Chevrolet sets the range record – with a four-ton pickup truck! And that with a record-breaking run so bizarre that even Don Quixote would say: “Guys, that is a bit too strange for me right now.”
The key figures of this rolling record tale: 1,059.2 miles or 1,704.6 kilometers on a single battery charge. Respect? Maybe. But it's worth a quick look at the “how” – because the devil lies not only in the detail.
The aerodynamic nightmare weighing four tons
The vehicle of choice was not a sleek aero-flop with a carbon body, but a Chevrolet Silverado EV, more precisely the “Max Range Work Truck.” Sounds heavy – and it is. The beast weighs over four tons. If there is an antithesis to wind efficiency, it is
probably carved into the front of this pickup. And with its 205 kWh battery capacity, this colossus has more battery in its belly than many European manufacturers have in their entire model portfolio.
The price for the production version? At least $76,295 – taxes not included, of course. For that you get not only a cargo bed, but also a new definition of “long distance.”
From tricks, creeping speed and a little bit of self-deception
Of course, sheer mass alone isn't enough for 1,700 kilometers. So they reached deep into the trick bag:
- The tires were inflated to the limit to minimize rolling resistance
- The air conditioning? Turned off!
- The cargo bed? Covered.
- The spare wheel? Out with it.
And to squeeze out a little more aerodynamics, they
lowered the windshield wipers...
But the truly impressive thing: the pace. They drove at the speed of a wandering golf cart – 20 to 25 miles per hour, i.e., a maximum of 40 km/h! The journey ran from the Milford test site via public roads to the idyllic Belle Isle in the Detroit River. There, where you are not allowed to drive faster than 25 miles per hour anyway, the last miles were slowly chewed.
And the world record? unofficial and GM-internal…
Small snag in the whole story: Guinness World Records wasn't involved. Officially, then, the Lucid Air with its 1,205 kilometers from July 2025 remains the range king – driven under supervision, mind you. Chevrolet, on the other hand, has celebrated itself. Whoever crawls over 1,700 kilometers
with a 4-ton truck and turtle pace will have earned themselves a bit of PR. One thing remains certain: the real winner of this record drive was probably the patience of the test drivers.
What does that mean?
Donald Trump is rubbing off on General Motors as well. Following the motto: If I want a record, I’ll simply wring it out myself under as unrealistic conditions! And Chevy isn't even lying here – at most, they're fooling themselves. Because in reality this range would only be achievable by yard workers on Belle Isle who skip climate control, heating, and a spare wheel in spring or autumn. And, since they need the bed open, they'd also have to drive even slower — not to mention the maximum tire pressure.
