2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV First Look: Putting Lightning on Notice
The first thing to know about the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup truck is that it shares next to nothing with its combustion-powered Silverado brethren. Neither does it share any body panels or glass with its GM Ultium platform stablemate, the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup. These facts distinguish it from its chief competitor, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, which is simply an F-150 crew cab converted to electric power. The more familiar Ford may be an easier sell to conservative old-school truckers, but Chevy's clean-sheet approach allows for better packaging and greater innovation.
Chevy Could've Called It the AvalanchE 2.0
The GM Ultium platform is rigid—rigid enough to allow Chevy to revive the notion of a unitized cab and box with an open bed that can expand into the truck's interior by folding down a midgate, as popularized on the Chevy Suburban-based 2002-2013 Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT. The bespoke electric architecture allows the front seats to move closer to the front axle and farther away from the rear seats, while still leaving room for a 5-foot-11-inch box. That bests the combustion Silverado's by an inch and the Ford F-150 Lightning's by 4 inches. Fold the midgate down, and you get 9 feet of floor space to the closed tailgate—10 inches more than on a regular-cab, long-box pickup.
Open the optional Multi-Flex tailgate and pop up its load limiter, and the floor measures 10-foot-10. As on the original Avalanche, the midgate can fold down, with the rear window and optional tonneau cover sealing the cabin from the elements. Or doff the tonneau, pop the rear glass out, stow it on the lowered midgate, and fully open the cab to the bed. One major difference between the Silverado EV and the Avalanche: The midgate and seat are split 60/40, and everything folds forward into the cab either 60 or 100 percent. The original Avalanche midgate folded backward to stow in the bed floor.
Sizing Up the Chevy Silverado Electric Truck
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado electric truck is roughly the same size outside as its crew-cab/short-box combustion-powered counterpart, but it's considerably larger inside. Substantial differences in width and length between the Silverado electric and the GMC Hummer EV serve to illustrate the GM Ultium platform's range of adjustability. The Silverado EV's 145.7-inch wheelbase is 10.1 inches longer than the Hummer pickup's and 1.7 inches shorter than a comparable crew-cab, short-box Silverado—while sharing the costly-to-develop crash safety structures. Varying the width of the suspension crossmembers and length of the control arms alters the track width affordably.
Frunk Space
The F-150 Lightning's frunk is way bigger—like V-8 big. Chevy shrunk the Silverado EV's nose and then moved the HVAC componentry out of the dash and into the nose to free up cabin stowage space. Chevy's smaller "eTrunk" does feature tie-down hooks and a 120-volt power outlet, however, and on RST models the lid will open and close electrically. The storage capacity should match the Hummer EV's 9.0 cubic feet, well down from the 14.1 cubes available in the Ford electric truck's frunk.
Power, Torque, Battery Range, and Charging
The top-trim models of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV will share the Hummer EV pickup's 24-module 200-kWh battery pack. Estimated range is 400 miles for both the RST and the work truck. Chevy will offer smaller battery packs, with the Hummer SUV's 20-module 167-kWh pack seeming like one obvious option. Two permanent-magnet-type motors will power all first-year Silverado EVs via single-speed reduction gearboxes. They're similar to the Hummer motors, and neither can be declutched during low-demand cruising. In First Edition RST models set to Chevy's Wide-Open Watts (WOW) mode, they'll be tuned to produce "up to 664 hp and 780 lb-ft of torque."
Relative to the Hummer's Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode, WOW does without the sound-effects fanfare, and it propels the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV to 60 mph in a claimed 4.5 seconds. The more basic AWD commercial-fleet work trucks will produce "up to 510 hp and 615 ft-lb of torque." (Fleet managers are rightfully reluctant to arm employees with 600-plus-horsepower trucks.) Lower-powered and single-motor two-wheel-drive model variants are expected in the coming years.
The GM Ultium platform's 800-volt system can accept 350-kW DC fast charging. We're told this will add 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. RST owners will have access to Ultium Charge 360, GM's holistic EV charging plan, which is designed to simplify the overall charging experience, providing access to more than 100,000 publicly available charging points across the U.S. and Canada. WT customers get access to a similar fleet service plan.
