.jpeg)
At the start of this year, GM revealed the all-new Chevy Silverado EV, an all-electric work truck boasting 664 horsepower and up to 400 miles of driving range. These impressive figures were made possible with its Ultium powertrain, and thanks to a new patented innovation that Chevy has revealed, any truck lover has even more reason to love the ingenious technology.
It has now been surprisingly announced to us here at West Chevy of Knoxville that the batteries onboard the Ultium-based EVs can capture and repurpose waste energy from the battery. This enables these vehicles to increase their range, charging speed, and even provide a sportier driving characteristic. Every component that makes up an electric powertrain has the capability of producing a massive amount of heat, but so do the physical bodies of the passengers! This unique type of stored energy can be deployed expertly to heat the cabin quicker in cold weather than similar systems that exist in vehicles with an internal combustion engine.
This stored energy can provide the EV with as much as 10% more range, and Ultium vehicles can potentially charge more efficiently with the batteries being warmed up before they begin to charge. The demand based on initial reservations for the Silverado EV has been startling, as the 2021 4th-quarter earnings announcement offered up the confirmation that the Silverado EV reservations have already risen above the 110,000 mark.
With this demand, GM has now decided to double down firmly on its Ultium Platform and various other EV variants by offering up an additional $7 billion to expand its EV assembly capacity. When the Silverado EV was revealed at last Year’s CES Show, eager reservations for the RST First Edition Range were filled in only 12 minutes. More than 250 fleet operators have officially stated a desire to add the truck to their operations, and are anticipating its accommodations, spacious interior, and high capability.
The “Open Watts” drive mode is where you can nail down the highest amount of horsepower and torque, and the very head-turning zero to 60 mph acceleration stat. Now called the Multiflex Midgate, the super cool wall separating the bed from the cab can be lowered in a 60/40 split to increase the effective bed length while still leaving room for an extra rear passenger. The Silverado EV’s tonneau cover provides weatherproofing, and GM’s Super Cruise driver-assist technology comes with the RST and allows for hands-free driving on designated freeways.
