Silverado EV Work Truck Breaks EV Range World Record at 1059 Miles

If you are an engineer working on EV projects and dealing with the concepts of efficiency and range day in and day out, you are bound to ask yourself, “How far can we take this?” and mean it literally. A group of GM engineers decided to determine how far one of their EVs could go under ideal conditions. The result, Twin Falls Chevrolet is proud to announce, is a new world record for the farthest a production vehicle has traveled on a single charge. They achieved this by going 1,059.2 miles in a Silverado EV. 

The test used a production Silverado Max Range WT, driven on city streets near GM’s Milford Proving Ground in southeastern Michigan. This was a side project for the engineers, who drove in one-hour shifts during their regular workday. As a WT, the truck was the lightest model with the largest battery, boasting an EPA-estimated range of 493 miles. It was a truck available from the Twin Falls Chevrolet inventory. There were no hardware or software changes to the vehicle. The only physical modification was the addition of an accessory tonneau cover to improve airflow. All other optimizations were simple tweaks that any owner could do themselves. The optimization measures were: 

• Tires were inflated to their maximum pressure, and wheel alignment was optimized for reduced rolling resistance. 

• The spare tire was removed to reduce weight. 

• The windshield wiper arms were set to the lowest acceptable position to reduce drag. 

As for the test itself, there was no lead vehicle for the truck to draft behind, but they drove in a manner that gave the best results. 

• There were no passengers in the truck for most of the test 

• When it was safe to do so, drivers were advised to maintain an average speed of 20-25 mph and to minimize any hard braking or quick accelerating.   

• Climate control was not used. 

• The test was performed in summer, providing an optimum ambient temperature for battery efficiency. 

“Getting this kind of range on a full charge doesn’t happen by accident,” said Kurt Kelty, VP, Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability. “It takes deep integration across battery chemistry, drive unit efficiency, software, and vehicle engineering—and that’s exactly what the team delivered. This achievement is a great example of how far our EV technology has come, and the kind of innovation we’re building on every day at GM.” 

The slow pace is likely the most significant departure from typical driving habits. Still, the team found that the Silverado EV’s most efficient cruising speed of 20-25 mph is practical for neighborhood or city driving in southeast Michigan. Over their test time, the engineers realized they would probably beat the world record of 749 miles set by a Lucid Air earlier that summer. Consequently, they set a new goal of reaching 1,000 miles on a full charge. 

While GM won’t claim you can travel over 1000 miles on your Silverado EV, the test provided valuable data about the daily work of these engineers. Every mile taught them something, and those lessons will help shape how GM continues to improve and innovate in electric vehicles. 

The chances that efficient, emission-free EV driving may fit your transportation needs increase almost daily.  Test drive the impressive EV trucks and SUVs today at Twin Falls Chevrolet.