Plugging Into the Silverado EV
It will be possible to plug devices into 10 AC plugs found in the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV electric pickup. There are four 120-volt outlets in the pickup box plus one each in the frunk and center console. There's a single 240-volt outlet in the pickup box, and an accessory "Power Bar" that plugs into the CCS charge port will provide two additional 120-volt outlets and one 240-volt socket. The Power Bar also enables buddy-charging of another EV, with the charging rate approaching that of a Level 2 home charger.
In total, the system can export 10.2 kW of electric power, and the driver can specify a minimum remaining state of charge or driving range to stop exporting power to ensure safe return to a charging station. Probably not coincidentally, that just eclipses the 9.6-kW power-export limit of Ford's F-150 Lightning. All of this means it should be just as easy to power your house during an electricity outage with an electric Silverado EV as it is with an F-150 Lightning.
Payload and Towing
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition models will be rated for 10,000 pounds of towing and 1,300 pounds of payload. For comparison, the F-150 Lightning is rated for 10,000 and 2,000. Commercial work truck variants will initially be rated for 8,000 and 1,200 pounds, respectively. But a special towing-focused fleet model Silverado EV variant arriving for the 2025 model year will be rated to tow a whopping 20,000 pounds. This model will also get four-wheel steering like the GMC Hummer EV's to ease trailer maneuverability. And speaking of towing, initial Silverado EV RST models will feature the latest Super Cruise system, which supports trailer towing.
Best-in-Class Drag Coefficient
The super-smooth nose, flush glass, flat underbelly, rear diffuser, an available tonneau cover, sail panels, and roof spoiler combine to give the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV what the manufacturer claims is the lowest drag coefficient of any production full-size pickup truck (with the Tesla Cybertruck an unknown for now). Frontal area should be similar to that of the combustion Silverado, but credit for several of those 400 miles of range surely goes to the wind-tunnel tuning team. The 24-inch wheels that come standard on top RST models are exceptionally smooth and fully closed except for five narrow slots to route cooling air to the brakes (the wheels are not directional). Chevy even claims the fixed running boards that come standard on the RST help manage airflow between the tires.
Chassis Details
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV's basic suspension design is quite similar to the Hummer EV's, featuring upper and lower control arms front and rear, and at least on First Edition RST models, standard rear steering adapted from the Hummer EV. And if you're wondering, Chevy hasn't decided whether the Silverado EV will offer Crab Walk functionality as the Hummer EV does. Automatic adaptive air suspension provides 2 inches of height adjustment up or down (Extract mode lifts the GMC Hummer 5.8 inches), and Continuous Damping Control shocks fine-tune the ride and handling characteristics on a millisecond basis on top RST models. Those versions also get standard 24-inch aluminum wheels, but don't fret about potholes—they'll be wrapped in 275/50-series tires for an overall diameter of 35 inches (top Hummers roll on 37s).
Chevy Silverado electric work trucks will make do with steel springs, a passive damping system, and 18-inch steel wheels. Future model variants will likely be tailored more toward off-road capability, sporting more aggressive tires, perhaps greater height adjustability of the air springs, locking differentials, and improved electronic traction aids.
Silverado EV Gets a Unique Cab
The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV will only be available in crew-cab configuration, and its interior looks nothing like the combustion Silverado's or the Hummer EV's. Screens are all the rage nowadays, so top RST models get an 11.0-inch reconfigurable instrument cluster with five display theme options. Additionally, it features a 14.0-inch head-up display and a 17.0-inch "free-form" landscape-oriented infotainment screen; a volume knob is glued to the screen as in some Ford and Land Rover products, but this one is positioned at the top left instead of the bottom center. Hard buttons for frequently accessed features promise to make the system easy to master.
We're told visibility over the lower cowl and shorter hood is greatly improved. All interior materials are "vegan," with initial RST production featuring handsome high-contrast charcoal and light gray PVC pleather seating surfaces accented with red piping and blue stitching. A completely flat floor leaves room for a deep, two-level front center console with 1 cubic foot of storage space. Moving the speakers up a bit on the doors allows stowage pockets to span each door's entire length. In back, the seat cushions fold forward to allow the seat backs and midgate to fold down flat, and there are shallow stowage bins beneath the seats.
All Chevy Silverado EV RST First Edition models will get a laminated fixed-glass roof; we're promised this weighs about the same as a steel roof and headliner but affords better headroom. There is no sunshade, but Chevy says deep tinting keeps the interior from becoming a solar oven. As in a Tesla, there will be no ignition switch or start button; simply sit down with a registered key (or phone), and the electric Silverado EV readies itself to drive.
