The 2024 Chevy Silverado EV is a big departure from the internal combustion truck, and that much we knew already. Computer-generated renders of the pickup revealed its flashy styling back in January, and then in July, actual photos of it undergoing testing showed how it looks in the real world. We still hadn’t seen one moving under its own power, though, until this in-person footage was sent our way.
James Petrovich recorded a handful of short videos last Friday that clearly show the Silverado EV driving through Helena, Montana. Apparently, it was running up and down 6th Avenue in the Last Chance Gulch area of downtown. With a Porsche Cayenne camera truck close by, the Chevy made one pass after another to film what’s likely to be a TV commercial.
As you can see, the Silverado EV is scooting right along as the Porsche has to floor it to keep up. That makes sense, seeing as the $40,000 base model makes 510 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque while the fancier RST trim—which this one appears to be—makes 664 hp and 780 lb-ft. There didn’t seem to be any Wide Open Watts action here, at least.
It’s not like there’s any exhaust note to listen for, but it’s still something to see the battery-powered pickup cruising around town. I wouldn’t say it looks out of place, but it’s pretty futuristic compared to the old-school architecture it’s driving past. Just imagine when you put it in the great outdoors next to some rundown mining camp on a route like Imogene Pass.
Jobs like that may well be saved for the Silverado EV Trail Boss, which has already been confirmed. Regardless of trim, they’ll all ride on General Motors’ Ultium architecture, which also underpins the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. Chevy reckons the truck’s battery pack will be good for a range of roughly 400 miles, which is better than any electric pickup on sale today.
So while this Chevrolet isn’t exactly the first of its kind to ever hit the roads, it’s still a big deal. And these clips of one pounding the pavement are our best look yet at what’s sure to be a monumental moment in GM’s history. Novelty projects that make 1,000 hp are all well and good, but volume models like the Silverado EV are what really matters for the automaker’s electric game plan going forward.
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