For the last six years, I’ve done road trips all over the Western US in various EVs. Most of these journeys were made in my own Tesla Model 3 (which I no longer own), and within range of the Supercharger network. But as a car journalist, I’ve also had the opportunity to drive almost every EV under the sun. Some of these travels took me off the beaten path, sometimes in non-Tesla EVs, away from reliable charging infrastructure.
In other words, when it comes to EV road trips, it’s not my first rodeo. So when my spouse suggested we spend a few days in Detroit and then drive deep into the woods of Northern Michigan’s upper peninsula to go glamping for their birthday, I was on board. But could we really do this road trip in an EV? Northern Michigan’s upper peninsula isn’t particularly ripe with EV chargers, and we’d be driving about 50 miles on unpaved forest roads.
The Plan
To see if we could pull this off, I used the Plugshare app to get a feel for the charging infrastructure in Michigan. There are lots of options in the lower peninsula, but chargers are scarce in the upper peninsula – even for slower AC (Level 2) charging. Basically, there are DC fast chargers in Mackinaw City, Escanaba, Munising, Marquette, and a handful of slower AC (Level 2) chargers in St. Ignace and at the Snowmobile Museum.
Eliminating sites under construction and chargers slower than 100kW left me with eight 250kW v3 Superchargers (with Magic Dock) plus six 200kW Rivian Adventure Network stalls (for Rivian EVs only) in Mackinaw City, eight 250kW v3 Superchargers (adapter required) in Escanaba, and eight 250kW v3 Superchargers (adapter required) plus two 150kW EvGateway posts in Marquette. That’s not a lot of choice.
When you consider the distances between Mackinaw City and Escanaba (154mi) and between Mackinaw City and Marquette (167mi), you need an EV with at least 250 miles of range (EPA). But we would need to drive from Mackinaw City to Rapid River (132mi), then head NE on unpaved forest roads to our camp and back (about 25mi each way), then continue to Escanaba (16mi) to charge, for a total of 198 miles.
And since we’d be out in the woods, we might want to use the EVs battery to keep us warm on a cold day or to power a few devices using the built-in V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) functionality, so we might lose 2-3% battery capacity while in the woods. We’d also need a dual-motor (AWD) EV with increased ground clearance. Basically, we’d require an off-road capable EV with at least 300 miles of range (EPA) and Tesla Supercharger support.
I narrowed our EV options down to Rivian’s R1S and R1T, Ford’s F-150 Lightning, and Chevrolet’s Silverado EV. The Hummer EV is too bulky, and the Cybertruck isn’t available from the press fleet. Rivian’s EVs have up to 420 miles of range, the F-150 Lightning tops off at 320 miles, and the Silverado EV offers a whopping 460 miles of range (in RST trim). All of them are more than capable of handling unpaved forest roads.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Rivian’s EVs – and the R1T in particular. These EVs tick all the right boxes, and are simply outstanding. I also like Ford’s F-150 Lightning because it’s just a traditional body-on-frame pick-up truck (with a separate bed) that happens to be an EV (with the battery and motors mounted between the frame rails). In fact, giant frunk and independent rear suspension aside, it’s basically identical to the gas/diesel/hybrid F-150.
The Truck
Chevrolet’s Silverado EV was new to me. I hadn’t driven it before this road trip, but I was intrigued by the RST trim’s massive 205kWh battery and resulting 460 miles of range. I was also eager to test GM’s Super Cruise Level 2+ ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) in a wider variety of conditions, and GM’s Android Automotive-based infotainment system (which no longer supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).
And while I’ve charged Rivian’s and Ford’s EVs on Tesla’s Supercharger network before, I was curious how quickly the Silverado EV’s huge 205kWh battery – which can handle 350kW (800V) charging – would fill up on Tesla’s 250kW (400V) v3 Superchargers. Thankfully, I was able to borrow a black Silverado EV (RST trim) from the press fleet ahead of our flight to Detroit. The stage was all set for our epic journey.
Before I dive into the details of our road trip, let me go over some of the Silverado EV’s specs and unique features. Unlike Chevrolet’s ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) Silverado pick-up truck, which uses the traditional body-on-frame construction, the Silverado EV uses a hybrid unibody/subframe architecture where the motors and battery are installed in a skateboard-like frame on which the one-piece body is mounted.
As a result, the Silverado EV inherits the Chevrolet Avalanche’s midgate system from a decade ago. This lets you fold down a midgate, remove the window behind the rear seats, and then fold down the rear seats to create a longer bed area. Clever! As I previously mentioned, the RST trim I borrowed came with the 205kWh Max Range battery that delivers an incredible 460 miles of range and charges at up to 350kW (DC) and 19.2kW (AC).
Of course, this much battery comes at a price. The Silverado EV in RST trim with the Max Range battery costs $97,895 and weighs about 10,000lbs. Despite its weight, this electric pick-up truck sprints to 60mph in just 4.5 seconds thanks to a dual motor (AWD) setup that delivers 754hp of power and 785ft-lb of torque. And if you’re curious, the Silverado EV has a payload capacity of 1,400lbs and a towing capacity of 10,000lbs.
Other features include rear-wheel steering for better maneuverability and a height-adjustable air suspension for improved aerodynamics on-road and more ground clearance off-road. Tech-wise, you get the aforementioned Level 2+ ADAS (Super Cruise), an Android Automotive-based infotainment system (with built-in EV route planning), a 240V 30A socket in the bed, and six 120V 20A outlets in the frunk (1), cab (1), and bed (4).
