Modern electric trucks are great. They’re smoother, quieter and quicker off the line than gas-powered trucks, with simpler drivetrains and lower running costs. There’s only one problem: They are really, really expensive.
The cheapest electric trucks start around $60,000, and the meaty end of the market is in the $80,000-$100,000 range. It’s extraordinarily expensive to build an electric vehicle with hundreds of miles of range, room for five, a big bed, plenty of ground clearance and 10,000 pounds of towing capacity. You just can’t seem to build one of them for under $45,000 with current technology. But that doesn’t mean you can’t buy one for that price.
The Chevy Silverado EV WT is already among the cheapest electric trucks. It has a relatively spartan interior, but it’s available with a giant 205 kilowatt-hour battery that can provide up to 493 miles of range, 11,000 pounds of towing and a trick folding mid-gate that gives you up to 11 feet of bed space. The Silverado EV is not perfect—editor-in-chief Patrick George wasn’t impressed by its ride comfort or interior—but it can do everything a gas truck does. And because rental companies like Hertz have offloaded many of their electric trucks, used ones are crazy cheap.
A nationwide Autotrader search found dozens of examples listed for under $45,000, with a few squeaking in under $40,000. These early 4WT models all offer around 450 miles of range, which means not only will you never have range anxiety unladen, but you’ll be able to tow for quite a distance without charging stops. When you do have to stop, you’ll benefit from some of the highest peak charging speeds of any EV on sale. Just don’t try to fast-charge with the A/C on. Plus, while almost all other General Motors EVs don’t offer Apple CarPlay, the Work Truck versions of the Silverado do.
I’ve always preferred high-mileage, heavily depreciated cars. I can’t wait for the day when there are countless 100,000-mile electric trucks available for half price.
Photo by: InsideEVs
To get one for under $45,000, you are going to be stuck with a stripper-spec former rental or work truck, likely with 50,000 miles or more. But you won’t find any EV with a similar range for less. Rivians with the Max Pack haven’t depreciated that far, and a Lucid Air Grand Touring will cost you closer to $60,000.
Do I think it’s a good thing that the cheapest way to get an EV with 450 miles of range is by buying a 9,000-pound truck for personal use? Not really. Is it awesome? Absolutely. While I couldn’t justify spending up to buy a Silverado EV LT new, my ultimate dream is to own a high-mileage electric work truck like this. An all-wheel-drive truck with 450 miles of range is just such an incredible multi-tool.
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I’d camp in it by sticking my feet out through the midgate and into a covered bed, and run the A/C all night. I’d get an electric mountain bike or dirt bike and charge it off the truck after ripping through the desert. I’d push deep into the wilderness of the Sierras or take it through Baja California’s charging desert. The possibilities are endless when you have this much range and capability.
The only thing that sours that dream is the eye-watering price of a new Rivian, Sierra EV or Silverado EV. But as these trucks dip below $40,000, I am getting tempted. I’d love a work truck with rubber floors that also has 350 kW fast charging and the world’s best bed. And now, I can finally afford one.
Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com