Pickup Box Features
The composite box will feature four upper and four lower tie-down hooks (missing from the show truck), plus the electrical outlets and tonneau cover (also missing) and Chevy's signature corner bed steps in the bumper. The floor features asymmetric arrow details at the rear that point toward the midgate split. Note that base and work trucks will lack the midgate. Cargo loading height matches the combustion Silverado's.
Next-Level Upgradability
The Silverado EV will use GM's in-house-developed Linux-based software platform known as Ultifi (which should underpin all Ultium EVs). This platform is said to separate the vehicle's software from its hardware, enabling easier and more rapid software updates and feature upgrades. Described more broadly as a "customer experience (CX) platform," Ultifi gives owners a digital ID number and vehicle profile that eases access to various cloud services in pursuit of a "frictionless EV ecosystem."
Availability and How Much Will It Cost?
You'll start seeing commercial 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EVs on steelies roaming the streets in the second quarter of 2023. You can't have one of these unless you're a preferred commercial-fleet customer already negotiating with Chevrolet. Orders for civilian 2024 Silverado EVs opened January 5 to reserve an unspecified number of Chevy Silverado EV First Edition RST models priced at $105,000 plus an as-yet unspecified destination charge, which should match the Hummer EV pickup's $1,695. Delivery of these trucks will begin in the fall of 2023. Only after those reservations are filled will the system begin taking orders for other variants, the least expensive of which will start at $41,595 if we've guessed the destination charge correctly. And we probably have because that figure just undercuts the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning's $41,669.
2024 Chevrolet Silverado (EV) Specifications BASE PRICE $41,500-$106,500 (est) LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door truck MOTORS 2x 255-332-hp (est)/307-390-lb-ft (est) permanent-magnet-type electric, 510-664 hp/615-780 lb-ft (comb, est) TRANSMISSION 1-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 7,500-8,000 lb (est) WHEELBASE 145.7 in L x W x H 232.0 x 81.2 x 75.5 in (est) 0-60 MPH 4.5-5.0 sec (mfr est) EPA FUEL ECON (CITY/HWY/COMB) Not yet rated EPA RANGE (COMB) 400 miles (est) ON SALE Spring 2023 (commercial), fall 2023 (retail) Show AllYou may also like
kia sorento-hybrid Full OverviewThe Kia Sorento is one of the better midsize SUVs you can buy, but it just missed a podium placement in our midsize SUV rankings. So what gives? Well, despite its confident handling, eager responses, and tech-forward interior, the mainstream turbocharged gas powertrain isn't as refined as it should be. We recently tested the Sorento Hybrid, and it has an entirely different personality. Is this the pick of the litter?While the non-hybrid Sorento offers a broad range of models, Kia streamlined the hybrid lineup into two moderately contented trims. Our test example was the higher EX version, which is far from Spartan but not as plush as the tippy-top conventional Sorentos, and it's worth noting the hybrid only offers a six-seat configuration where the regular version also has an available seven-seat layout. Fuel economy is the main draw here, with hybrids achieving 39/35 mpg city/highway. In comparison, the gas-only 2022 Sorento tops out at 24/29 mpg with the base engine and 22/29 mpg with the turbo four-cylinder—all with front-wheel drive.To achieve these strong results, the 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid teams a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, electric motor, and lithium-ion battery pack to deliver a healthy 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. (AWD adds $1,800-$2,300, depending on trim level.) The hybrid trades the regular Sorento's clunky eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for an unobtrusive six-speed planetary automatic.The Objective Numbers—and Subjective OpinionIn our tests, the Sorento Hybrid ran from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds. That matches exactly the time we achieved in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid AWD, which is larger than the tweener Kia. Unsurprisingly, the Sorento Hybrid is quite a bit slower than the 281-hp turbocharged Sorento, which hit the mark in 6.3 seconds. More troubling than the mediocre acceleration time is exactly how the Sorento accelerates and its lack of power, especially at speeds above 50 mph. There's a bit of a sugaring feel from the hybrid's turbocharged engine, too, which is a disappointment.Our feelings were mixed on the Sorento Hybrid's ride, with some noting it could use refinement. Handling is a tough call, too. On our figure-eight course, the Kia turned in a time of 27.7 seconds at an average 0.62 g, a better performance than we achieved in the Highlander Hybrid (28.4 seconds at 0.58 g). The non-hybrid Sorento beats them both with a time of 26.5 seconds at 0.67 g. Our test team praised the Sorento Hybrid's natural steering feel and neutral chassis, but its performance