Chevy Silverado EV vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: Big, All-American and Fully Electric Trucks

The Chevy Silverado EV, the Ford F-150 Lightning, both electric trucks, they are same, same, but kinda different. I mean, take this Silverado, for instance. It's basically an EV with a bed. It has nothing to do with the gas-powered Silverado. It's got more in common with, say, the Hummer EV, maybe the Cadillac Lyric or the Blazer EV. Plus, this is absolutely mammoth. It's got a giant amount of range. It is super heavy. It is really big. And look at these shack-sized wheels. I mean, come on. And the Ford, well, it's an F-150 that just happens to have an electric powertrain. So what's better, an EV with a couple of party tricks or a truck that just happens to be powered by electrons? Y'all, we are going to test everything. We're gonna test the range. We're gonna test charging, utility, interior materials, all of it to find out which one is worth your money. So let's turn them on and find out. We'll cut the suspense. The Silverado achieved an astonishing 484 miles on our EV range test, the most of any electric pickup. It's actually second place overall among the 90 vehicles we've run through this test behind only the Lucid Air Dream Edition. That beats the EPA's estimate by 44 miles. And it aligns with our experience that GM EVs usually outperform their EPA numbers. But look, just because this vehicle has got a lot of range doesn't mean that it's very efficient. In fact, it's probably one of the least efficient EVs on the market today. So in order to solve that problem, Chevy just crammed a 205 kilowatt hour battery underneath this baby. That means that it's heavy and it also means that it's gonna take a long time to charge. So to solve that problem, now Chevy made sure that you could charge this at up to 350 kilowatts. And y'all, that is super fast. It's more than twice the amount of the F-150. Now the Lightning, that got 345 miles on our range test. And that's pretty good. But if you're charging in public and you've got access to 350 kilowatt chargers, well, the Silverado is gonna charge so much quicker. Look, back in 2022 when that truck was launched, 324 miles, that was really good. But it's 2024, y'all. Advantage Chevy. Are you looking to buy a new electric truck like maybe the Tesla Cybertruck? Well, we've got a bunch of information about these and other EVs over on edmunds.com. So be sure to check it out. And as always, like and subscribe right here on the YouTubes. Oh boys, this baby big. I mean, I've got this giant battery pack and it's nearly 20 feet long. It weighs like 9,000 pounds, 9,000 pounds. That's like four Miatas, four vehicles in one. It's absolutely crazy. And it feels heavy too. I mean, it's so ponderous. There's air suspension here, but trust me, there is plenty of body roll going around these turns. But the worst part is these giant 24 inch wheels with these little teeny tiny side profile tires. I mean, you've got to put like 60 PSI worth of air in there for them to hold up this giant vehicle. And what that means is that the ride quality really suffers. I mean, there's like all this head toss in here and it's really loud. I mean, I do not like the way this vehicle drives at all. The good news is that I've got rear steering here. So it really helps keep that back end in check. It makes it a little bit more nimble than the F-150. I mean, the wheelbase here, it's 146 inches, giant. The brakes in this feel pretty firm, but again, remember you've got a lot of mass here, so you have to brake early. But one thing I really like about the Silverado is that I can dial in my regen. I can have it like way, like, woo, that's a lot of regen braking, or I can set it to normal or just completely off. I like that it gives me options. Now, when it comes to power, I've got 510 ponies and 615 pound feet of torque. But when I go to wide open watts, I get even more power. So I can launch this thing from zero to 60 in about 4.5 seconds. You know what? If you don't feel like driving, you can just super cruise it. And you guys look mom, no hands, but my eyes are forward. This is super cruise. I can use it on any divided highway. It's going to follow the car in front of me. I really like super cruise a lot. I love the fact that it kind of takes some of the stress out of driving, especially when it comes to stop and go traffic. Now, GM says that you can use super cruise while you're towing. But honestly, I don't want to do that. That sounds real scary to me. But hey, you know what? You do you. But in all, I expect a smoother ride out of a unibody truck. I'm pretty sure that the F-150 Lightning is going to ride like a truck. This rides like a truck when it should ride more like an SUV. We give the Chevy an eight for driving. Driving the F-150, you guys, it's like driving a truck. I mean, it's body on frame. You got a little bit of wiggle in the back, but I like it because I want my truck to kind of feel like a truck. However, driving a truck with this much power