Chevrolet Silverado EV 4WT Range Test: Tows 6,500-Pound Trailer For 200+ Miles

Road testers compared the range and performance of the Silverado EV and the gas-powered Ford F-150.

Chevrolet Silverado EV 4WT

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Sep 27, 2023 at 8:58am ET

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Fast Lane Truck hosts recently compared the real-world driving range of a Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck and a gas-powered Ford F-150. Even though it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, the two trucks have similar on-paper capabilities in many categories, and the test results were encouraging.

The Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck has a manufacturer-claimed range of 450 miles on a single charge, 10,000 pounds of maximum towing capacity, and 1,400 pounds of payload capacity. It shares its Ultium architecture with the GMC Hummer EV, and its output stands at 515 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque in tow/haul mode.

GM hasn’t released the battery specifications of the Silverado EV, but we believe it’s similar to the Hummer EV, with 24 modules packing over 200 kilowatt-hours. It also has a maximum charging rate of 800 volts.

On the other side was a relatively old Ford F-150 Lariat powered by the company's twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine pushing 400 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, as per the road testers. This specific model had a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, with a payload capacity of 1,600 pounds, somewhat comparable to the Silverado EV.

Gallery: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck: First Drive

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck towing a John Deere tractor

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck towing a tractor

Starting from a sunny day outside of Boulder, Colorado, the drivers put both trucks through their paces. They began with a full charge and a full tank, and the trucks towed identical 6,500-pound, seven-foot-tall trailers. The Silverado EV’s air-conditioning was running, but otherwise, it appeared to have been driven conservatively with a focus on efficiency.

The Silverado EV's range was 475 miles before the trip but dropped notably faster as it towed the heavy trailer.

In the end, the electric truck covered 232 miles on a single charge with 15 miles of remaining range. The average energy consumption was 1.1 kWh per mile or 38.2 miles per gallon equivalent, as per the video. The F-150’s fuel efficiency was 9.8 mpg, and it had 108 miles of range remaining. Watch the video above for several other juicy details.