a fleet work truck. Even at $80k, the maintenance and fuel cost savings should be attractive to fleet owners.
14:36 The peak charging rate will depend on model. The 4WT will peak at 370-380 kW, and the 3WT will peak at 310-320 kW.
I'm not a business owner so I'm asking this from a lack of knowledge. As a tangible, capital expense, wouldn't depreciation count in the truck's favor as far as cost goes?
Half the size, half the weight, half the price and it may sell.
One of your best reviews ever! I really like the simplicity of the truck, less stuff to break and adds to the life of the truck. If GM reduced the price to a competitive level, they could sell loads of them.
Good video. 3wt has 393 miles of range vs 4wt which has 450. Remember these are just like intended to be work truck so even though they may not use the range, the idea is they will be powering up alot of equipment or sites or both
Also remember it gets the $7500 point of sale tax credit and theres no ompararison based on range/price to the Ford/Rivian or the Cybertruck
Im not sure if this is Chevy's answer to the F150 as it is more so the answer to their future F350 Lightening whenever that comes out lol this truck is massive especially when it comes to actual towing power. The deep bed mode and no frills setup makes this is a real EV work truck. No offense to Lightening owners this is just a different category of truck I'd say.
"work truck" with no single cab long bed? what work can it really do
I think another flaw is that they don’t offer it as a single row truck. With the same or similar wheelbase but only 2 seats, it could have a massive bed and be way more practical in a lot of work-related scenarios.
My local dealer has a mach e lease deal 39 months 289 a month 6k down and 7,500 miles a year. I’m very tempted
I know that one of the large portable toilet companies in Washington State I just took delivery of their EV Silverado and now they have to kit them out with their pump tailgate lift the people who will been using them have already had the chargers installed at their house it' will be very interesting to see how it works out they do a lot of the cost in savings in gas alone could be incredible for a company and one of the gas trucks does about 180 miles a day one thing I didn't understand why they do not have fast chargers at a company yard
@sirgardensalot Fast Chargers are not cheap to install, plus many only have CCS adapters when NACS is coming soon. So many they are waiting for NACS to take the plunge. The other issue is getting the Transformers installed for Fast charging... there is a backlog.
To add to what tonespeaks said: "slow" charging at home is easier on the battery anyway.
Though the 200kWh battery is getting close to the limit of what you can comfortably charge overnight with an L2 7.7kW EVSE (240V, 32A (40A derated 20%)).
(200kWh)/(7.7kW)=26 hours to fully charge.
Though charging 30-80% should be about half that time (13 hours).
Chevy would probably limit charge rate and SOC to 80% anyways!
@@jamesphillips2285 Can't you get 3 phase AC for a business in the US? A 3 phase 400V 16A outlet for a wall box is almost standard for home and EV owners here in Germany. Several 400V 32A outlets in a workshop are not unusual.
@@VolkerHett The J-1772 port does not support 3 phase power. If you have access to 3 phase power: it is better to use a DC fast charger.
I bought a 3WT with 1k miles. It gets 436 miles 100-1%. Got it for 17k under sticker OTD.
The wt excites me a ton... it's too big for what I want but if the used prices follow all other EVs I might just have to trade my bolt for one of these in a few years
Nice reflective short look. And your mild but pervading self deprecation is just what I like to hear 😁🙏
I’m with a small road building company, we’ve bought two that we should be receiving in June and will most likely be following that with at least 3 more. We’re expecting 10’s of thousands in fuel savings.
Mary Barra has been terrible at GM especially regarding EVs......$80k for a "Work" truck is ridiculous and what is even more ridiculous is TRY TO BUY ONE. GM has chosen to freeze themselves out of the EV market because of this kind of nonsense.
It would be interesting if you can add a paddle later. i do love the paddle for slowing down. Its one more time i dont need to move foot over to the brake. Maybe we can just add a button to the back of the steering wheel spoke
I think the paddle is just great. it allows you to guess when to let off the gas to slow for a light.. but if you underestimate. just use the paddle for extra stopping power.
