Chevrolet has set a new world range record with its Silverado EV electric pick-up, covering 1,704 km on a single charge. A feat achieved under ultra-optimised driving conditions that are difficult to reproduce in everyday life.
A technical feat in extreme conditions
The test was conducted by General Motors engineers on open roads near the Milford test centre in Michigan. What’s more, the Silverado EV Max Range has a giant 205 kWh battery, twice the capacity of a Tesla Model S. To beat the record, the average speed remained between 32 and 40 km/h, a far cry from everyday use. The tyres were inflated to maximum pressure and the alignment was optimised to reduce rolling resistance. The spare wheel was also removed and the body covered with a cover to improve overall aerodynamics. The air conditioning remained switched off, and no passengers were seated for most of the journey.
A much more modest official autonomy
On the market, the Max Range version claims an official range of around 740 km, according to the homologation results. This figure, already high, falls to around a third of the record in real traffic conditions. During the test, average fuel consumption was just 12 kWh/100 km, a remarkable score for a vehicle weighing 3.8 tonnes. By comparison, some electric saloon cars achieve this level at normal speed, but with a much lower weight and a more aerodynamic profile.
A symbolic record
Above all, this challenge shows the major impact of ultra-optimised driving on the range of electric vehicles. However, under normal conditions, it is impossible to hope to reproduce this figure without sacrificing speed, comfort and payload. Chevrolet concluded the event by using the Silverado to power a 3D printer making the record trophy.
