Drama: Theater Musts

A fully electric vehicle does away with the transmission, engine, tailpipe and thousands of moving parts that can break at a moment’s notice. It’s just a better way to go.

and private—for plug-in electric vehicles. Almost one third of these are, predictably, in California. Of course, the comparison isn’t entirely 1:1, since EVs make up less than one percent of cars on the road. But range anxiety will make an early adopter rethink a lengthy road trip down I-87. Trust. Nevertheless, there’s a veritable arms race to create a viable electric pick-up— traditionally a gargantuan gasguzzler—which might account for why Tesla’s comically hideous, seemingly RoboCop inspired Cybertruck snatched a ton of headlines and then—poof!— disappeared. The light duty pick-up is now rumored to have more than 1.25 million pre-orders (citing a fan-sourced reservation tracker) with a loose release date set for 2023. Key word: viable.

For more than four decades(!), Ford’s F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the US; it stands to reason that the original creator of this skeleton key will open innumerable doors to pro t and success. Chevy’s Silverado EV is one such contender. With a more conventional look than the Cybertruck, and with a rmer launch date of Fall 2023, General Motors is jockeying with Detroit’s Big Three and EV startups Rivian and Lordstown to be the rst to strike out into this uncharted territory…again, a er a failed rst foray as early as 1996. More recently, GM has also set about reviving an EV version of the Hummer, because nothing screams “IDK, maybe we should go electric?” like a design that infamously got a whopping eight miles per gallon. I mean, seriously?

If you haven’t had the pleasure of getting behind the wheel of an electric-powered vehicle, you’re missing out. They’re good for speed demons like myself, but also the environment, thanks to an instantaneous supply of current being fed by the batteries to the motor—unlike the far more ine cient process of burning gas. A fully electric vehicle does away with the transmission, engine, tailpipe and thousands of moving parts that can break at a moment’s notice. It’s just a better way to go.

s for what such an architecture

Ameans for the 2024 Silverado EV— well, actually, an impressive amount.

The new Chevy will o er up 400 miles of range, 660 horsepower and up to 10,000 pounds’ worth of tow rating. Its electrical architecture is capable of charging at 800 volts and 350 kW, or 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. It’s also a veritable power bank, with 10 sockets, including a 240-volt outlet in the bed, that can provide 10.2 kW for anything from camping equipment to your home to another electric vehicle, provided you have the right cable.

At launch, the Silverado EV will be available in two con gurations—a fully loaded Rally Sport Truck and a eetoriented Work Truck model, at more than $100,000 and $40,000, respectively—plus a full line-up to ll in the range a er the initial production.

Will my ancée and I be following suit? It’s hard to say how far away we’re from our larger dream: a therapeutic place for kids with autism to work among farm animals. I’ll also need to look this particular gi horse in the mouth, but I’m con dent getting behind the wheel of a necessary-this-century-forall-the-right-reasons electric truck will prove revelatory in the best way.

Can you get as far as easily as you would in, say, a gas-powered pick-up? Not yet. But such a thought doesn’t send me running for the hills anymore. Our future electric pick-up will have a range of 400 miles, more than enough for a guy who’s happy to put down roots in an area that gives you every reason to stay.

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