Autobayng News Team
- The 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss is one of the longest-range EVs on the U.S. market today.
- Despite it having all-terrain tires and a two-inch suspension lift, the Trail Boss has the same 478-mile EPA rating as the Silverado EV LT trim.
- How does the off-road-oriented electric pickup handle a real-world 70 miles per hour range test? As it turns out, very good indeed.
When the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss debuted earlier this year, it made headlines for having the same EPA range rating as the more road-oriented LT version, despite having a two-inch suspension lift and all-terrain tires from the factory.
With an estimated range of 478 miles on a full charge, the Silverado EV Trail Boss and LT trims with the Max Range battery pack are some of the longest-range EVs on the market today. But that’s on the EPA cycle, which takes into account both city and highway driving.
For those who mainly use highways during their travels, though, the EPA rating isn’t a great indicator. Here’s where the 70 miles per hour range test comes into play, though. And even though all the stacks seem stacked against the new Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss, it managed surprisingly well during Out of Spec Testing’s seven-hour stint with the bulky pickup.
With its 205-kilowatt-hour battery fully charged, the tires set to the recommended pressure and the climate control set between 68 and 72 degrees, the electric truck estimated it could go 463 miles on a full charge. More EV Range Tests
After 106 miles traveling at 71 mph (70 mph on the GPS), the car had chewed through 25% of its battery. At 50% state of charge, the car had traveled 211 miles, resulting in an average energy efficiency of 2.1 miles/kWh. At 25%, the car had 100 miles remaining and the efficiency slipped down to 2 miles/kWh. At 30 miles remaining, which equated to 7% SoC, the electric Silverado threw the first warning, saying the driver should plug in.
Turtle Mode kicked in when the estimated range went under 5 miles, but the truck would still maintain 70 mph. However, the cruise control system would not activate. Then, even after hitting 0% battery level, 70 mph was still doable, but the power output was decreased.
The test ended after 454 miles because the EV finally couldn’t accelerate to 70 mph anymore. It took seven hours, and it revealed an interesting tidbit: after hitting 0% state of charge, the driver was still able to maintain 70 mph for roughly 50 miles. That’s plenty of buffer, which can come in handy in stressful situations.
Granted, the result is 24 miles short of the EPA rating, but for such a big and heavy vehicle running on 35-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires, it’s still impressive. In combined driving conditions, the 2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss should comfortably exceed its EPA range, and that’s always a good sign.
