2024 Chevy Silverado EV WT First Drive Review: Good Work Doesn’t Come Cheap

Powering the WT is a dual-motor setup giving it all-wheel drive, 510 hp, and 615 lb-ft of torque. That level of power may not snap your neck like the upcoming Silverado EV RST’s 754 hp and 785 lb-ft, but it’s way more than enough for a rig that's meant for towing and hauling. 

Since the Silverado EVs we drove were genuine workhorses, work is what we made them do. The test took place on a mix of pavement and dirt roads with a designated tow loop to see how they’d handle all the scenarios you’d use a traditional gas truck in. Chevy also showed off what the Silverado EV can do better than an internal-combustion pickup, like its ability to double as a mobile generator with up to 10 outlets and 10.2 kilowatts of power.

I had the chance to drive through highway traffic and on some twisty roads without a trailer. I can confidently say that there’s a lot to like as the ride is solid and comfortable, with only a bit of choppiness over the rough Michigan pavement. Like other electric trucks on sale today, the Silverado EV rides on four-wheel independent suspension, which definitely helps the ride. Its steering is also nicely weighted with a heft that reminds you of what you’re driving, and the front end is accurate. It feels more like driving a sporty SUV than it does a pickup. 

Visibility is surprisingly good for a pickup this size, especially forward where the Silverado EV’s low cowl provides an expansive view over the hood. Without an engine in the way, Chevy was able to lower the cowl and even push it forward for more cabin space. Ergonomically, it’s quite good, too, with no major complaints. Having the left stalk control turn signals, lights, and wipers is a bit confusing at first but it’s easy to get used to. Aside from that, it's a well-laid-out truck inside and the 4WT lacked the typical button blanks you find on less optioned models.

While the on-road and dirt portions of the test were pretty straightforward, I was a little anxious about towing. I've only ever owned small sport sedans, and while I'm comfortable on a race track or some twisting backroads, towing a 9,000-pound setup with a John Deere tractor was a mostly new experience. My nerves may have been misguided, though, as the Silverado EV WT worked like a charm. With the trailer brake adjusted and the truck in its tow/haul mode, the dual-motor setup made easy work of pulling the tractor around. As you'd expect from a rig with this much juice, it never once struggled to keep up with traffic or pull a hill.

Even more impressive was its regenerative braking, which has huge potential in work applications. Think of it as a strong exhaust brake that just so happens to feed power back into your battery. There are three regen options—Off, On, and High—and I kept it in the middle setting. It was able to slow the loaded Silverado EV to a stop without me ever hitting the brake pedal. More than that, it didn't feel any different than it did without the trailer. So not only is its regen braking strong, Chevy's calibration is immensely impressive.

Chevy claims the Silverado EV WT can tow up to 10,000 pounds—up from the original 8,000-pound claim—and an eventual max tow package will supposedly bump that up to 20,000 pounds. Unfortunately, Chevy wouldn't say what sort of changes it'll make to achieve that figure. The truck already has eight-lug hubs like a heavy-duty pickup, but you have to remember that it's significantly heftier than a half-ton with a V8.

There's a lot to like about the Silverado EV WT. It looks good (I've decided), its interior is spacious and comfortable, and it delivers sports car acceleration with the ability to achieve 450 miles of range if you keep your foot out of it. It handles well, there's excellent visibility, and it can be used to charge tools, equipment, and even other EVs. Heck, it can even power your home.

It isn't all positive, though. Fully spec'd, the Silverado EV WT costs more than a gas High Country model, which is the truck's top trim with a way better interior. For that, the WT version still lacks the highly hyped midgate and four-wheel steering that other Silverado EVs get. There are going to be cheaper versions but they're going to drop power and range. Chevy plans a 3WT version to launch next, and it has the same powertrain with a smaller density battery pack that drops its max range to 350 miles. That will still cost $74,800.

Since we haven't seen the true base WT yet, it's tough to say which features you'll get across the board. The 4WT comes with just about everything you can get without stepping up to the Trail Boss trim, which is next in line below the Silverado EV RST. There's the sizeable touchscreen infotainment screen, a digital gauge cluster, keyless entry, a lockable tailgate, a waterproof front trunk (which has a soft-close latch), and yeah, even a power-adjustable steering column.

As far as competition goes, the Chevy Silverado EV WT is in a class of two. Its lone rival at the moment is the F-150 Lightning Pro, which is only available to non-fleet customers with the standard range battery. The Silverado EV 4WT naturally beats it in most measurable performance metrics with 510 hp compared to the Ford's 462, a 450-mile range versus the Lightning's 240, and 10,000 pounds of towing rather than 5,000 for the base electric F-150. Again, none of this is surprising considering the F-150 Lightning Pro starts at a little more than $60,000, and the real comparison will come when a more basic version of the Silverado EV drops.

The top-spec, biggest battery Silverado EV WT is estimated by the EPA to net 450 miles of range. I didn't drive the truck even close to enough during my test to get a good grasp of its range in the real world. Additionally, the digital gauges didn't explicitly show miles per kilowatt-hour, so I couldn't tell how efficient it was during my drive. Chevy was also coy on battery capacity, efficiency, and total charging speed details.

However, the electric Chevy is capable of 350-kilowatt charging and can regain around 100 miles every 10 minutes at that power level. Try as I did to learn more about the charge curve, Chevy's engineers wouldn't budge, so it's unclear how long it can charge at that speed.

Without question, the Chevy Silverado EV WT is one of the most impressive pickups I've ever driven. When a relatively basic work truck version is this comfortable and capable, it sticks with you. It's quick, surprisingly fun to drive, comfortable, spacious, quiet at speed, practical, packed with useful features, good-looking, and has a massive range. Of course, all of that comes at a cost. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it for your purposes.

Regardless of which trim you choose, you aren't getting into a Silverado EV for cheap anytime soon. That said, the range figure alone gives a lot of hope to those considering an electric work truck. There isn't much that an internal combustion Silverado can do better than the EV aside from refueling quicker, and if you're looking to future-proof your fleet, this feels like the best option. The jury is still out on serviceability—we know it'll be more difficult with EVs—but the reality is that the days are numbered for internal combustion trucks. When the price eventually levels out, it'll be a lot easier to justify one of these, especially considering how much you can do with them.

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