ALISTAIR WEAVER: Happy new year.
Alistair Weaver here for Edmunds with the top 10 differences
between the new 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV and the 2023 Ford
F-150 Lightning.
It's a classic head-to-head with a futuristic twist.
To compile this list, we've not only
absorbed everything Ford and GM's PR teams were
willing to proffer, we've also spent time
with Ford's head of battery electric vehicles, the ever
genial Darren Palmer, and the chief engineer
for the Silverado EV, the delightful Nichole Kraatz.
We're going to compare the spec of each
and declare a provisional winner in every category.
But before we do that, please do subscribe to our channel.
It is, after all, nearly Christmas.
And if you want to sell your car,
head to edmunds.com/sellmycar.
And now without further ado, let's get on with it.
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Let's start with the bragging rights.
First editions of the Silverado EV
will boast 664 horsepower and 780 pounds-feet of torque.
That's 101 horsepower and 5 pounds-feet more
than the most powerful bolt of Lightning.
The first edition also has something
called a Wide Open Watts mode for full-bore acceleration.
That's an acronym for WOW.
Did you see what they did there?
Lesser-powered Silverados will still
boast 510 horsepower versus 426 for the Ford.
But the latter does have much more torque, 775 versus 615.
Why less torque?
Because working trucks don't need
to do 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, says Kraatz.
In other words, don't have fun at work, people.
Winner?
Chevy.
But now they've shown their hand,
don't bet against a more powerful Ford by 2023.
Lightning Raptor, anyone?
One of the big sells of EV trucks
is your ability to use all of those watts for other means,
tailgating, chopping up wood, or even topping up other EVs.
Palmer reckons it's this extra versatility that's really
driving sales of the Lightning.
The Silverado has 10.2 kilowatts of power and 10 outlets.
The Ford has up to 9.6 kilowatts.
Winner, Chevy, by a nose.
If you're heading off-road or especially if you're towing,
range anxiety is a big deal for EV trucks.
To combat this, both Chevy and Ford
includes sophisticated onboard calculators
to provide some therapy.
Ford is offering two different battery options
on the Lightning, with an estimated
range of 230 and 300 miles, respectively.
Chevy is claiming a range of up to 400 miles
for the bigger-battery version of the Silverado.
And we expect the smaller battery
to match Ford's bigger battery, if you're still following me.
Kraatz reckons this is the big advantage of the Silverado's
philosophy.
While the Lightning uses a version of the F150's
ladder-frame, chassis the Silverado
is based on the platform used by the new Hummer, which
is built for EVs.
GM says this means it's less compromised.
All this is hypothetical, though.
At Edmunds, we developed our own independent range
and efficiency test program for all EVs.
And we've learned that the EPA claims can play out very
differently in the real world.
Let's see what our independent tests reveal about these two.
A big win for Chevy, in theory.
T is for towing.
In their optimal tune, both trucks
will tow up to 10,000 pounds.
The commercial versions will tow 8,000 Chevy and 7,700 Ford.
To put that into context, a fully-specified gas F-150
will tow up to 14,000 pounds.
Chevy says it's working on a Silverado EV that
will tow 20,000 pounds, and we expect to see more heavy duty
Lightnings too.
Winner, tie.
On paper, this is a big win for Ford.
The bigger-battery version of the Lightning
has an 1800-pound payload versus 1,300
for the first-edition Silverado.
Models with less standard kit will likely
to be able to carry more.
But even in their working guises,
the Ford can carry 2,000 pounds to the Chevy's 1,200.
Big win for Ford, huge.
If you're the owner of a gas- or diesel-powered Silverado,
listen up.
The leaf spring is gone.
The EV gets fully-independent suspension
with coil springs at the rear as standard.
And on the first edition, you get the optional air suspension
and rear-wheel steering, which helps reduce the turning
circle.
Sadly, though, there's no Hummer-style crab walk.
The Lightning does have independent suspension
all-round, but there is no air suspension
or rear-wheel steering-- well, not yet, anyway.
Winner?
On paper, it's Chevy.
But the proof will be in the pedaling.
This is the Silverado's party piece.
You get a 5-foot, 11-inch-long bed
as standard, which is 6 inches longer than a Lightning,
despite the trucks being the same overall length.
But posher versions of Silverado will also
have a multi-flex mid-gait.
Put simply, this allows you to extend the bed into the cabin
below the rear window.
The rear seat splits 60-40, so a rear passenger
can luxuriate next to a piece of plywood.
You'll also be able to legally carry items up
to 10-feet, 10-inches long.
Winner, Chevy.
This could be his Trump card.
Both trucks have motors front and rear,
which leaves the engine bay free for a "frunk," or front trunk,
if you prefer.
This secure area is potentially the biggest advantage
of an EV truck.
And both are trying to maximize it.
In the Ford, you get 14.1 cubic feet of space, powerpoints,
and a drainable floor.
For context, that's enough space for a couple
of sets of golf clubs.
According to Chief Engineer Kraatz,
Chevy is still working on optimizing the frunk
of the Silverado, but roughly the same size as the Ford's.
Winner, TBC, To Be Confirmed.
Chevy has Super Cruise.
Ford has BlueCruise.
Both offer a version of semi-automated driving
that lets you take your hands off the wheel on a wide range
of highways as long as you continue
to pay attention to the road.
These systems will be available as an option on both.
Winner, tie.
The first edition Silverado EV costs
$105,000 plus destination.
Yes, that's over 100 grand for a Silverado truck.
And we expect a fully-loaded Lightning
to get close to that figure too.
Interestingly, that's also significantly more
than the admittedly smaller Rivian R1T.
At the other end of the spectrum,
both trucks officially start at under $40,000 plus destination.
That buys you a working truck with a smaller battery pack.
For its launch, even the entry-level Chevy
will have the larger battery pack.
So don't expect to see a $40,000 Silverado on the road
until 2024, if ever.
And by then, there might even be a Tesla Cybertruck too.
By contrast, we'll drive the Lightning this spring.
And there's no denying Ford has a big headstart
on its old rival and Tesla.
They already have almost 200,000 orders
and are ramping up production to meet demand.
Winner, the price to match, but Ford has a big headstart.
Being no doubt, electric trucks have a huge future.
And for those old-stagers, Ford and Chevrolet,
success really is a matter of survival.
In our early analysis, the Chevy wins 5-2.
But we won't know the true result of this head-to-head
until late 2023--
such a tease.
For more information on both, head to edmunds.com.
And please subscribe to our channel,
because we've got a great 2022 ahead of us.
Thanks for watching, and goodbye.
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