Home on the range: 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV drives 1705km on a single charge … but read on to see why it’s not an official world record

General Motors has smashed the myth that an EV needs to be low-slung with trick aero for it to cover huge distances on a single charge.

A 2026 Chevrolet Silverado has EV beaten the current Guinness World Record title for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge after it drove an incredible 1704.6km between plug-ins.

Achieved using a Chevrolet Silverado EV Max Range Work Truck, that can officially drive up to 793km on the EPA test cycle thanks to its enormous 205kWh battery.

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GM said record-beating drive was carried out on public roads but did admit to some differences to the official word-record-setting Lucid Air.

While the official Lucid 1205km record involved driving from St Moritz in Italy to Munich in Germany over mountain passes and travelling on highways at high speeds, GM did it differently.

Instead, the Silverado EV drive was carried out over many one-hour stints with drivers instructed to maintain a tedious average speed of between 20-25mph (32-40km/h).

Drivers were also told to minimise hard braking and harsh acceleration and to keep the climate control system off.

Engineers also made some modifications to the Silverado EV, including the removal of its spare tyre to save weight, wheel alignment tweaks and – in a nod to aerodynamics – a tonneau cover was thrown on.

Without Guinness World Records in attendance, it’s thought GM’s new range record will remain unofficial but is impressive, nonetheless.

Commenting on the Silverado EV covering almost 1705km on a single charge, GM’s battery, propulsion and sustainability boss Kurt Kelty said:

“Getting this kind of range on a full charge doesn’t happen by accident.

“It takes deep integration across battery chemistry, drive unit efficiency, software and vehicle engineering — and that’s exactly what the team delivered.

“This achievement is a great example of how far our EV technology has come, and the kind of innovation we’re building on every day at GM.”

General Motors achieved more than 19,000 EV sales in July 2025, a figure that is up 115 per cent, compared to the same month back in 2024.

Spearheading the sales triumph for EVs was the mid-size Equinox EV that was responsible for more than 8500 sales.

Helping drive the surge in demand for GM’s EVs is the Trump administration’s decision to end incentives of electric cars nationwide.

Previously, Walkinshaw Automotive – the company behind Australian factory-backed right-hand drive conversions of the Chevrolet Silverado and RAM 1500 – has said the EV version is capable of a local conversion.

Despite being feasible, it’s thought there are no concrete plans to bring the zero-emission full-size ute Down Under.