Long-awaited Silverado EV Hits the Road

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – Jim Conlin, new car manager at Greenwood Chevrolet in Austintown, sits behind the wheel, punches the accelerator pedal and launches a brand-new Chevy Silverado RST EV.

The word “launch” is appropriate, as the 9,000-pound workhorse pickup leaps from 0 to 41 mph in 3.8 seconds at an adjacent lot the dealership owns. On the open road, the new EV truck can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds.

“This is an amazing vehicle,” Conlin says. “It has almost 800 pound feet of torque and it has 754 horsepower. It’ll do zero to 60 in four and a half seconds and yet it weighs almost 9,000 pounds. You’re getting more power than a Corvette.”

The Silverado EV is among the most-anticipated electric vehicles of the 2024 model year, he says. General Motors Co. unveiled the new pickup in January 2022, and the Greenwood dealership is one of the first in the Mahoning Valley to land a First Edition of the truck. All total, Greenwood has three Silverado EVs on its lot on Mahoning Avenue. 

For those in the market for a large pickup but still wary about making the transition to an EV, Conlin says the Silverado comes equipped with the latest Ultium Platform battery technology. On an EV fast charger, it takes just 10 minutes to charge the new Silverado with enough juice to take it 100 miles. The entire battery capacity in the new truck can power the vehicle 440 miles on a single charge.

Moreover, the Silverado EV is equipped with bidirectional battery technology, meaning the electric pickup has enough capacity to charge another EV or other electric-powered devices. “Say you had a Blazer EV at home with a range of 240 miles. You just transfer the power between the vehicles,” he says, at the same rate as a Level 2 charger. In addition, customers have the option of purchasing a GM Energy Power Bank and energy storage unit that is installed in the garage.

With a Silverado EV, the driver can transfer battery power from the vehicle to the storage device for later use. “You can use it for your home like a generator. Or you could pass it back to your car,” he explains. “So, it would be great in case of a power outage.” Plus, the wall of the truck bed is lined with four outlets capable of powering external electrical devices.

Among the other features in the Silverado EV not found in the traditional Silverado pickup is the ability to extend bed capacity, Conlin says. “One of the biggest differences is the mid-gate capability,” he says.

In the Silverado RST, the midgate can fold in while the window that separates the cab and the bed can be removed and stored. “With that down, and utilizing the multiflex tailgate, you have almost 11 feet that you can use.”

Another feature is a front trunk for extra storage, a space usually reserved for an internal combustion engine in traditional pickups. “It’s what Chevy calls an e-trunk. It’s an extra trunk in the front of the vehicle for storage and a great place to store the charger as well.”

A test drive of the vehicle demonstrates a smooth ride with some of the latest tech gadgets that GM has introduced over the last several years. Among the features in the Silverado EV RST is Super Cruise – a hands-free driving mechanism that uses sensors, cameras, and GPS and LiDAR map data to keep the vehicle centered in the lane while detecting curves and objects on roads and highways. To change lanes, all the driver does is tap the turn signal and the vehicle will automatically detect an opening to switch into the lane.

Other amenities include a large digital dashboard, Bose sound system, “heads-up” speedometer projected onto the base of the windscreen, and an alert system that detects whether the driver is paying attention to the road.

The cost-of-ownership of the vehicle is less than a conventional Silverado, Conlin says. “You’re not going to be paying for oil changes. But where the real savings come is that you’re able to charge this vehicle at home on a Level 2 charger,” he says.

Overnight charging, for example, would average between 8 and 12 cents per kilowatt hour, which the new car manager describes as “huge savings over the long term compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle.”

Sean Franks, a sales associate at Greenwood, says EVs are starting to catch more of the public’s attention. “When the EVs first came out, people were a little hesitant about the technology,” he says. “People are more open to it now.”

Franks says the technology in the new Silverado surpasses other EVs on the market. Customers are “asking more questions and they are much more interested in this vehicle.”

He says he’s sold a “couple” of EV Blazers and those customers are very satisfied. “They’ve had no issues charging in doing their daily commutes. They’ve told their friends. There’s a lot of interest now than when they were introduced.”

The sticker for the Silverado EV is pricey.  The work truck, for example, starts at approximately $74,900 while the RST is priced at about $96,000. “It’s still a great price point compared to some of the EVs out there,” Franks says.

The Silverado does not qualify for tax credits to offset the cost, he says. “There is another RST coming and we have a work truck on order was well.” As of now, customers can choose either black or white models. “I’m sure they’ll open up more colors,” he says.

The arrival of the Silverado EV adds to the growing portfolio of new EVs on Greenwood’s lot. Earlier this year, the dealership welcomed the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV. The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV rolled into the showrooms just as the Silverado became available.

Greenwood’s 2024 EV inventory includes the three Silverado pickups, five Equinox vehicles and eight Blazers for a total of 16 at the dealership, Conlin says. Eight more are on order.

Still, there are indications in the national market that the enthusiasm for EVs is not as strong as initially anticipated. Since 2022, General Motors held to its goal of producing one million EVs in China and North America by 2025. But those production metrics now appear in doubt. Recent comments by GM CEO Mary Barra indicated GM would not have sufficient production capacity to manufacture one million vehicles by 2025.

It’s too early to gauge how the new Silverado EV will sell in the Mahoning Valley, Conlin says, although those who have test driven it have responded with positive feedback.

“There’s a lot of interest in the Silverado EV,” Conlin says. “It’s such a new vehicle and this one just arrived.” At press time, none have been sold but, Conlin says, a Silverado EV work truck model is on order for a customer. The work truck version is smaller and lacks some of the features of the RST, he notes, such as Super Cruise.

The conventional Silverado continues to be GM’s top-selling vehicle year after year, Conlin says, and it’s likely an EV version of the popular truck could translate with buyers.

“With the name Silverado, it’s already a sought-after vehicle,” he says.

Pictured at top: Jim Conlin and Sean Franks charge up a new Silverado EV RST pickup at Greenwood Chevrolet in Austintown.

“On the Road to EVs” is sponsored by Greenwood Chevrolet.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.