2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST Hands-On Preview: 5 Cool Features of Chevy's Upcoming Electric Pickup

The dawn of the electric pickup truck is upon us, and we got the chance to see the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST up close and personal.

In fact, we were able to crawl around the prototype truck during the recent North American International Auto Show held in Detroit. With the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T already on market, Chevrolet is anxious to get the brand’s pickup EV out to consumers.

The top trim level will be the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST. It’s the truck we got our hands on in Detroit. It will incorporates some trick features found on its main competitors, but it also has innovative technology all its own. Below we have highlighted five cool features found on Chevy’s upcoming full-size electric pickup truck.

Remember the mid-gate? It was a feature that set the Chevrolet Avalanche apart from other half ton pick up trucks during most of the ’00s. For the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, it is returning. But, it is now far more customizable.

For starters, it’s possible to open the middle and bottom portions in a 60/40 split configuration. As well, the bottom portion can be left up while the middle is lowered. It leaves a slim passthrough if required as seen in the picture above. If maximum mid-gate space is needed, the entire rear glass portion can also be removed. This doesn’t just add cargo carrying flexibility, it can also double for a bit of open-air motoring.

The Ford F-150 has one, the Rivian R1T has one, so it’s no surprise that the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST also has a front trunk. Frunks, as we call them, take the space usually reserved for a gasoline engine. It adds some weather-protected cargo storage up front in addition to the open truck bed in the back.

Although Chevrolet hasn’t released specifications on the front storage trunk as of yet, it looks to be a bit smaller than the Ford F-150 Lightning’s frunk, but larger than the one found in the Rivian R1T. It also incorporates an accessible flat loading floor which helps when loading and unloading heavier items.

A pickup truck isn’t much of a truck without a usable bed. The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST has this covered by including a 5 ft 11 in. truck bed. What’s more, it can expand up to a 9 ft bed with the previously mentioned mid-gate lowered. Chevy’s early estimates have the payload bed listed at 1,500 lbs. for the WT trim, but no official numbers have been released for the RST trim at this time.

Like other all-electric pickup trucks, the Silverado EV is designed to provide external power to virtually anything with a cord. In the bed alone, there are no fewer than six outlets – three on each side.

Aerodynamics are important for any vehicle to help maximize efficiency from the drivetrain. The less wind resistance a vehicle has, the less power is needed to propel it forward at speed. When it comes to EVs, aerodynamics are even more critical. Although electric motors make a lot of power quite easily, the batteries that supply that power can only hold so much electricity. What’s more, the time it takes to recharge those batteries is still not on par with the time it takes to refuel a gas tank.

So to help the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST achieve the estimated 400 miles of range on a single charge, some extra aero tweaks have been added to the truck compared to gas-powered Silverados. The most obvious enhancement is the bodywork flowing from the truck’s cab down to the bed. Chevy calls it the Aero Sail Panel and it helps direct airflow around the truck’s open bed to reduce drag. We also think it looks really cool.

A big truck needs big wheels, right? Well, the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST has that covered. The top trim comes with massive 24-inch wheels as standard equipment. Wrapped around these extra large alloys are 275/50R24 tires from Michelin. These are not specially made tires for the Silverado EV, but current Primacy LT tires that many have been adding to their trucks on aftermarket wheels.

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