Economic pressures, supply chain issues, and all of the common excuses we’ve grown used to hearing from the electric vehicle industry are to blame for GM’s decision to recant on its promise to offer the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV with a base price of $39,900 (before shipping).
With its initial promise, and the now familiar walk-back, Chevrolet is just the latest automaker to announce a sub-$40,000 electric truck, only to later admit that it will cost more. While crosstown rival Ford did actually manage to get some F-150 Lightnings into customers hands for less than $40,000, the truck now starts at $59,974.
Amy Masica, the director of marketing for Chevy trucks, told Autonews, that “affordability is still really important to Chevy.” The automaker now lists the Silverado EV as starting at $50,000, with a delivery fee of $1,895, on its media site, as first noticed by Car and Driver.
Read: 2024 Chevy Silverado EV Work Truck Gets 450-Mile Range, Beats GM’s Own Predictions
Masica added that the truck will provide the “right content for a price leader” and hinted at its superior driving range compared to the base models of other electric pickup trucks when it goes on sale next year, as a 2025 model year vehicle.
Chevrolet recently revealed that its Silverado EV 4WT, prices for which start at $79,800, will offer 450 miles (724 km) of range, rather than the 400 miles (644 km) it initially estimated. Meanwhile, the slightly cheaper 3WT will have a range of 350 miles (563 km).
All of the above-mentioned models are intended as work trucks, and will go to fleet operators. The automaker says it has received more than 185,000 fleet and retail reservations for the Silverado EV. It has now shut down the reservation process, as it works to convert those into firm orders.
The company has not yet revealed who its first customer will be, but it has begun limited production of the 4WT trim. Chevrolet told Reuters that deliveries of the truck would begin “in a few weeks.”
The first model intended for retail customers, the RST First Edition, will be much more luxurious than the above-mentioned work trucks, and will start at $106,895 (including shipping). It is slated to arrive this fall.
