Home

Chevrolet

Silverado EV

Reviews

The 2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss Makes No Sense. I Loved It Anyway

It's expensive, enormous, and weighs as much as a building. But it made me smile regardless.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Nov 12, at 3:18pm ET

Add InsideEVs as a preferred source in Google

Comment

Presented by Lemonade

My neighbors looked terrified when I pulled up in the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss and reversed into two street parking spots outside my Brooklyn apartment. The 5.9-meter-long, 8,500-pound electric pickup isn’t something they see on the block every day.

Like most large electric pickups, the Silverado EV has been something of a commercial flop. The Ford F-150 Lightning was discontinued last year, and production of the Tesla Cybertruck ends next year. Both suffered from poor sales and higher prices than their makers promised. General Motors hasn’t canceled the Silverado EV, but it was initially expected to be far more popular than it turned out to be. The company sold just 11,275 of them last year, compared to over half a million gas and diesel Silverados.

WHY LEMONADE?

This story was published in partnership with Lemonade. Lemonade Insurance uses technology to keep things simple and offer lower prices for a wide array of EV drivers. They offer discounts for safe and low mileage driving, and further discounts for drivers of EVs and PHEVs. If you have a Tesla with FSD, you can even get discounts for the miles driven on FSD. Click here to get a quote for your EV today.

*Lemonade and the FSD discount are available in select states, learn more at the link above.

The Trail Boss joined the lineup this past summer as a lifted, off-road-focused trim. On paper, it makes little sense. Trail Boss trims start at $72,595 with destination, and despite its name, it’s not quite an off-road champ. By any rational measure, it’s unconvincing.

But even though the Trail Boss doesn’t appeal to your wallet, it appeals to your heart. It turned heads and received compliments everywhere I went. It has a commanding road presence, towering over Cybertrucks, Toyota Land Cruisers, and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagens. And it’s one of the longest range EVs, with enough battery to power an average home for days with its bidirectional charging system.

Gallery: 2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Source: Suvrat Kothari

More importantly, it’s brimming with charm and personality that few other electric trucks can match. It’s admirably nonsensical, and I hate that I liked it so much.

[Full Disclosure: Chevrolet loaned me the Silverado EV Trail Boss for a week. It arrived with 503 miles of indicated range.]

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss: What Is It?

The Trail Boss gets cosmetic and chassis upgrades to make it the more adventure focused trim of the Silverado EV lineup, similar to the gas-guzzling Silverado Trail Boss trims.

A two-inch lift over the standard model takes its ground clearance to 10.0 inches. Rugged, 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires wrapped around 18-inch rims make it look tough and brawny. I didn’t have to worry about curb rashes—the sidewall on these tires was more than double the height of the curbs where I street parked it. Dual red colored tow-hooks up front add character, and can help you recover the truck or others from sticky situations.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

The changes go beyond just looks. Terrain mode is exclusive to this trim and allows sharper four-wheel steering to help maneuver it around tighter trails. Off-Road mode optimizes traction, distributing torque to the wheels that need it the most. Sidewinder mode turns all four wheels in the same direction, similar to Crab Walk on the Hummer EV. The suspension also has unique rebound calibration more suited for off-road driving.

That’s an impressive off-road resume, but as I found out on a trail, the Silverado EV still has some limiting factors.

2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss

As-Tested Price $97,180, with destination, Max battery and options.

Base Price $72,595 (Extended range battery)

Battery 205 kilowatt-hours gross

EV Range 478 miles

Efficiency 2.3 miles per kilowatt hour (Observed)

Charge Time 23-80% in 38 minutes (As tested)

Charge Type CCS

Output 725 horsepower

Maximum torque 775 pound feet

Speed 0-60 MPH Under 4.5 seconds

Ground clearance 10.05 inches

Payload 2,100 pounds

Towing 12,500 pounds

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss: Battery, Range, And Charging

Three battery sizes are available on the Chevy: Standard, Extended, and Max. The base Work Truck with the Standard pack is good for 286 miles of EPA range. The LT gets 410 miles with the Extended Range pack and 478 miles with the Max Pack. The Trail Boss with the Max Pack—the one I drove—also goes 478 miles on a charge.

