2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Vs. 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTD: Trendy Vs. Traditional

It's been just a couple of days since Chevrolet revealed the all-new, all-electric Silverado EV, and the headline numbers are impressive. Up to 664 horsepower combined with an estimated range of 400 miles. Both figures are greater than what the F-150 Lightning offers, but so is the price. Choosing between these two electric trucks may be tricky, but what about if you only ever consider a truck with a bowtie badge on the front? Is the combustion engine redundant with all the power of the Ultium powertrain, or can one still make a case for it? For 2022, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTD has been substantially refreshed to be more competitive than ever, so let's see which is best between a traditional truck and a trendy one.

The face of the Silverado EV has been sculpted to direct air down the sides of the body for greater aerodynamic efficiency. GM designers used this opportunity to adopt the fashionable full-width LED lighting look. It's much sleeker, but with the availability of 24-inch wheels, one could argue that the electric truck is more about looking good than being good. An eventual Trail Boss variant will help change that perception, but the Silverado 1500 LTD starts with 17s and only goes as far as 22s on the High Country trim. This combustion-powered vehicle is also differentiated by its more butch, rugged appearance that features boomerang-style headlights.

But enough about the way these trucks look. The average pickup buyer is more interested in practicality. So how do the beds compare? The Silverado EV is only available as a Crew Cab and only comes with a five-foot, 11-inch bed. If the Multiflex Midgate is paired with the Multiflex Tailgate, the available length you have reaches 10 feet, 10 inches. The regular Silverado can also be optionally paired with the Midgate, but various cabs and beds are on offer, with a choice of 5.8-foot, 6.6-foot, and 8.1-foot beds. For the so-called lifestyle buyer, the EV seems just as good as the traditional truck, but those who want the ultimate in workhorse capability will be much better served by the version that comes with an exhaust system.

These two vehicles are fairly similar, but you can see that the electric pickup is accelerating the drive towards more advanced technology by its screens alone. While the 1500 LTD offers a 13.4-inch infotainment display with a generic 12.3-inch driver display, the Silverado EV gets a 17-inch LCD freeform screen that is paired with an 11-inch digital cluster. Both models have access to a head-up display, but the electric truck's system has a field of view of over 14 inches. All the usual Bluetooth, smartphone connectivity, navigation, and climate control elements you have come to expect appear in both Silverados, and each has trailer assistance technology. Both trucks are also offered with Super Cruise, arguably one of the best semi-autonomous driving aids on the market. We can't call this one, but once again, we suspect that the trendy buyer will like the look and feel of the electric pickup more.

The electric Silverado will launch with a choice between a Work Truck that produces 510 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque and the RST First Edition that offers up to 664 hp over 780 lb-ft, and the ability to get to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds. But who cares about acceleration? The WT will be able to tow 8,000 pounds from launch (a later model will manage up to 20,000 lbs) while payload is rated at 1,200 lbs. The RST First Edition will tow 10,000 lbs and be able to carry 1,300 lbs of cargo in the bed.

Combustion options are plentiful with the 1500 LTD. The smallest engine is a 2.7-liter turbo-four that produces 310 hp and 420 lb-ft, which is good enough to pull 9,500 lbs in rear-wheel-drive configuration. You can also opt for the 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 with 420 horses and 460 lb-ft, or the 5.3-liter V8 that generates 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of twist. Those who truly want the ultimate in lugging capability won't be swayed by gasoline or electricity though, as the diesel-fed 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-six produces just 277 hp but 460 lb-ft of torque in a way that allows you to tow a whopping 13,300 lbs. Until the updated Silverado EV WT arrives with its additional capacity, the old school truck remains the one to buy.

The 2024 Silverado EV will launch with a base price of $39,900 for the WT trim, not far off the WT version of the Silverado 1500, which costs $38,395. At the other end of the scale, the RST First Edition requires a whopping $105,000, far more than you'll pay for the top-tier High Country variant of the combustion-powered truck, which starts at $62,290. GM promises that future trims of the electric pickup will suit every budget, but for now, the regular Silverado appears to be the better choice. Bear in mind, however, that any EV tax credits or rebates are not applied to these prices, so the electric truck may yet be more competitive. Still, we feel that the regular Silverado's price and performance are impossible to ignore if you need a truck to do truck things. If you only need something that looks good, drives well, and offers plenty of tech, the EV is certainly worth considering. As an all-rounder, our vote goes to the electric model, and as these gasoline- and diesel-free trucks get better and better, that choice will be easier and easier to make.