GM engineers managed to drive the 2026 Silverado EV truck 1059 miles on one charge

The 2026 Silverado EV has already made waves for its official EV range, but what Chevrolet did next stunned just about everyone.

A team of Chevrolet engineers managed to squeeze more than 1,000 miles out of a single charge.

Not on a closed track or in a lab, but on real public roads.

And remarkably, a GM journalist was allowed behind the wheel during the attempt.

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The 2026 Silverado EV was stretched to the limit

Officially, the 2026 Silverado EV Max Range Work Truck is EPA-estimated to deliver up to 493 miles on a full charge.

That alone puts it near the top of the electric truck segment.

But under carefully controlled conditions, GM wanted to explore just how far the platform could go using just smart driving techniques and subtle adjustments.

This meant that modifying the EV’s hardware or software was off the table.

Preparation was everything.

Drivers were coached to maintain a steady 20–25 mph whenever traffic allowed, avoiding hard acceleration or braking.

Climate control stayed switched off, tire pressures were set at the upper end of factory limits, and unnecessary weight like the spare tire was removed.

Even airflow was optimized, with a tonneau cover added and windshield wipers lowered to reduce drag.

The test took place in summer, when ambient temperatures are ideal for battery efficiency.

The record attempt kicked off in Milford, Michigan, on a Monday morning with GM engineer Matt Campbell taking the first stint.

Over the course of a full week, 35 GM employees rotated behind the wheel, carefully accumulating miles on Michigan public roads.

Every driver mattered, because in hypermiling, one inefficient run can undo hours of careful progress.

Despite having plenty of experience driving high-performance machines at speed, the GM journalist admitted this was the most stressful driving he’d ever done.

Crawling along at neighborhood speeds with the weight of a record attempt on your shoulders makes every throttle input feel critical, and in some ways, it’s almost like being a (reverse) F1 driver.

Amazing efficiency for an electric truck

By the final day, the team could see the magic number approaching.

Even when the Silverado EV crossed 1,000 miles, the team didn’t stop.

They kept pushing until the battery was fully depleted.

The final tally was 1059.2 miles: a testament to GM’s engineering prowess.

This feat showed just how much untapped potential still exists in modern EVs.

China may be making headlines for their development of 1,000 mile EVs, but this real-world test shows that American carmakers aren’t far behind after all.

Chevy’s EV evolution

2010: The Chevrolet Volt began the range-extender revolution

2016: The company’s Bolt EV made headlines by offering more than 200 miles of range at mainstream prices

2022: The Equinox EV was teased as an affordable mass-market SUV

2023: Blazer EV debuted in multiple trims, including SS

2024: The Silverado EV entered the electric truck wars, marking the latest evolution of the storied truck

2025: The Ultium platform expanded across all GM brands

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