The Extended and Max batteries basically eliminate range anxiety with sheer, brute energy capacity. The Max battery has a whopping 205 kilowatt-hours of gross capacity, formed by essentially stacking two large EV battery packs on top of each other. This approach has its pros and cons. While it makes range a non-issue, the weight shows up negatively in how the Silverado EV drives off-road (more on that below).

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

My press car arrived fully charged with an indicated range of 503 miles—five times my weekly mileage needs. In my limited time with it, I could only run the battery down to a 23% state of charge, and it still had 112 miles of indicated range left. At a 400-kilowatt Ionna station, it charged from 23-80% in 38 minutes peaking at a rate of 363 kilowatts, more than the 350 kW figure claimed by Chevy.

Pumping in so much energy in a relatively short time is remarkable considering the gigantic battery, and it made me rethink how I’d charge it. If I were daily driving this truck, I’d only add about 30% to 40% at a time, which would make charging stops even quicker.

Not all Silverado EV trims charge at the same rate. The Max pack supports 800-volt charging and 350 kW of peak speeds. The Extended range pack is rated for 670 volts and 300 kW, and the base battery is rated for 475 volts and 220 kW. You’d want one of the bigger packs if you tow or haul often. Moving so much mass also gulps electrons—I observed 2.3 miles per kilowatt-hour of maximum efficiency with mostly highway driving.

Pros

Built-in Google infotainment
Range and charging king
Flex midgate

Cons

Too expensive
Many blind spots
Limited off-road capability

2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss: Driving Impressions

The Silverado felt intimidating from behind the wheel, but I got used to it rather quickly.

My initial discomfort came from blind spots. Due to its high ride height, I could only see the roofs of low-to-the-ground sedans like the Tesla Model 3, for example, when they were passing from the right. Its thick C-pillar also creates a massive blind spot when you look over your right shoulder. The 360-degree camera, blind spot warnings, and all the ultrasonic sensors helped while parking and off-roading, but being vigilant and spatially aware is really important on a truck this big.

On the plus side, it makes you feel like the king of the road. It makes crossovers look like toys and most cars get out of your way when you’re overtaking, unless you’re clashing egos with other trucks the same size, like Ram 2500s or Ford F-150 Raptors.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

In Normal driving mode, the acceleration isn’t as violent as it is in lighter EVs but it’s sufficient. Wide Open Watts (Wow) mode unleashes all the 725 horsepower and 775 pound feet of torque, making it sprint from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in less than 4.5 seconds. Flooring the throttle lifts its nose and makes it squat heavily on its rear axle unlike any other car I’ve driven.

With its massive 35-inch tires, independent suspension on all four corners, and a 10.05-inch ground clearance, the Trail Boss just effortlessly glides over bad roads. On highways, however, the steering needed constant correction to stay in lane. I suspect that’s partly due to the thick tread on the all-terrain tires, which are designed for all-round use rather than straight line stability.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss: Off-Road Capability

On mild off-road trails in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest, the Silverado EV felt like it was in its natural habitat, at least for the most part. Driving an EV through a remote forest felt serene, thanks to its nearly silent powertrain and lack of tailpipe emissions. But its limited wheel articulation and large, stiff battery pack suspended between the four wheels hold it back.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

The truck breezed over sand-filled sections and unpaved trails, feeling hefty and sure-footed. But even at speeds as low as 15 mph, the side-to-side heaving over wavy surfaces was uncomfortable. It caught me off guard many times on terrain that a Jeep Wrangler would speed past.

The Silverado EV is also no match for a rig with mechanical lockers, a ladder-frame chassis, and solid axles over truly treacherous terrain. Its gas-powered siblings will likely do better when crawling over rocks or negotiating intense ruts.

2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss: Is It A Good Truck?

The Silverado EV rules when it comes to truck-specific features. It’s one of only two trucks currently on sale with a pass-through midgate, the other being the mechanically identical but more luxurious GMC Sierra EV. The flex midgate extends the 5-foot-11-inch bed to accommodate items up to 10 feet 10 inches long. That’s enough room for a kayak, a motorcycle, or a conference table.

It’s a neatly engineered setup. You fold the rear seats flat, remove the rear window, and secure it on a shelf on the midgate itself. Then two latches help you drop the whole thing down. Here’s a video of how that works.