28:50 I would argue that this battery is the size that it is, because that's its differentiator between it and the Pro Lightning. That is to say, it can tow, a lot, without the fleet operators really having to think about it.
This WT is the best Silverado EV, IMO, for the many reasons you've mentioned in the video.
Now one thing that's a bit more subjective: IMO this WT interior with rectangular center display and rectangular driver's display is also better than the RS or RST or whatever with those weirdly-shaped overstyled displays.
Great talk on a first drive. Thank you. Now, about that Mid-gate. (thing) As a pick-up owner/user for that last 40 years, I can say with a great deal of confidence that the idea of "whatever-it-is-that-is-in-the-back" can now easily penetrate the occupied area of the cabin during a quick or abrupt stop is absolutely ridiculous. Or am I not understanding something? "No problem. The 2x4's will fit when I open the mid gate" Am I getting this right? If that is true, then I know why that is NOT a feature on a work/utility truck.
When the Mid-gate is opened, does it and the back seat form a bulkhead against the backs of the front seats?
The best way of saying "I do not need a pick-up truck" without saying it.
Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for! But for that kinda coin? Might as well get an R1T instead.
While I absolutely love my Rivian (that I paid less for than this truck thanks to pre-price-increase locked in pricing) having the extra range when towing would be nice. I've never been truly stranded while towing with my R1T, but I have had to slow to 45 MPH in 55-60 MPH zones a few times to make the gap between charging stations. Having double the towing range would make it effectively the same as towing with my old diesel F-250, where my body's need to stop was the primary driver of refueling stops.
But I also love the more luxury-level features of the R1T that the Chevy "Work Truck" series don't have. To get those, I'd have to upgrade to the "consumer" RST, which is *WAAAAAY* more expensive. (For me, it was originally a toss-up between the Rivian and an Extended Range Ford F-150 Lightning PRO; but Ford both increased the price before I was able to order, and made it so that consumers couldn't by the Extended Range PRO, which ruled it out, as I would have had to spend more than the price of the Rivian to get the larger battery, while getting far less amenities. If Ford had offered ER PRO, and my dealer hadn't screwed up my reservation, delaying my purchase opportunity by 9 months, I'd probably have a Lightning instead of a Rivian.)
Half full on a 200kwh battery is a lot of 8-11kw charger time to bring it back to full every day.
Excellent review! Thank you so much!
It there an emergency button to exit door like Telsa when power go out ? Thank in advance. ❤
When you have 400 or so mile range, you can tow things, especially in cold weather situations without running out of energy.
Shame about the price, indeed. I have to wonder what the specs of two "Ranger-sized" trucks made with the same amount of battery would be. Surely they'd surpass the S-10, and at a price point far more accessible to independent work truck drivers. Thanks for such a comprehensive off-the-cuff review!
26:56 You're giving Ma Barra the Benefit of the Doubt again. The simple answer (parsimony) is that legacy OEMs (esp. their dealers) don't like EVs.
I did a quick calculation on 131kwh of the new CATL batteries (only) for the Lightning. It came out to $11k. Call it double that for the Silver. Add another $20k for the rest of the truck (hey come on - what is it?) and it comes to a reasonable $42k, not much higher than the price they started with.
So the answer is simple: GM doesn't want to sell EVs. They will gouge and pretend there is no demand, but that's nonsense.
And if a contractor needs to tow, they don't need to worry about range. Load it up with even more battery I say.
They gave it a humongous battery so that it would have decent towing range.
Yep. If you truly need the long towing range, the extra cost is probably worth it. If you don't need it, there's always the 3WT (which still has an impressive just-shy-of-400mi-range when not towing.)
If they had made an EV S10, with 250 miles of range, for a reasonable price, it would have sold like crazy.
Just bought this truck in Black.
I pick it up on Monday!
