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BFD Expert Voices - Climate Deals

BFD Expert Voices

The Silverado EV delivers everything you could want from full-size electric pickup: nearly 500 miles of max range, plush features, and a competitive (if upmarket) price. 

Plus, it matches or exceeds Ford's F-150 Lightning in almost every way.

Friction point: Americans aren't springing for either truck.

The big picture: The Silverado EV arrived later and with less flash than its direct competitor, Ford's F-150 Lightning. 

It drives farther, has a comparable interior, and even features a front-cargo "frunk" just like the Lightning. 

By the numbers: Just 2% of Silverado buyers — 3,672 people — opted for the EV instead of the comparable internal-combustion model, the 1500, through the first six months of 2026.

Ford during the same period sold roughly the same number of F-150 Lightnings. 

Zoom in: The reasons are murky and mostly anecdotal: run-of-the-mill range anxiety; more specific worry about how towing and hauling drain the battery; distaste for the Silverado EV's slightly rounder, more aerodynamic styling.

Case in point: "I can't go electric," my general contractor told me here in suburban Rhode Island, after I offered to take him for a spin in the Silverado EV sitting in the driveway.

My brother, a plumbing contractor in NYC who's had a legion of mechanical problems with his conventional pickups, is similarly reticent.

Alan's thought bubble: Two things seem to be happening: 

First, real concern from drivers who rely on these trucks for work. They may have only a couple days a year that risk depleting the battery, but an unplanned 30-45-minute recharging stop can detonate an entire schedule.

Then there's the matter of inertia: that the potential disruption from new electric tech simply may not be worth whatever benefits it offers. 

What they're saying: "In Silverado EV, you'll find customers who love their trucks, have overcome preconceived notions about range and towing, and will be with us for life," spokesperson Joseph Singer tells Axios Pro.

"EVs are our end game and we're going to have the patience and determination to bring our customers with us."

The bottom line: Vibes may be hard to define, but they're fiendishly difficult to overcome.

Interior of a Chevrolet: steering wheel with the Chevy emblem, a large central touchscreen showing "CHEVROLET" and a digital gauge. Gray dashboard, stitched seats, and a center console with cupholders.

The Silverado EV's interior is comfortable if bland. 

Chevy arranged for a fully charged Silverado EV Trail Boss edition to be dropped off at my house outside Providence, R.I.

Why it matters: I drove on local roads and highways, though didn't do any hauling.  

Price as tested: $93,815 for Trail Boss edition with the max-range battery and other extras.

Charge time: 40ish minutes from 10% to the recommended 80%. About standard.

Excellent driving range, including at the base trim.

Attractive, easy-to-navigate infotainment system.

Super-tight turning radius, thanks to four-wheel steering.

As good as the software is, I'd prefer Apple CarPlay.

Handles like a U-Haul — or, more precisely, a traditional truck. )

What they're saying: "We tuned Silverado EV to preserve the stable, comfortable feel truck customers expect," Chevy's Singer tells Axios Pro.

"Silverado EV was designed to be a highly capable truck that happens to be electric," he adds. "We think the truck's cabin is matched to that mission."

The bottom line: This electric pickup checks all the boxes. 

Open rear passenger door of a dark SUV reveals a child in a booster seat with turquoise sneakers; visible interior, large wheel, and a green, leafy yard in the background.

The Silverado EV is tall, though 5-year-olds generally enjoyed scrambling into the backseat.

The Silverado's Trail Boss trim aims for off-roading, with roughly 10 inches of ground clearance and even taller step height.

Why it matters: That's uncomfortably high for buckling kids into car seats.

The other side: The cargo bed offers plenty of room for strollers, pack and plays, and all sorts of kids' stuff. 

Plus: Did we mention the battery range? Clutch for those post-bedtime, no-stop roadtrips during the kids' early years. 

The bottom line: Chevy styles its Silverado EV as a work truck, but this might instead be America's first true all-electric family hauler.

Dark pickup truck parked in a sunny suburban lot beneath a large tree; a white fence runs along the left and a small silver car is visible in the background to the right.

The Silverado EV, though it accelerates quickly, steers like a large truck.

America's first EV boom in the early 2020s brought big trucks and even bigger sticker prices. 

Why it matters: Automakers are pivoting to smaller pickups — and digestible price tags — to reinvigorate flagging EV sales.

The big picture: Ford's bestselling Maverick hybrid pickup reminded automakers that American drivers aren't only interested in gargantuan rides.

The low-riding truck looks good, starts at $27k, and boasts better gas mileage than my hatchback hybrid.

Driving the news: Ford this week announced it plans to follow that success with the all-electric Fathom, a four-door pickup starting just over $28k. Deliveries are slated for the end of 2027.

Threat level: It's a direct challenge to Slate Auto, a Jeff Bezos-backed startup that's developing a $25k two-seater with crank windows, manual mirrors, and 175 custom features for sale, from speakers to colorful exterior wraps.

The Troy, Mich.-based startup is raising $500 million in Series D funding, Axios Pro reported this month, adding to the nearly $1.5 billion it's raised since launching in 2022. 

What we're watching: Telo Trucks plans this year to begin delivering its snub-nosed small pickup, starting at $41k.

The company has raised about $27.8 million, per Pitchbook.

The intrigue: One name missing from the list of course is GM. The company in 2023 teased sub-$30k two-door electric pickup, but it's been mum on the topic since.

The brand makes a single hybrid vehicle: Chevy's high-end Corvette E-Ray sports car. But the Maverick's success makes the category hard to ignore. 

"Our designers and planning teams explore all areas of the market regularly to decide where we take our brands next," Singer says. "If that's a segment we plan to pursue, you'll hear it from us."

Wheels: Chevrolet Silverado EV, a family work truck

Dark gray pickup truck with black wheels parked on a suburban street. Behind it, a white PODS moving & storage shed among tall trees, with a utility pole and wires under a blue sky.

Chevy's Silverado EV largely resembles its conventional internal-combustion counterpart.  Photos: Alan Neuhauser

The Silverado EV delivers everything you could want from full-size electric pickup: nearly 500 miles of max range, plush features, and a competitive (if upmarket) price. <ul><li>Plus, it matches or exceeds Ford&#x27;s F-150 Lightning in almost every way.</li></ul>Friction point: Americans aren&#x27;t springing for either truck.

Wheels: Chevrolet Silverado EV, a family work truck

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