The Chevrolet Silverado EV is rated to tow 10,000 lbs. That's less than the 11,000-lb capacity of the Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck, despite the Chevy's focus on towing. Yet when you hitch up an 11,000-lb trailer to the electric trucks in the real world, it's the Chevy that goes the furthest.
In the latest video from JerryRigEverything, Zack hitches his gargantuan electric Humvee to the back of the Silverado. He'd already carried out the same test with the R1T Launch Edition, Cybertruck and Ford F-150 Lightning. And despite also coming with a lower 10,000-lb max tow rating, the Lightning was the reigning champion. The Ford made it 130 miles. The Rivian covered 100 miles. And the Cybertruck made it just 90 miles. Zack notes, however, that the Cybertruck and Rivian did the test in cold temperatures. That can have a serious impact on range—some EVs can lose 30% of their range in the cold.
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The Towing Range Problem
Towing requires a lot of energy. While electric motors are far more efficient than internal combustion engines with the energy they have, batteries are far less energy-dense than gasoline. That means you need a ton—scratch that, multiple tons—of batteries to tow long distances. That means there's only one EV truck that can tow well over long distances, and it's expensive.
But temperature can't explain away the Silverado's win. Zack was able to cover 163 miles with the trailer behind him, mostly at 75 mph. He had 14 miles of indicated range remaining when he pulled into the charger. He gives the Silverado 4WT a total score of 177 miles. Using the car's own prediction isn't the most scientific way to do it, but since he did it for the other three contenders it's fair enough. The Silverado went nearly twice as far as the Cybertruck, 77% further than the Rivian and 36% further than the Lightning.
It's no secret how the Chevy pulled this off. The Silverado 4WT has about 200 kWh of usable energy, far more than the 120-135-kWh batteries in the Ford, Rivian and Tesla trucks he tested. But Zack also calls out another reason that the Silverado is a better long-haul towing machine: It's quieter under load. Despite being the slowest truck to 60 with the trailer attached, the Silverado has far less motor whine than its rivals.
That's a new bit of info on top of what we already know: The Silverado EV is the towing range champ. Plenty of tests have proven it. The real problem is its high price. The Silverado EV starts at around $80,000 in 4WT Trim. That's for a work truck with a dinky looking screen, a fleet-spec interior and few tech gadgets. Pricing for the better-equipped—though still far from luxurious—RST starts at $96,395.
That's a big number, one that puts it more in line with the status-symbol Cybertruck than the fleet-special Ford F-150 Lightning Pro. For people looking for the most cost-effective electric work truck, the Ford still reigns. But if you need an electric truck that can do serious distance with a trailer attached, there's only one option: The Silverado EV.