Ouch sorry about the sunburn!!🥵
Interesting about the vibration of relevant butt cheek sides. That’s a good idea instead of only having a light or the beeping. More options or variety is so good!!!
Of course a pack the size of 3 normal electric cars will charge at 3 times the power. And as I’m a former Elon fan, your objection to the charge port on the left rear made me grin. ❤-U!
Thanks for the first drive review! I hope Chevy starts making these for regular consumers, I think it would do them well to do so. As always great episode!
Cool that they made an EV version of the classic Avalanche
On my second tesla won't buy another until 400 plus mile range thank you Chevy finally range I can't wait to get one 450 mile real range I'm so happy
This helped me put into perspective why Aptera has so many different battery sizes. So people who what the range can pay for it, but if you know your got going far, you can get a much cheaper one with less range.
If someone made a KISS EV car that fit my needs, I would already have bought it. I hope next years models have one.
The climate controls need to be knobs and buttons because I change them while I drive and find them by feel.
The same goes for the controls on the radio.
I want a real spare tire as I go off of paved roads from time to time.
I need ground clearance that is good for poorly maintained and unpaved roads.
Something the size of a Subaru Impreza is about right in total size.
If I need to carry an 8 foot 2x4, I should be able to fit it between the hatch and the dashboard.
300 miles of range is about right.
AWD would be nice.
0-60 time doesn't really matter
35MPH to freeway speed does matter a bit
Put a topper on it.
Take put the back window. Cut out the metal and make your own mid-gate. Build a cave down the center of the bed3.5ft wide and 18" high. You can pull over any time and put your legs in the cave while the rest of the bed is fully loaded with camping/vacation gear and sleep with heat or a/c
Yeah, I wish I could get hold of one. A 3WT would be the absolute perfect farm truck for how we are using our truck.
Wow, that truck has been de-contented! That part line on the steering wheel says it all.
I agree about the price but disagree that the battery is over spec. If it were just a bus to move workers to a job site, then yes. But as a work truck, it will likely be towing, carrying heavy loads, or be used as a power source. Additionally with batteries that are sensitive to charging over 80% for fear of degradation, it’s only fair to consider this as the practical full charge.
Where I live, corrosion from road salt destroys vehicles before they wear out. This is true even for pickups. I wonder if any considerations were made by Chevy to address this weakness on such an expensive vehicle.
Any chance you'll be able to review the Ultium Equinox soon?
We weren’t invited on the press launch. And we’re pretty sure it took place in a state we can’t go :(
@@transportevolved Ugh. Hopefully a local owner will lend you theirs before too long.
It's likely a 3WT as I didn't think any rental companies got the 4WT. If it's indicating 450 @ 100% it should be 4WT. 3WT should industry around 400 @ 100%. I have a 4WT right now and am getting an RST next week 😊
On the price front - I wonder what fleet discounts they're offering? Maybe the list price is high, but they offer huge fleet discounts?
On GM cars you can almost always turn off those but seat vibrations in the Setup menus.
It's fabulous that you can send this truck out to a job without a generator. It is the generator.
Prices are coming down. Just got the 4WT with 30 miles on it for $67k. This truck is going to save me $800 a month on fuel cost. I live in Texas and get free power from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on my electric plan, which will be enough to charge this every night.
The fuel savings will pay for this truck.
Maybe a work vehicle with power outlets need a battery size for the power delivery rather than driving range. Hence the number of outlets.
The Cybertruck AWD (post founders series) will seem cheap in comparison.
good and straightforward review. I can't see any reason to buy this over a Rivian - except for range. 450 miles is great. The price of ~$80k is way too much. Rivian needs only more range, and then lesser prices. This is waay too expensive for what you get.
