The $100K Chevy Silverado EV RST Is Its Own Thing, For Better and Worse

It's 2024 and the electric pickup market is in a weird place. Rivian found its niche with the outdoorsy R1T, though the R1S SUV outsells it by far. Ford took the direct route by making the F-150 Lightning feel as familiar as any F-Series, but massive manufacturing cutbacks prove that demand is way weaker than expected. Ram promises to build a more traditional truck that's battery-powered, a lot like the Blue Oval, and Chevy... well, it has different plans. The Silverado EV is a massive departure from the internal combustion model. That's made even clearer by the Silverado EV RST, which Chevy confirmed on Wednesday will cost $96,495 with deliveries starting "mid-year."

I've been wanting to write this for a while because the Silverado EV has always given me pause. We reviewed the fleet-focused WT trim a while back and even though its powertrain is stout, it doesn't make sense for most (read: any) commercial customers at $79,800 a pop. It always seemed like the sporty RST model was more in line with GM's goals for the truck; we just didn't know how much it would cost or when it would arrive until now.

For all that money, you get a mighty 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque as well as 440 miles of range—up 40 miles from General Motors' original estimate. No other electric truck can claim that much unless you count Ram's range-extended Ramcharger with a gas generator under the hood. The RST can handle 1,300 pounds of payload and a 10,000-pound trailer, though not at the same time. (We're still waiting for the promised Silverado EV that'll tow 20,000 pounds). These are all big numbers, without a doubt, but they don't fully convey what the truck is about.

This is a premium pickup in every sense of the word. That's evidenced by features like hands-free Super Cruise driving tech with towing capability, 24-inch wheels, four-corner adaptive air suspension, and a fixed glass roof. Inside, the Silverado EV RST is smeared with even more tech, from a 17-inch infotainment screen to an 11-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14-inch head up display. It also looks more Blade Runner than Lonesome Dove on the outside, sharing nothing with the ICE truck in the looks department.