Why isn't anyone buying Chevy's all-American EV truck?
Chevy built an all-American EV truck that critics call a solid first draft, yet GM sold only about 14,000 Silverado EVs in the U.S. and Canada last year while gasoline Silverados move more than ten times that volume in a single quarter. The gap is not for lack of capability: the electric pickup offers 400-plus miles of range, a massive bed, and hands-free highway driving. Truck buyers are simply staying put.
Key Takeaways
- GM sold roughly 14,000 Silverado EVs last year; gas Silverados outsell that in one quarter.
- The LT Extended Range lists near the $66,000 average full-size pickup price and delivers 410 miles per charge.
- Towing cuts range by about 60%, but 75% of truck owners tow once a year or less, per Strategic Vision.
- GM is eyeing lithium-manganese-rich batteries that could trim costs by about $6,000 later this decade.
- Range anxiety, charging worries, and deep truck-market inertia are slowing EV pickup adoption.
After a day driving the Silverado EV around Detroit, TechCrunch senior climate reporter Tim De Chant concluded Chevy might convert even a hatchback person into a truck fan. The EV drives almost like a car, yet its bed is enormous, the frunk is cavernous, and the cabin stays quiet at nearly 20 feet long.
It can power a home during a hurricane, haul, tow, and cruise hands-free with GM's Super Cruise system. Rear-wheel steering helps it navigate parking lots more nimbly than its size suggests — though wedging into tight spaces is still a chore. For more on how electrification is reshaping vehicles, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage.
What makes the Silverado EV stand out on the road?
Google-powered infotainment fills the lower third of the windshield with crisp, responsive screens, and physical knobs for volume and climate remain. Navigation mirrors Google Maps but adds a twist: each route estimates how long you can stay in Super Cruise hands-free mode.
De Chant logged about 2.1 miles per kilowatt-hour — impressive for a truck carrying a 205 kilowatt-hour battery pack midships. Super Cruise handled Detroit rush hour well, though it occasionally struggled when cars cut in from the right. One nerve-wracking moment saw the truck nearly close on a paint-splattered trailer, suggesting radar limits in messy real-world traffic.
Is price really keeping buyers away?
Some observers blame sticker shock, but De Chant is skeptical. Full-size pickup buyers spend an average of $66,000 — only $5,000 below the Silverado EV LT Extended Range, which delivers 410 miles on a full charge. The LT Max Range adds 68 miles but costs $20,000 more.
Towing range drops roughly 60% when hauling heavy loads, another common complaint. Yet Strategic Vision data shows about 75% of full-size truck owners tow at most once per year. On paper, hundreds of thousands of gasoline Silverado buyers could switch. The sales numbers tell a different story.
Why is truck-market inertia so hard to break?
GM and rivals appear to have misjudged how slowly pickup culture shifts. Potential buyers still fret about range, charging access, and unknowns beyond the spec sheet — forces that have slowed EVs broadly and electric pickups especially, according to TechCrunch's test-drive report.
De Chant argues most concerns fade after living with an EV, and the Silverado EV already feels like a capable first draft. Slimming weight could boost payload, towing, and efficiency while trimming battery size and cost.
Could cheaper batteries change the equation?
GM has heavily hinted the Silverado EV will get lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) cells that could cut costs by about $6,000 while preserving range, arriving sometime later this decade. If savings reach showrooms, the EV could reach price parity with its gasoline sibling.
Until then, the truck's sheer scale may limit its audience. De Chant notes it will not fit a 1950s two-car garage — you might need a bigger house just to park it. For a vehicle pitched as the perfect American EV, that may be the most American problem of all.