America’s two best-selling pickup trucks, the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, both have electric versions on the way. And just like their ICE namesakes have done for years, they are expected to compete with each other furiously for sales. So, how will buyers choose between the F-150 Lightning and Silverado EV? Typical indicators like towing, bed space and pricing are all still important, but since these are EVs we also have to consider factors such as range and charging capabilities. Edmunds recently published a video on their YouTube channel comparing both across ten key categories.
Power & Torque
The First Edition Silverado EV produces 664 hp and 780 pound-feet of torque, meanwhile the most powerful Lightning (at least until a Raptor variant is revealed) has 563 hp and 775 pound-feet of torque. The base WT Silverado still gets a hefty 510 hp meanwhile the equivalent bog-standard Lightning gets 426 hp. The base F-150 Lightning Pro gets 775 pound-feet of torque however, with the WT Silverado getting 615 lb-ft.
Onboard Power
The Silverado EV has 10.2 kW of power and 10 outlets. The F-150 Lightning also has 10 outlets but marginally less power – 9.6 kW.
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Range & Charging
The Silverado EV is based off an EV-dedicated platform meanwhile the Lightning is built on a modified version of the existing F-150’s chassis. Therefore the Silverado EV is supposedly less compromised and has an impressive 400-mile range. GM vaguely mentioned a cheaper version with a range of around 300 miles but further clarification on this is needed. The F-150 Lightning will offer two battery packs, one good for 230 miles per charge and the other 300. The Silverado EV is capable of 350 kW fast charging thanks to its 800-volt architecture, meanwhile the Lightning can only manage speeds of up to 150 kW.
Towing & Payload
The Silverado EV and Lightning can both tow up to 10,000 lbs. However the base commercial versions can pull 8,000 lbs and 7,700 lbs respectively. The Lightning can carry up to 2,000 lbs meanwhile the Silverado EV manages up to 1,300 lbs in certain specifications.
Suspension
The Silverado EV has optional air suspension and rear-wheel steering, for now the Lightning does not.
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Bed
The Silverado EV has a 5 ft 11 in bed, which is significantly bigger than the Lightning’s 5 ft 5 in cargo area. Some versions of the Silverado will also have an extendable bed which can go into the cabin. The Lightning has a 14.1 cubic feet front trunk or “frunk”. The Silverado’s frunk size was not disclosed as the vehicle is still in development.
Autonomy
Both have optional autonomous systems, the Chevy with GM’s SuperCruise and the Ford with BlueCruise. Both setups allow hands-free driving on certain mapped US roads.
Pricing
The Silverado EV starts at $39,900 before destination charges and incentives, meanwhile the F-150 Lightning starts at $39,974. The fully-loaded First Edition Silverado comes in at a staggering $105,000. Top-spec versions of the Lighting will also touch six figures.
Conclusion
Both are pretty evenly matched, although based off the above categories the Silverado is slightly better – on paper at least. Which electric truck would you rather have? Let us know in the comments below.