can be really fun. This is the extended battery pack. So I've got 580 horsepower and 775 pound feet of torque. And let me tell you, there is nothing like putting your foot down in a vehicle this heavy and just feeling that instant electric torque. It is so much fun. I feel like this vehicle rides a little bit better than the Silverado, even though it doesn't have air suspension. And that's because of the wheel and tire package. So I've got a smaller wheel and a bigger tire with more sidewall. So it just kind of soaks up those bumps a little bit more. The steering here feels pretty precise. It feels really on center and I like the weight of it, but I do want to talk about the braking because this vehicle is heavy, which means that going to a complete stop, for example, let's say 60 to zero, you're going to want to leave a lot of room. It takes 141 feet in this vehicle. So yeah, he's a heavy boy. And you guys, there is one pedal driving, which I love because when I lift up on the throttle, I get free electrons. Oh yeah, regen braking. So the F-150 Lightning, it's powerful. It has a really good truck-like ride, which I enjoy. You do have to watch those braking distances, but all in all, Edmunds gives this an 8.5 out of 10. Chevrolet tunes its rear steering so that the rear wheels move opposite the front wheels to just kind of help you like bloop the truck around a turn. So let's go try it out. All right, so we've got our front wheel there on the third parking stall line, cranked all the way to the left and let's go see how she turns. Turning pretty wide in this Ford Lightning. Oh wow, look at that. Okay, let's get out, mark the wheel with some tape and we'll see how the Chevy does. All right, so starting from the same place, cranked all the way to the left. Look, you can see those rear wheels kind of moving just a little bit. And yeah, that is a way tighter turning radius. Let's get out and mark it with tape just to be sure. Look at that, this one's the Ford, this one's the Chevy. Chevy wins in the turning circle. Inside the Silverado, I mean, it's huge, but that's really no surprise. I mean, while we were doing research for this video, we couldn't find a single vehicle on sale today that has as much front and rear combined legroom as what's in the Silverado EV. I mean, not even the Rolls Royce Phantom comes close. But as big as it is, you guys, the materials in here are not up to the $100,000 price tag. I mean, I expect premium materials and instead, I just get like this gross plastic stuff. I mean, it looks like a rental car. Some of it looks like it's not even finished. Now, when it comes to the seat, it's pretty comfortable. I feel like I've got a great driving position here. There are no adjustable pedals in this trim, so if you're really tall or really short, like, sorry, you might have a hard time. As for smaller item storage, I mean, it's pretty good. I've got two big cup holders here and it actually moves back and forth. I like that adjustability. This in here is pretty deep and then all of this here, that's super deep too, but it just doesn't look really finished. But I do love that I've got a little cubby hole here for my passenger. Y'all, look at this amazing expanse of room back here. I mean, this seat is set for my driving position. I'm 5'9", and like, I have so much room. I got cup holders here. I got heated seats back here. I got cup holders here. There's cup holders in the door. Like, there is so much expanse back here. We could have a giant party. Come on over. Now inside the Lightning, you guys, it feels just like an F-150 and that is a very good thing. Even on this mid-lariat trim, the materials are great. It is so much better than the Silverado. And this is a truck that's meant for work. And having said that, it's got one of my favorite features. So I just press that button there and the gearshift folds flat. And then look, I have a little table for working. Now the top trim, the seat will recline all the way back so that you can take a nap while you're charging. This one doesn't have it, which is kind of a bummer, but they're still really, really comfortable. I've got a really good tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and I've got adjustable pedals. When it comes to smaller storage, I mean, the Ford does pretty well. This little guy right here is nice and deep. I've got two really big cup holders. I got a little guy right here for some keys. I can fit a pen right here. This front cubby, not quite as big as what's happening in the Silverado, but I do have a little rubberized mat up here for some smaller items. I even have a secondary glove box. I don't know why I have to push that button, but I mean, it's there. The backseat of the F-150, not quite as big as the Silverado, but y'all, the Silverado is egregiously large. This is plenty. These rear seats are heated. I've got charging ports back here, plus a couple of different outlets. Cup holders here, cup holders here. And I really like the fact that I have a cup holder right up here in the