Move over, Lucid. There’s a new world record holder in EV range. Engineers at General Motors recently took a minimally modified version of the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck out on a real-world test and traveled a total distance of 1,059.2 miles from a single charge.
The Chevy Silverado EV may differentiate quite a bit mechanically from its ICE counterpart, which has been in production for nearly 30 years, but it has made a name for itself as a flagship model in General Motors’ all-electric lineup.
After debuting in 2022, the Silverado EV was released a year later as a full-size pickup in 2023. The two initial trims were fleet-focused work truck variants before a passenger-friendly RST version arrived in 2024. This summer, Chevy introduced the 2026 version of the Silverado EV, featuring an EPA range of 493 miles.
That range estimate also applies to the Max Pack Work Truck trim of the 2026 Silverado EV Work Truck, which GM engineers recently used to achieve a new world record for EV range, besting the previous leader by over 300 miles.
Silverado Work Trucks nabs EV world record for range
GM shared details of its recent world record-breaking EV range test this morning. Per the American automaker, this engineer-led challenge began as a passion project before evolving into a real-world test of a 2025 Chevy Silverado EV optimized for efficiency.
When we say “optimized,” we don’t mean this pickup was heavily modified to achieve such impressive range. Per GM, both the hardware and software of the Silverado EV Work Truck were left untouched. Here are the modifications that were made before testing:
- Windshield wiper blade position lowered to reduce drag
- Tires inflated to their highest acceptable pressure for lower rolling resistance
- Spare tire removed reduce weight
- Wheel alignment optimized
- Tonneau cover added for smoother airflow
- Climate control turned off for the duration of the test
- Testing was performed in summer for optimum ambient temperature for battery efficiency
Top comment by stetrain
It's a useful stunt in that it shows that there is no singular EV range number. It depends entirely on conditions and driving speed. This is partly why I don't get range anxiety when traveling. If for some reason the projections shows that I am unable to make it to the next charger at 75mph, I can drop speed to extend that range to reach, or to reach a slightly further charger.
Worse case, driving at 25mph on a side road with the flashers on will get you double the rated range as shown here by GM. I haven't ever been in the situation where that is needed, but it certainly beats running out and having to call a tow truck.
With these optimization techniques in place, a team of 40 engineers at GM drove a production model Silverado EV WT on public roads near its Michigan proving ground over the course of seven days. To further optimize the EV’s range in hopes of a world record, GM said the engineers used “smart driving techniques” and limited the pickup’s speed to 20-25 mph the entire time.
The result was an industry milestone and, per GM, a new world record in EV range. The Silverado EV WT traveled 1,059.2 miles on a single charge, beating the previous record of 749 miles held by the Lucid Air Grand Touring. The pickup’s range tally also blew away the WT’s EPA-estimated range of 493 miles.
Contrary to GM, Guinness documented and confirmed Lucid’s EV range world record. Additionally, Lucid still wins in efficiency, as the Air Pure achieved 5 miles/kWh compared to 4.9 miles/kWh by the Silverado EV. However, that is not to take away from the team at GM, as this latest real-world test has achieved a welcome industry milestone that should be recognized and celebrated.
Congrats to GM and the engineers at Chevrolet!
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