wasn't consistent. "Acceleration was brisk while I had an almost full battery but clearly waned when I got down to one last bar," road test editor Chris Walton said. We also noted considerable body lean.Because hybrids often suffer from mushy or non-linear brakes, we were curious to see how the SUV would perform in our 60-0-mph test. The Sorento Hybrid stopped in 121 feet, on par with the Highlander Hybrid but a slightly longer distance than the non-hybrid Sorento. Nevertheless, our test team praised the Sorento Hybrid's brake feel and overall body control.As a whole, the Sorento Hybrid's driving experience failed to impress. The turbo gas-only Sorento is the more tempting option, even if its engine and transmission combination rarely serve up a smooth off-the-line start.How It Is to Live WithAt least the hybrid doesn't sacrifice much interior space for better fuel economy. It offers slightly less legroom in the second row than the non-hybrid model, but it has the same amount of legroom in other rows and the same amount of cargo space. Headroom is tight in the third row, although legroom there is reasonable enough—if still tight—for a three-row SUV of this size. The raised floor causes your knees to sit up higher than you might imagine. Bottom line: The back row is best for occasional use.Accessing the way back is easy because the rear seats fold down readily. The second-row seats go down with the push of a button on the top of the seat back, and the third-row seats drop to the floor with the simple pull of a lever. There's also the option to fold down the second-row seats with a button in the cargo area.The interior departs from Kia's usual designs. Along with vertical-oriented air vents, the cabin features a space-saving rotary gear shifter. For the 2022 model year, all Sorento Hybrids feature a sleek 10.3-inch touchscreen. (Our 2021 model photo vehicle was stuck with an 8.0-inch screen).Our Sorento Hybrid EX came with a slew of standard safety features, including rear blind-spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, and a helpful lane keep assist feature. Heated front seats, an expansive panoramic sunroof, and USB chargers for all three rows sweeten the deal. Kia is known for its strong feature-per-dollar value, and although this isn't a shining example, our Sorento Hybrid test vehicle offers a solid amount of equipment for just under $38,000. Looking at value in terms of five-year cost of ownership, the Sorento Hybrid is just adequate. Considering costs such as depreciation, insurance, fuel, and maintenance over a five-year period, our partners at IntelliChoice gave the 2022 Sorento Hybrid an Average value rating.Kia has a unique product on its hands: a stylish, three-row SUV that's not too big and that provides excellent hybrid fuel economy. But be prepared to sacrifice performance for efficiency. The Sorento Hybrid lacks the wow factor of Kia's other three-row SUV, the Telluride. At the end of the day, the Sorento Hybrid is a solid vehicle, and it would have been hugely impressive just a few years ago, but we now know how much better Kia can do.Looks good! More details?2022 Kia Sorento EX Hybrid Specifications BASE PRICE $37,165 PRICE AS TESTED $37,610 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine/motor, FWD, 6-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 1.6L Turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 POWER (SAE NET) 177 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 60 hp (elec); 227 hp (comb) TORQUE (SAE NET) 195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 195 lb-ft (elec); 258 lb-ft (comb) TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,091 lb (56/44%) WHEELBASE 110.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 189.4 x 74.8 x 66.7 in 0-60 MPH 8.4 sec QUARTER MILE 16.4 sec @ 87.2 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 121 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.80 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.7 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 39/35/37 mpg EPA RANGE (COMB) 665 miles ON SALE Now Show All
Mecum is auctioning a rare 1942 Harley-Davidson XA military motorcycle from World War II that boasts many early engineering firsts in the company's long history. Developed after the U.S. and its allies came up against superior BMW motorcycles during the war, it aimed to beat the Nazis at their own game. Now one newly restored example can be yours.The XA was an attempt to overcome the Nazis' all-terrain superiority, particularly in North Africa, and to address issue that American bikes had involving chains in rough terrain. Harley landed on a shaft drive setup, solving that problem. And the most expedient way to engineer a shaft-drive bike was to reverse-engineer an existing one, like the excellent overhead-cam BMW R75M used by the enemy. Perhaps unable to get its hands on an R75M, the XA copied the civilian flathead R71, which wasn't quite as well-optimized for the task.Despite being a copycat, be reassured that the XA is still a true Harley-Davidson. Around 1,000 XAs were built in Milwaukee for the U.S. Army during the war, according to the Mecum, and it resulted in many