door, right at arm's height. Okay, scoring this one? The Chevy's got more room, but the F-150 just feels so much better. Now, when we are talking tech, you guys know where I'm gonna go with this. There is a screen and it is giant. GM has given this truck Google built-in, and that means that I have access to Google Maps, which I really dig, and I can also send it over here into my gauge cluster. And you guys, check this out. Where can I buy Diet Dr. Pepper? Here's what I found along your route for in-store availability. There's a Target right down there. Let's go get some DDP. There's a couple of things I really like about this infotainment system. I mean, first of all, it is lightning quick, and there is a row of quick access buttons on the top here, including access for your surround camera. And you're gonna need a surround camera because this thing is giant. The only problem is that I have this giant screen, and then the view from the camera is so tiny and wee. Why can't I have more? Also, you guys not a fan of the fact that my lights are on the screen. I want a physical switch for my headlights, please and thank you. And another thing, maybe I don't like this as much as I thought. Another thing, there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This is something that GM is doing across its entire EV lineup. We think it's wrong. We know that you think it's wrong. So let us know in the comments how wrong you think it is, and maybe GM will change it up. So there might not be Apple CarPlay, but I know y'all are gonna have a phone, and good news, there is wireless charging up here in the front. There's also three USB-C ports and a 12-volt, and then in the rear, you have a regular standard 120-volt outlet as well as two additional USB-C ports. So in all, I'm kinda digging the tech in here, but I just can't get over the lack of Apple CarPlay. First of all, check out this giant portrait-oriented screen, and da-da-da-da, it's Apple CarPlay. I know, GM, look, it's not hard to give it to us. Now, if you don't wanna use Google Maps in your Apple CarPlay, the native system here in the Ford is actually pretty good. Everything is really clear and crisp, and again, you can pinch and zoom to your heart's content. One thing I really like, my lights. You guys, I have a physical dial for my lights. I totally dig that. One thing that I hate is that all of my HVAC controls are on the screen. No, I want physical buttons for my HVAC control. I shouldn't have to take my eyes off the road just to change the temperature of the truck. As for charging up here in the front, I've got a wireless charging pad as well as a 12-volt outlet and a regular household outlet. But when it comes to charging your phone, a little bit limited. I've got one USB-A and C up here as well as one here in the back. Chevy has Google Assistant, Ford has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, pretty much even. You guys, the thing about these EV trucks is that they all have really super short beds. I mean, how am I supposed to carry my kayak? Oh, with these guys. Ha-ha, thanks. But seriously, Chevy has got this problem figured out with this cool mid-gate. Essentially, the middle part of the truck just disappears and it extends the bed. With this part of the multi-flex tailgate up, I've got nearly 11 feet of bed space. And don't worry, there are tie-downs in here to help secure everything. I don't really like the way it looks with the tonneau cover, but this is such an excellent solution. But wait, there's more! Because you also have 10.2 kilowatts of off-loadable power through 10 outlets, you can have the best tailgate party ever. Now, when it comes to payload, 1,500 pounds. Towing is about 10,000 pounds. And there's even more storage in the front with a 10.7 cubic foot frunk. Y'all, I'm not even gonna try to fit the kayak into the back of this Lightning because there's no way it's going to fit. In the bed, we've got 9.6 kilowatts of power available, which is just a tick under the Chevy. Also, the Lightning has got more payload, 2,235 pounds of it, and about the same towing, right around 10,000 pounds. The frunk, a little bit bigger, 14 cubic feet. Chevy's got the cool mid-gate, Ford has the optional workstation. Yep, that's tied. So in the end, it always comes down to money, doesn't it? Well, that Silverado over there, it starts at right around $75,000, but you can get a base Lightning for about $65,000. Our tester as it sits, $96,495, but this one, 80 grand. Easy win here for the Ford. The materials are better, the ride quality is better. I've got Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I mean, sure, I can't haul a kayak, but listen, I am much more into race car-ing and I can tow my race car with this, so that's all I really care about. And yeah, it charges faster, but I got 300 miles of range and a home charger. What do I need public charging for? No surprises here. The Ford gets the win with a higher overall Edmunds rating. You guys, listen, if it were me, F-150, Lightning, all day long.