Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition Gets A Unique Steering Wheel

May. 02, 2022 8:22 PM ET byChris Teague Electric Vehicles /10 Comments

Add it to the pile of neat features Chevy's first electric full-size truck brings to the table.

TheChevrolet Silverado EVwon't be in the wild until next year, sometime as a 2024 model, but we've already seenseveral teaser videosand close-ups of various components, including thetruck's unique chassis design. Detail shots of the Silverado EV's top RST First Edition trim show an exciting design feature: a flat-bottom steering wheel. The upscale trim level is one of two Chevy will release to start.

Flat-bottom steering wheels look cool but are used only for cosmetic purposes in today's vehicles. The original intention for the wheels was to make it easier for racing drivers to slide in and out in driving gear. The RST gets a leather-wrapped wheel with silver accents and red RST badging, and the image shows the plastic cover on top of the wheel where Super Cruise-related components are housed.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

2024雪佛兰Silverado 1500 EVInfotainment System

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV will come in two flavors: RST and WT (work truck). The RST trim is a more luxurious truck with finishes and features that everyday drivers expect, whereas the WT model caters to commercial buyers and people wanting to use their trucks on a job site. It does not get a flat-bottom steering wheel, and its interior is far more utilitarian.

Thesold-out Silverado EV RST First Editiongets two electric motors with a combined 664 horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque. Four-wheel steering is standard, and Chevy says the truck can make the run to 60 mph from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds.

Chevrolet

2024雪佛兰Silverado 1500 EVCentral Control Panel

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

The electric truck landscape is changing rapidly and will likely look a bit different than it does not by the time the Silverado EV lands. TheRivian R1Tfinally hit the streets late last year, and theFord F-150 Lightningentered production last week. It's also possible that Tesla gets around to releasing theCybertruck. Chevrolet's corporate sibling, GMC, offers theHummer EVas well, which shares a platform with the Silverado EV.

Chevy has seenstrong interest in both Silverado EV modelsand says it has collected 140,000 reservations split between the WT and RST First Edition trucks. The RST First Edition starts at around $105,000, and the WT will start at around $40,000. Though there are only two variants at launch, Chevy will release other versions as time goes on, including less expensive models.