The Journey
After landing in Detroit on Tuesday evening, we picked up the Silverado EV (fully charged) at the airport and checked into our hotel in Royal Oak. We then spent the next two days exploring Motor City – from the Detroit Institute of Art, to Lincoln Street Art Park, to the Detroit River Walk, to the many murals scattered all over town. The October weather was lovely, and we enjoyed tasty coffee, pleasant walks, and delicious meals.
My charging strategy for this trip was to take advantage of the Silverado EV’s superior range and to charge as few times as possible. Since AC (Level 2) charging would not be guaranteed at our hotels – not to mention really slow with such a large battery – I focused on DC fast charging. While Electrify America’s 350kW chargers would provide the shortest charging times, I decided to prioritize Tesla’s Superchargers instead.
The reason? Pricing and availability. In Michigan, Electrify America charges $0.56/kWh, and with a 205kWh battery, this adds up fast. You can save 25% ($0.42/kWh) by purchasing a $7/month subscription. Meanwhile, Tesla Superchargers in Michigan cost as little as $0.35/kWh (depending on time of day), or as little as $0.27/kWh with a $13/month subscription. Since the Silverado EV supports Superchargers with an adapter, it’s a no-brainer.
On Thursday evening, I located a Supercharger in Detroit (1301 8 Mile Rd.) and decided to test three different (and reputable) NACS to CCS adapters: GM’s official adapter ($225, made by Tesla), A2Z’s Typhoon Pro ($189), and Lectron’s Vortex Plug ($199). I didn’t run into issues with any of them. Tesla’s is the smallest and lightest, A2Z’s comes in a nice protective case, and Lectron’s feels the most rugged.
Over three different sessions, I charged from about 45% to 100% – for science (as I’ve written about before, this is generally a bad idea). It took 1h and 3m for the Silverado EV to gain 112kW, and I spent $30.45 at $0.27/kWh with my Tesla subscription. Then on Friday morning we drove without charging from Royal Oak to Mackinaw City (278 miles) in about 4 hours, doing the speed limit (65-75mph), and arrived with 26% charge remaining.
If you’re keeping track at home, that’s an average consumption of 1.7mi/kWh – not spectacular, but decent considering the speed and poor aerodynamics. I charged to 100% (again), since we’d be entering Northern Michigan’s upper peninsula (a charging desert) next. We had lunch while the Silverado EV gobbled up 152kWh in 1h and 8m at Mackinaw City’s Magic Dock-equipped Supercharger (no adapter needed).
This charging session cost $62.56 at $0.41/kWh with my Tesla subscription. After lunch, we drove onwards to Rapid River (132mi) then NE on unpaved forest roads to our camp (about 25mi). We arrived in the woods with about 55% charge remaining and spent two days relaxing in nature. Good times! There was solar power in the cabin outside our tent, so we didn’t need to use the Silverado EV to power any of our devices.
The Return
We left our camp around noon on Sunday, and decided that – considering the scarcity of chargers along the way – 55% charge remaining was a bit too tight to reach Mackinaw City. Since we’d used up 45% of the battery on the way in, we’d be arriving at our destination with about 10% charge remaining, which is certainly enough, but doesn’t leave any headroom in case there’s an emergency along the way.
So we drove 25 miles on unpaved forest roads back to Rapid River, then 16 miles to the Supercharger in Escanaba where I used Tesla’s adapter to charge. We gained 116kWh in 48 minutes while having lunch. It cost $45.20 at $0.39/kWh. We then drove back to Mackinaw City (154mi) for an evening charge at the same Magic Dock-equipped Supercharger, adding 119kWh in 1h 2m, and spending $49.08 at $0.41/kWh.
The Silverado EV is quick, powerful, fun to drive, quiet, roomy, and supremely comfortable.
After spending the night in St. Ignace, we drove to Grand Rapids (245mi) on Monday morning to visit the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. It was a lot of fun exploring all the outdoor art and testing phone cameras. We were planning to charge in Lansing next, on our way back to Detroit, but with 28% charge left we decided to play it safe and charge at Electrify America nearby and enjoy some of that 350kW goodness.
We charged from 28 to 50% in 13 minutes and gained 53kWh. It was fast, but it cost $31.51 at $0.56/kWh – without EA’s subscription. Lansing (69mi) was our next stop, and we had dinner while adding 116kWh in 44 minutes at the local Supercharger. I used the Tesla adapter again and spent $46.74 at $0.40/kWh. We then drove to Detroit airport (88mi), spent the night in a hotel, dropped off the Silverado EV Tuesday morning, and flew home.
The Verdict
In all, it cost us about $280 to travel over 1200 miles in the Silverado EV, including my $13/month Supercharger subscription. That’s not spectacular, but it’s not terrible, either. Regardless, the Silverado EV is quick, powerful, fun to drive, quiet, roomy, and supremely comfortable. Super Cruise works extremely well, even on two-lane highways, and while there’s room for improvement, the infotainment system gets the job done.
What’s most remarkable, though, is the Silverado EV’s 460-mile range. Yes, that 205kWh battery makes for an expensive and heavy EV, and while it rides and handles surprisingly well, you do notice the weight when braking hard. But no matter what, this pickup truck’s amazing range makes it a complete game changer. Color me impressed – the Silverado EV might just be the ultimate electric road-trip machine.
Oh, and Chevy, if you’re reading, I have one request. Massaging seats, please!