A 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Max Range Work Truck drove 1,059.2 miles on a single charge, blowing away the previous electric vehicle range record—a 749-mile run by the Lucid Air. It’s a production pickup, a workhorse, driven on public roads by General Motors engineers who turned a casual “what if” into a mind-blowing reality.
Forty GM engineers hatched the idea in late 2024, when they wondered just how far the Silverado EV Max Range Work Truck, with its 493-mile EPA estimated range, could go if they pushed every efficiency button possible. Guesses flew around the room—800 miles, maybe 900, or for the bold, 1,000. The challenge was set: take a stock truck, make only minor adjustments allowed by the owner’s manual and see how far it could go on its 205-kWh battery.
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The team chose public roads near GM’s Milford Proving Ground in southeastern Michigan, finishing in Detroit’s Belle Isle. To accommodate the test, engineers took one-hour driving shifts, each bringing their expertise to the wheel. They traveled at a constant speed of 20 to 25 miles per hour, which they discovered increased efficiency by channeling nearly all battery power to propulsion.
Tires were inflated to their highest recommended pressure to reduce rolling resistance. The spare tire was left behind to shave weight. Wheel alignment was calculated for optimal performance and windshield wiper arms were lowered to cut drag. Climate control was turned off entirely, while hard braking and quick acceleration were avoided to maintain an energy-saving pace.
Driving 20 to 25 miles per hour for 1,059.2 miles isn’t practical for most, but the engineers’ slow, steady pace revealed a truth: this truck’s battery and design can go farther than anyone thought, even under conditions most drivers would never duplicate.
Each mile fed data back to GM’s engineers, giving them insights into battery chemistry, drive unit efficiency and vehicle dynamics. Kurt Kelty, GM’s vice president of battery, propulsion and sustainability, said it was all about teamwork. It required deep integration across software, engineering and driving strategy to get every last mile out of the charge.
When the odometer hit 1,059.2 miles the team didn’t just break the Lucid Air’s 749-mile record they smashed it by 310 miles. This wasn’t an official Guinness World Record, GM treated it as an internal challenge, a proof of concept for their electric vehicle technology. To celebrate they recharged the Silverado EV and used its battery to power a 3D printer and made a trophy for the team’s achievement – a fitting nod to their ingenuity.
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