production firsts for the company. It is claimed to be Harley-Davidson's first shaft-drive, four-speed, foot-shift and hand-clutch motorcycle, and also the first equipped with two carburetors. The motor's opposed cylinders were positioned "across the frame" for improved cooling in the wind compared to Harley's longitudinal V-twin designs of the time. It was also the first Harley to feature a rear-suspension plunger, and had a top speed of over 60 MPH back in 1942. The XA Type II (this example is a Type I) got Harley's first telescopic forks, which didn't reappear on Harley-Davidson designs again until years after the war.The XA, innovative as it was relative to Harley's native bikes, wasn't a success. Consider that Harley produced over 80,000 units of its V-twin motorcycles during the war, while the XA was only ordered for testing. Ultimately, the Army declined to order any more, and its role fell to the Jeep, far superior for general purpose tactical mobility. You may find it a little more adaptable to suit your interests, which are hopefully more peaceful.This isn't the first time this exact motorcycle has been auctioned in recent years. It appears to have previously been auctioned by Mecum in 2015, according to the matching plate numbers in both sets of images, where it failed to meet reserve at a high bid of $30,000. It was expected to go for as much as $50,000, but this time it's offered with no reserve.The restoration finished this XA with leather saddle-bags, a beautiful speedometer detail, and according to the listing, the auction lot includes a special mounted case for a period-appropriate "non-firing" Thompson sub-machine gun that is apparently included in the deal. The auction is in Vegas, in case that wasn't obvious.Whatever else this XA is, it's a newly restored WWII Harley-Davidson that's also particularly rare and interesting, and at least we know the bike should run very cool and catch plenty of attention. The lot is up for auction with no reserve until Jan. 29, according to the Mecum website.
This is The American Dream, the world's longest limo, at least according to the Guinness World Records organization. At 100 feet and 1.5 inches, we can't imagine it has too many challengers to its throne. But as impressive as this 25,000-odd pound, helipad-equipped, massive Cadillac is, what's even more impressive is that its restoration was completed at all. This limo was in terrible shape, a rotted hulk that would take a gargantuan effort to bring back to life.Abandoned in New York, it was first hauled to the Autoseum for an ill-fated restoration attempt. Then, with some difficulty (and a hood that flew off en route, never to be seen again), it was trucked down to the Dezerland Park car museum for another go—in several pieces—for another effort at revival. Here's what it looked like in 2013:Well, that effort has succeeded, as you can see. Michael Dezer—a prominent real estate developer in New York and Florida—and Michael Manning of Autoseum worked together to make it happen. Along the way, three Cadillacs were cannibalized, and untold amount of rust was removed, yards of leather and vinyl and carpet were employed, and the engine(s) were replaced. The subframe looks more like a bridge truss than anything you'd find in a vehicle, and in fact Manning admits rebuilding it was more of a civil engineering project than an automotive restoration.No fewer than six Eldorados were conjoined during the original construction of this 24-wheeled monster, conceived by Jay Ohrberg of Burbank, Calif.—the guy behind a few cars you may have heard of, like KITT from Knight Rider and the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future. Originally, the vehicle had a swivel function, in order to attempt to navigate corners with more grace. It's not clear if that feature was retained in the restoration. Its tail housed a helipad, whose surface could be used as a putting green whenever the chopper wasn't around. In its original iteration, it also had two engines, dozens of windows, TVs, telephones, a lounge, a waterbed, a jacuzzi, and a swimming pool with a diving board. The American Dream is now functional, to the extent that it can be. With this length and an attendant cruise-ship-like turning radius, you can't simply drive this thing around. You need to carefully plan a route to make sure it has room to maneuver. Get it stuck and it'll take some creative towing to remove it. That said, whether stationary or on the go, Manning says there's room inside for 75, plus there's a pool on the back. The interior is mostly bare at the moment—in the video, Manning hints it could be built out to fit a customer—and it's so long the other end is barely visible from inside.There's no getting around it: The American Dream is excessive to the point of impracticality. But it's still the world record holder, taking the crown from itself with a 1.5-inch stretch. It's hilarious that a distance that small has any significance for a vehicle this large, but there it is. What happens to it next is anybody's guess, but we salute you, Floridians, for reviving The American Dream in all its excess.
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