Dealers are listing these trucks for $65,000 now. They're collecting dust on lots
Have my 19.2kw level 2 waiting and ready for mine. Will trade in MYLR and Maverick Hybrid xlt
I agree with you that even for regular vehicles, there needs to be EV variants that still provide tactile buttons, switches, etc., but simply has an EV drivetrain. I don't need all the bells and whistles that even ICE vehicles have these days. I also want to control regen braking MYSELF and not have the vehicle do it (unless I want it too). Old school for sure in many ways, but that's a market segment the EV manufacturers are neglecting to support. I do like the fact it has a big battery and ton of range. The trick there is to make the battery pack affordable for that size.
There was an easy joke to be made about vibrating seats and ladies deliberately setting it off, but you didn't dare go there 🤣
I bought my first EV, a Leaf, back in 2012. Then Volt, Mitsubishi... was so hoping to see reasonably priced EVs, especially trucks. I even put down a deposit on the Chevy when they claimed it would be reasonable. Now, all EVs are exceedingly expensive, comically so. My home town, San Antonio, has less plugs than when I started driving EVs. My Outlander PHEV is out of warranty and I'm in the market again, but I will be getting my deposit back from Chevy (and Tesla) and buying my first fully gasoline car since 2012 as I can no longer even consider the price of a new EV. I loved the technology, too bad the manufacturers chose to ignore the "every man" and go boutique silly expensive. I'm sure they'll make some quick big money, but they'll pay the usual price in the long run for that strategy.
Hoping you were in southern California to review the Chevrolet Equinox EV? That's of great interest to me
As for battery size and range, I use an F250 for work that I load with a stupid amount of weight and then hook up a heavy trailer for work around the PNW. I like this "closer to a work truck" Silverado. Not a hyper-stylized gadget mobile! Now. Full bed + extended cab. Less like a car.
Price seems right after 2 years depreciation.
I think you oversell manual gates and hatches; power hatches can reduce the torque and wear that a gate can take. A small motor can have just the right leverage to pop ice or latch it more securely.
Pretty sure the cost of a manual latch that relies on mechanical components is far less to replace than a fancy electrical one.... - Nikki.
As an operator, I can’t see anyone making the business case for a 80k work truck. The 20-30k delta to a basic version is a lot of fuel and maintenance. A lot. 80k is Denali range.
Lots of cabin comforts listed for a "work" truck. Price, max load, bed size, towing weight, charging speed, range and unknown durability vs Hilux for example.
Really glad you rode the Fuell bikes. Yes, utility cycling requires sun gear here in SoCal. This year I bought a Ridge wool hoodie that is a sustainable, sun protective covering top that even extends over the back of your hands. More retro movement to prepare for the hot future. Light weight wool woven for sun protection will wick your sweat and has natural anti-stink built in. So you don't have to wash after every wear. I know that will sound gross to most, but it's a Climate Emergency, so time to get out of our comfort zone.
Unlike this 200+ kWh EV truck which is squarely trying to stay in everyone's comfort zone at the expense of becoming an even less sustainable EV.
I watched a Silverado RST driven by a media team charge up peaked at 329kWh at 30% SoC on an EA 350 kWh charger
Some need range at least one truck has it anyone can buy one with less range thanks chev finally no BS
GM is seeing the sales of full-size trucks disintegrate before their eyes. The only thing saving them is fleet sales right now.
I agree that this should be readily available to consumers, people sre tired of the 80k and higher priced trucks.
GM sold 45,000 more trucks then Ford in the first quarter of 2024! You are blowing hit air with no substance!
I'm seeing new Chevy trucks all over the place right now...
Just bought a Silverado LT last week. They are selling like crazy.
i need this truck in a single cab , 8ft bed configuration , you know a work truck.
Awesome review!! 😊
I would love to buy one of these if the price was more reasonable.
I wish you had compared the wt to the lightning rather than the Hummer
that's what i want in a truck plane jane , and i like time tested buttons same wiper switch same headlight switch low to the ground round steering wheel
Great overview! Thanks
Superb review!
I bought a 2018 work truck (F150) for $18,500. End of the year discounted.