The Chevy Silverado EV is considered one of the finest electric trucks ever made, so why aren’t more people purchasing it?
**TL;DR** The Silverado EV boasts a range of 410 miles and receives positive reviews, yet only 14,000 units were sold last year due to concerns about pricing and towing capabilities. General Motors reported approximately 14,000 Chevrolet Silverado EVs sold in the U.S. and Canada in the past year, as per GM Authority sales data. In comparison, the gas-powered Silverado outsells it by over ten times in just one quarter. This disparity between the Silverado EV, which reviewers label as one of the top electric trucks available, and its actual sales reflects a key challenge in the electric vehicle truck market in America.
The situation continues to deteriorate, with sales of the Silverado EV dropping by 41 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, and GM's overall EV demand also fell into the second quarter. Earlier this year, the company halted development of its next-generation full-size electric truck and SUV program indefinitely, incurring roughly eight billion dollars in EV-related losses in 2025 due to scrapped production plans and canceled battery contracts.
On paper, the Silverado EV seems like an attractive option. Its LT Extended Range trim offers an estimated 410 miles on a full charge from a 205 kilowatt-hour battery pack, the largest in any commercial pickup. It features GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving technology, a Google-powered infotainment system, and a sticker price of about $71,000, which is only around $5,000 more than the average price of a full-size pickup according to TechCrunch, citing CEIC data.
The issue arises when the truck is used for its intended purpose. Towing reduces the range by approximately 60 percent, limiting a fully loaded Silverado EV to about 160 miles before requiring a recharge. According to data from a Strategic Vision survey, 75 percent of truck owners tow no more than once a year, making this limitation acceptable for many; however, it becomes a significant deterrent for regular haulers.
Pricing also presents a challenge. The $71,000 LT Extended Range is close to the average gas-powered truck price, but the LT Max Range variant costs approximately $20,000 more and only adds 68 miles to the range. This pricing places the Silverado EV in competition with luxury SUVs rather than conventional work trucks, and the previously available federal tax credit has expired.
GM is betting that its new lithium-manganese-rich battery technology will reduce battery costs by at least $6,000 while maintaining most of the range, but LMR cells are not anticipated to be available in trucks until 2028. The Ford F-150 Lightning faces similar cost and range issues, and Ram's electric truck has experienced multiple delays. The American pickup market generates substantial revenue, but sales of electric models remain minimal, awaiting a shift in cost dynamics to align with advancements in engineering.
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The Chevy Silverado EV is considered one of the finest electric trucks ever made, so why aren’t more people purchasing it?
GM sold approximately 14,000 Silverado EVs last year, while the gasoline version sells ten times that amount every quarter, and a more affordable battery is still two years from being available.