Common Motors claimed a brand new world report for EV driving on a single cost, after a Chevy Silverado EV traveled 1,059.2 miles with out recharging its battery.
The possibly record-breaking run befell over seven days at GM’s Milford Proving Floor and Detroit’s Belle Isle “utilizing good driving strategies” that included limiting the velocity to 20-25 mph. The truck was a 2026 Chevy Silverado EV Work Truck with an EPA-estimated vary of 493 miles. However by making a lot of changes, GM’s engineers had been in a position to far surpass the car’s estimated vary. Like far, far, far surpass.
What sort of changes? Initially, the take a look at was performed in the summertime for “optimum ambient temperature for battery effectivity,” GM says. Additionally they lowered the windshield wiper blades to scale back drag, inflated the tires to the best acceptable stress for decrease rolling resistance, eliminated the spare tire to lighten the load, and optimized the wheel alignment. A tonneau cowl was added to the truck mattress for smoother airflow, and local weather management was turned off all through the take a look at.
The take a look at befell over seven days at GM’s Milford Proving Floor and Detroit’s Belle Isle “utilizing good driving strategies”
The Work Truck can also be a extra stripped down trim, missing the enormous touchscreen, fancy leather-based inside, folding midgate, and smaller alloy wheels of its sibling vans. That is additionally probably a weight saver and helps with reaching an extended vary.
The Silverado EV was already impressing reviewers with its unparalleled vary earlier than the record-breaking run. Edmunds’s test of the Silverado EV Work Truck with the Max Vary battery pack drove 539 miles on a single cost, 47 miles previous its EPA estimate. However the effectivity was additionally horrible, clocking in at 45.3 kWh per 100 miles, or 2.2 miles per kWh.
The present Guinness World Document for longest EV drive on a single cost is held by Lucid Motors, for a 749-mile journey made by the corporate’s Air Grand Touring sedan. Lucid grabbed the title from a Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+, which traveled 649 miles.
In confining its driving to a personal observe, GM notched its milestone below supreme situations, whereas different makes an attempt had been made in additional real-world settings. Lucid’s report, for instance, was achieved on a journey between Switzerland and Germany on highways, secondary roads, and alpine roads.
Its unclear whether or not this might meet the requirements set by Guinness World Data, however we could by no means know as GM doesn’t have any intention to submit it for consideration. “There aren’t any present plans to undergo Guinness,” GM spokesperson Catherine Scales mentioned. “It was a ardour challenge led and executed by GM engineers.”