You also get a neat flex tailgate with a load stopper and a step. Payload capacity is rated at 2,100 pounds, along with a maximum of 12,500 pounds of towing capability. For context, the newly launched model year 2027 gas-powered Silverado 1500 can carry 2,340 pounds of cargo in its bed and tow up to 13,700 pounds on the top V8 trims. I wasn’t able to tow anything during my test—I live in a crowded Brooklyn neighborhood, so the joke’s on you if you expect me to.

Plenty of owners do tow, though, and they will appreciate the truck’s effortless power delivery. Towing or hauling will reduce efficiency depending on the load, but the 400-plus miles of range on the Extended and Max packs leaves plenty of buffer.

Ultra long-distance towing will be a challenge, but it’s limited more by charging infrastructure than by the truck itself, especially in rural areas in winter. Thanks to their massive batteries, the Silverado EV and Sierra EV remain among the most usable and practical electric trucks for heavy-duty work, and should only get better as America's charging infrastructure rapidly improves.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

Perhaps the most underrated feature on GM trucks is the ability to export battery power. You can get up to 11 total power outlets on the Silverado EV in the cabin, frunk, and the bed. The bed itself has 120- and 240-volt outlets to power your tools.

You can also power your home with GM's Powershift Charger and V2H Enablement kit, which can send power from the truck's battery to your home during outages. That kit isn’t cheap, though, priced $7,648 as of writing.

Efforts are underway in the industry to make V2H systems cheaper and less complex. On the 2027 Ford Fathom, the inverter will be built into the vehicle’s e-box, rather than being an expensive external component like it is on current V2H systems. The entire system is expected to cost in the $2,000 range.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV: Interior And Technology

The cabin is part of what makes the Silverado EV so easy to drive. You just press the brake, shift to drive, and you're good to go. There’s no start/stop button because there’s no engine to crank, even though many automakers keep one to maintain a sense of familiarity for new EV buyers.

GM EVs are also generally pretty good with one-pedal driving calibration, and the Silverado EV is no exception, which takes another point of friction out of the experience.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

I’ll skip indulging in the tech wars over GM's decision to steer clear from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, because I genuinely didn’t miss those things. The 11-inch digital gauge cluster and 17-inch central touchscreen run the Google Built-In app suite natively, and it worked flawlessly. Apple Music is available natively and Spotify can be easily downloaded via Play Store, along with dozens of other compatible apps.

The system supports Google's Gemini AI assistant, which is great at conversational commands and answering general questions well, like where to find vegetarian restaurants along the route. You never have to hunt for charging stations or manually precondition the battery either, since the system takes care of both, removing yet another point of friction.

My experience with Super Cruise was mixed. The system couldn’t detect lane lines when bunched up in traffic, which I suspect is because the ADAS camera sits high on the windshield of a truck that’s already super tall. When you’re too close to other cars, the truck’s sheer size keeps the camera from seeing the lanes. I didn’t run into this in other GM crossovers like the Chevy Blazer EV. Super Cruise also shut off in harsh sunlight.

On the plus side, the automatic lane changes were confidence-inspiring, and the system accurately detected surrounding traffic before moving over on its own.

2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss: Yay Or Nay?

I’m glad the Silverado EV exists. It’s stylish, practical, and excels at the EV-specific things with a massive frunk, one-pedal driving, and virtually no concerns about range or charging. The software is great, too. The Trail Boss isn't an off-road champion like its name suggests, but instead a really good all-rounder.

However, none of that makes its price make sense. The entry-level Custom starts at $58,490 including destination, roughly $15,000 more than a gas-powered 2026 Silverado 1500 crew cab with a short bed. The electric Trail Boss costs about $12,000 more than the gas-powered LT Trail Boss. The Max battery on my press car drove up the MSRP to nearly $90,000 before options. With a price difference so big, I’m not sure if lower home charging and lower maintenance costs can close the difference.

2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

GM knows this. It’s developing cheaper lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries that it believes will cut thousands of dollars from its large trucks and SUVs. GM has said LMR cells are headed for full-size trucks and SUVs starting in 2028, and the Silverado EV is a prime candidate. Meanwhile, the market is shifting toward smaller, cheaper trucks like the Ford Fathom and the Slate truck, while large electric trucks are either dead or on their way out.

What do you think?

View

Comments

That leaves GM with a unique opportunity. If it can make big electric trucks make financial sense again, it could own a segment its rivals are abandoning and maybe even convince more traditional truck buyers to go electric. Until that happens, the Silverado EV will continue to be something that’s easy to love and hard to justify.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com