A 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV WT Goes Over 1,700 km on a Single Charge

By covering more than 1,700 km, GM has just broken the record for the longest distance driven on a single charge — behind the wheel of a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV WT.

No changes were made to the truck’s software or hardware
Testing was done under highly specific conditions
GM technically surpasses the previous record held by Lucid Motors and the Air

Driving a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Max Range Work Truck, GM engineers have made history. While the EPA rates this version of the truck at 793 kilometres (493 miles) of range, it managed to travel an astonishing 1,705 kilometres (1,059.2 miles) on a single charge. The achievement took place during a specially planned range test conducted by General Motors’ engineering team.

Pushing the Limits

The idea was born in late 2024, during a casual conversation among GM engineers: how far could the Silverado Work Truck go if every parameter was optimized? Guesses ranged from 800 miles (1,287 km) to 900 (1,448 km), maybe even 1,000 (1,609 km). The challenge was on — and it was met.

“Getting this kind of range from a single charge doesn’t happen by accident,” said Kurt Kelty, VP of Batteries, Propulsion, and Sustainability. “It requires tight integration between battery chemistry, powertrain efficiency, software, and vehicle engineering — and that’s exactly what our team delivered. This milestone shows just how far our EV tech has come, and the kind of innovation we’re bringing to life every day at GM.”

A Stock Truck, Real-World Conditions — Optimized

The feat was accomplished using a production-spec Silverado EV Max Range WT, driven on public roads surrounding the Milford Proving Ground in southeast Michigan. The final stretch took place on Belle Isle in Detroit. To fit the test around their workday schedules, the engineers drove in one-hour shifts, applying their professional expertise to a project they cared deeply about. This wasn’t a traditional point A to B range run.

As engineers, they knew exactly what external factors could be optimized without altering the truck itself. No hardware or software modifications were made. The only tweaks involved driving behaviour and owner-manual-approved adjustments:

Maintaining a steady speed between 32–40 km/h (20–25 mph)
Avoiding hard braking and rapid acceleration
No passengers for most of the test
Wiper arms set to their lowest position to reduce drag
Tire pressure increased to the upper legal limit to reduce rolling resistance
Spare tire removed to save weight
Wheel alignment optimized
Tonneau cover added to improve airflow
HVAC system turned off during the entire test
Warm summer weather selected to enhance battery efficiency

The goal was clear: maximize energy use strictly for propulsion.

Finding the Right Pace

The team determined that the most efficient speed range was between 32 and 40 km/h (20–25 mph), which realistically simulates low-speed urban or residential driving in southeastern Michigan. At this speed, most of the battery’s energy was dedicated to forward motion, with minimal losses.

Over the many hours behind the wheel, every kilometre logged yielded new data and insights. For the team, this wasn’t just about setting a record — it was about gathering real-world information to inform their daily engineering work.

“If we had just rolled it downhill nonstop, sure, the range would’ve been ridiculous. But that wasn’t the point. We wanted it to be realistic, on public roads,” said Jon Doremus, GM’s engineering lead for propulsion calibration. In the end, the average energy consumption came out to 4.9 miles per kWh, or 12.68 kWh/100 km.

One Charge. One Record. One Trophy.

Breaking the record wasn’t the only objective — the engineers were curious to see just how far they could go. Not only did they surpass their 1,000-mile target, but they marked the occasion by using the Silverado EV’s power… to run a 3D printer that created a commemorative trophy celebrating the achievement.