The Chevy Silverado EV RST First Version attracted loads of consideration when it launched. Basic Motors’ mainstream electrical pickup supplied 440 miles of vary, an inside loaded with tech options and a neat mid-gate. However at $96,395, it was simply too costly to get enthusiastic about.
That is why I feel the perfect Silverado EV is just not the flagship mannequin, however the bog-standard Work Truck. Like each fashionable truck, it is best to keep away from paying for each potential bell and whistle.
For 2026, the Silverado EV Work Truck begins at $54,895. That is $8,100 cheaper than the most cost effective LT mannequin. Each include the Normal Vary battery, providing 286 miles of vary within the Work Truck.
That must be sufficient for many patrons, however if you wish to really by no means fear about vary, you may get a Work Truck Prolonged Vary with 424 miles of EPA vary for $68,295. Issue within the $7,500 federal clear car tax credit score—when you can—and you may get an electrical truck with 424 miles of vary for simply $60,795.
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In fact, which will nonetheless be a premium in comparison with a gasoline truck. A four-wheel-drive, crew-cab Silverado with the 5.3-liter V-8—a mannequin with comparable capabilities—begins at proper round $50,000. That alone would not make the Work Truck an excellent deal, because it’s nonetheless pricier than an internal-combustion truck. However there are two issues value contemplating.
First off, to get a truck with over 400 miles of EV vary from every other automaker, it’s essential spend greater than $83,900 on a Rivian R1T with the Max Pack. That does not qualify for the tax credit score, both.
Now, the Rivian’s a nicer truck to be in and drive. However if you happen to simply have to lug a trailer a few hundred miles constantly, the Chevy will try this for $23,000 much less. It’s going to go additional than any electrical truck with a Ford or Tesla badge, and if 424 miles by some means is not sufficient, you possibly can step as much as a model with a whopping 493 miles of vary.
In fact, you too can get that stage of endurance on the higher-trim Silverado and Sierra EVs. However the worth proposition will get wonky whenever you go for an $85,000 or $90,000 truck. You anticipate luxurious and perfection, and whereas he preferred the Sierra EV, InsideEVs editor-in-chief Patrick George wasn’t satisfied by the Silverado EV RST as a luxurious expertise. It’s, nevertheless, an excellent software.
All of those vans provide over 400 miles of vary. Supply: Autotrader new car listings.
Picture by: InsideEVs
Extra importantly, as a result of so many patrons search for type and tech over performance, work truck fashions are cheaper in the actual world. It is comparatively simple to seek out them listed for much underneath their MSRP, providing you with the chance to scoop up a do-anything electrical truck for considerably lower than $60,000.
That is not going to win over people who find themselves nonetheless dead-set on a gasoline truck, however if you need an EV truck, Chevy is providing an actual multitool at a cheaper price than an extended-range Ford F-150 Lightning. And with Ram’s electrified vans delayed and Tesla and Rivian focusing on upscale patrons solely, the Chevy begins to look rather a lot higher.
There’s even a particular bonus for maintaining issues easy. Whereas higher-trim Silverado EVs do not get Apple CarPlay and Android Autowork vans do. You may want a smartphone app in your job web site, and Chevy acknowledges that. So if you happen to’re the kind of purchaser who retains a truck for a very long time and would not wish to fear about subscribing to get Google Maps knowledge down the street, the Work Truck is your best choice from GM.
I am going to admit: The inside ain’t too fancy.
Now, I nonetheless do not usually advocate an electrical truck to each purchaser. The carbon-reduction advantages are actual, however many EV vans are all just about first-generation merchandise—they usually really feel prefer it. The Silverado EV and Sierra EV are extraordinarily heavy, and a few trims will be expensive. The Lightning would not cost quick sufficient and is not nice for long-haul towing. The Rivian and Tesla are better-resolved EVs, however not precisely constructed to switch your common development boss’ work truck. And all of those vans are too costly.
If you’re prepared to cope with these drawbacks, nevertheless, driving an electrical truck rocks. A Lightning or Silverado EV presents clean, seamless electrical energy and higher tech than internal-combustion vans. A Rivian will conquer most trails you would be prepared to try in your personal automotive, and the Cybertruck is fairly good to day by day drive. All are cleaner and extra sustainable than gasoline vans, and all will probably be fairly low-cost to run. So if you wish to get one, you must.
For my cash, I would choose the most cost effective Silverado EV I might discover.
Contact the writer: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com.
