The Chevy Silverado EV RST First Version attracted loads of consideration when it launched. Normal 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 one of the best Silverado EV just isn’t 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 affordable LT mannequin. Each include the Normal Vary battery, providing 286 miles of vary within the Work Truck.
That needs to be sufficient for many consumers, however if you wish to really by no means fear about vary, you will get a Work Truck Prolonged Vary with 424 miles of EPA vary for $68,295. Issue within the $7,500 federal clear automobile tax credit score—whilst you can—and you will 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 incredible deal, because it’s nonetheless pricier than an internal-combustion truck. However there are two issues price contemplating.
First off, to get a truck with over 400 miles of EV vary from another automaker, that you must 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 should you simply must lug a trailer a few hundred miles persistently, the Chevy will do this for $23,000 much less. It will go additional than any electrical truck with a Ford or Tesla badge, and if 424 miles in some way is not sufficient, you may step as much as a model with a whopping 493 miles of vary.
In fact, you can even 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 count on luxurious and perfection, and whereas he appreciated the Sierra EV, InsideEVs editor-in-chief Patrick George wasn’t satisfied by the Silverado EV RST as a luxurious expertise. It’s, nonetheless, an incredible device.
All of those vehicles supply over 400 miles of vary. Supply: Autotrader new automobile listings.
Photograph by: InsideEVs
Extra importantly, as a result of so many consumers search for type and tech over performance, work truck fashions are cheaper in the true world. It is comparatively simple to seek out them listed for much below their MSRP, supplying 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 in order for you 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 vehicles delayed and Tesla and Rivian concentrating on upscale consumers solely, the Chevy begins to look lots higher.
There’s even a particular bonus for protecting issues easy. Whereas higher-trim Silverado EVs do not get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, work vehicles do. You may want a smartphone app in your job web site, and Chevy acknowledges that. So should you’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.
Now, I nonetheless do not typically advocate an electrical truck to each purchaser. The carbon-reduction advantages are actual, however many EV vehicles 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 dear. 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 exchange your common development boss’ work truck. And all of those vehicles are too costly.
In case you are keen to cope with these drawbacks, nonetheless, driving an electrical truck rocks. A Lightning or Silverado EV gives clean, seamless electrical energy and higher tech than internal-combustion vehicles. A Rivian will conquer most trails you would be keen to aim in your personal automobile, and the Cybertruck is fairly good to each day drive. All are cleaner and extra sustainable than gasoline vehicles, and all shall be fairly low-cost to run. So if you wish to get one, it is best to.
For my cash, I would decide the most affordable Silverado EV I may discover.
Contact the writer: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com.
