GM Engineers Squeezed Almost 1,060 Miles of Range from a Silverado EV - With a Few Mods
The Chevrolet Silverado EV has one of the most impressive range estimates in the industry, reaching almost 500 miles in its most efficient form, but General Motors engineers recently squeezed more than double that number out of the truck’s battery. Using a lightly modified 2026 Silverado EV Work Truck, the team achieved a total distance of 1,059.2 miles on a single charge.
GM massaged the truck a bit to reach those numbers, but the powertrain and battery remained unchanged. Most of the modifications focused on weight reduction and aerodynamics. The truck received a tonneau bed cover, a lower windshield wiper position, highly inflated tires, an optimized alignment setup, and a deleted spare tire. GM also conducted the test with all climate control systems turned off and drove the truck in summer temperatures to optimize range.
The team drove the truck at low speeds between 20 and 25 mph around GM’s Michigan proving ground. The 1,059-mile range number it achieved bested the previous record, which was set at 749 miles by a Lucid Air Grand Touring.
Of course, EV range estimates are far from being 100 percent accurate, and they can swing wildly in one direction or the other in different driving conditions. Towing and hauling are big factors for trucks. That said, the Silverado EV’s range numbers are strong, even without a team of engineers tinkering in the background.
[Images: Chevrolet]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
More by Chris Teague
Comments
Join the conversation
Silverado EV 1060 miles / 20 mph = 53 hours
Silverado 2.7T 22 mpg * 24 gal tank = 528 miles * 2 = 1056 miles / 70 mph = 15 hours
Great job GM.
Running at 20 MPH creates an absurd metric. The energy needed to overcome drag goes as v cubed — that’s velocity to the 3rd power.
One needs two data points at different speeds to calculate how much of the energy is drag related. But, running 60 MPH would be a more realistic test.