No Bargain: $40,000 Entry Level Silverado EV Is Dead
The entry level Silverado EV launching in 2023 will cost nearly double the originally communicated $40,000 price
The all-new Silverado EV is getting closer to landing in customer driveways. That is the good news. The bad news is that putting one in your driveway is going to be a lot more expensive than originally thought. When the Silverado EV was unveiled Chevy announced that the entry level Silverado EV would cost around $40,000. But at the recent media first-drive event for the Silverado EV 4WT work truck it was announced that a $40,000 Silverado EV was not going to happen. Last year, Chevy did promise they would offer lower-trim “competitively-priced” variants of the vehicle starting in 2024.
However, as it stands right now the entry level Silverado EV will cost nearly 75 grand. For a basic work truck. Ouch. The three versions of the Silverado EV launching in 2023 look like this: Silverado EV 4WT for $79,800. Silverado EV 3WT for $74,800. Silverado EV RST at $106,895. Prices of all vehicles have been going up recently. And electric vehicles have taken an especially hard hit due to the cost of the raw materials required to build them.
But the Silverado EV is looking awfully expensive right now. Chevy is saying that a Silverado EV will eventually become available at a starting price around $50,000. That would be a bit more agreeable for sure. But it might also be a year or two away.
Silverado EV 4WT and 3WT
The 4WT and 3WT Silverado EV variants are both work trucks available only to fleet customers. The trucks are nearly the same except that the 4WT has a larger battery with a greater range. The 4WT is expected to have a range of around 450 miles and the 3WT will be closer to 400 miles. All Silverado EV trucks are built on GM’s Ultium EV platform.
The WT trim trucks are expected to offer a 10,000 maximum towing capacity and payload capacity of 1,440 pounds. Power should be around 510 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque. The WT trucks will be configured with a lean towards work duty. Meaning wheels will be smaller 18-inch diameter units and the front fascia will have large unpainted areas to prevent scratches and general abuse.
Silverado EV RST
The upscale RST truck is going to be the range-topping model aimed at the non-fleet consumers. It is expected to arrive in the fall. This truck will pack an over 750 horsepower punch and is expected to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.
Other special features include four-wheel steering, an adjustable suspension, 24-inch wheels, and the Multi-Flex bed. It should be a very impressive truck. And at over 100 grand it needs to be.
Other Trims Coming
We know about the RST and the WT trucks. We also expect a Silverado EV Trail Boss in the future. And the range will likely be filled out with the traditional LT, LTZ, and High Country models. But what we really need soon is an affordable entry level Silverado EV.
The $40K dream is dead. Can we get one for $50K? That remains to be seen.
Photos: Chevrolet
Join the Chevrolet Forums now!
