It’s that time of year again when model changes are rolling in, and the 2026 Silverado EV is adding a new off-road-focused trim called Trail Boss. As the name implies, it’s built to handle trails like a boss. To accomplish that, it leverages a lift kit, an updated hydraulic rebound control system, and a new Terrain mode. Interested parties will need to be ready to part with over $72,000 to put one in their garage.

Read: Chevy’s New Electric SUV Could Be Coming to Your Country, But Not America

“Trail Boss has been one of the highest turning trims in our portfolio since we first launched it on the 2019 Silverado,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Chevrolet. “Adding Trail Boss to Silverado EV gives customers an option that builds on our strong truck pedigree, high electric range, and off-road capability.” We’re happy to report that this isn’t just an appearance package.

Enhanced Off-Road Performance

Every Trail Boss comes standard with a two-inch lift kit, which Chevy boasts is a 24 percent increase in ground clearance over the standard Silverado EV. On top of that, the automaker re-tuned the coil suspension and rebound control system. A new trim-exclusive Terrain mode acts almost like a low-speed off-road-focused cruise control for navigating uneven surfaces. It also gets sharper 4-Wheel Steering for better response off-road.

Chevrolet leverages a “high-angle approach” front fascia on the Trail Boss along with 35-inch all-terrain tires, unique 18-inch wheels, red tow hooks, and exterior badging to make the trim stand out. The cabin also gets its own unique touches. Perhaps most impressive is that this new version of the Silverado EV doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of range.

“The Silverado EV Trail Boss delivers similar capability expected with other Chevy Trail Bosses,” said Joe Roy, chief engineer for Silverado EV. “It’s an impressive truck that will meet the needs of our customers looking to get off trail and still have all the features customers have come to love about Silverado EV, including range and off-road power.”

Pricing

Available with Chevy’s Extended or Max battery pack, buyers will get 410 or 478 miles of EPA-estimated range. Pricing starts at $72,095, but those who want the Max pack will pay $88,695. That’s right beneath the RST trim that starts at $89,395. Those prices include destination and delivery. There are benefits to each pack worthy of mention.

Those who select the Extended pack get up to 12,500 lb-ft of towing capacity and 2,100 pounds worth of payload capacity. On the flip side, those with the Max pack can enjoy up to 725 horsepower (540 kW) and 775 lb-ft (1,049 Nm) of torque. Expect it to go on sale later this summer, with additional details about options and pricing coming then too.

Other Updates for 2026

In other news related to the 2026 Silverado EV, Chevy is sunsetting the RST trim, leaving only the Work Truck, LT, and Trail Boss in the lineup. In addition, the Silverado EV is getting a more advanced version of Super Cruise, now integrated with Google Maps. The updated system includes hands-on functionality that helps keep the vehicle centered in its lane and adjusts to the car ahead. Also, when you engage Super Cruise on compatible roads, a green light on the steering wheel indicates hands-free driving is activated.

2026 CHEVY SILVERADO US PRICES

Chevrolet’s EV lineup is expanding at full throttle, and after introducing electric versions of the Blazer, Equinox, and Silverado, the brand is adding another familiar name to its global roster, and this time, it’s the Captiva. However, before you get too excited, know that this is another one of those “for South America only” deals, so don’t expect it to land on U.S. shores anytime soon, if ever.

The Captiva name was first used in the mid-2000s for a compact SUV sold in certain markets like Europe, Australia, New Zealand, as well as parts of South East Asia, where it was also branded as the Daewoo Winstorm. After the original model was axed, GM revived the Captiva with a new version based on the Baojun 530, a Chinese model. Now, the Captiva has gone full electric, and it’s based on another Chinese offering.

Read: GM’s New Wuling Sunshine Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Chinese EVs

The model in question is the Wuling Starlight S (also known as the Xing Guang S), which is currently sold in China. Recent social media posts from General Motors in Brazil reveal that much of the Wuling’s design has been carried over to the Chevy, though it’s been tweaked just enough to better fit the Bowtie badge.

At the front, the Captiva EV sports narrow LEDs and turn signals, with the main headlamps placed lower down on the fascia. Despite being an electric vehicle, it still has a large black grille, a departure from the grille-free designs we’re used to seeing in more modern EVs. The rear end, however, is almost identical to the Wuling model, with the same taillights, tailgate, and black bumper.

The Captiva EV will be sold in markets like Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, regions where its compact size and affordability are expected to hit the mark. Needless to say, the US remains firmly out of the picture.

Technical specifications for the new model have yet to be announced. However, we know that the all-electric version of the Starlight S has a claimed driving range of up to 317 miles (510 km) and can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.7 seconds. Similar specs can be expected for the Captiva EV, including the ability for the battery to be charged from 30-80% in 20 minutes.

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Americans bought more electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2025, but it’s not just enthusiasm for clean energy that’s pushing the numbers. Sales of EVs were up 11.4% year-over-year, with some of that bump likely driven by fears of disappearing federal tax credits and looming tariffs. Gas-powered cars even saw some love, as buyers rushed to lock in purchases before incentives or prices changed. Crisis buying: it’s not just for toilet paper anymore.

More: Americans Are Buying Cars Like It’s Black Friday Before Tariffs Hit

For context, the entire new vehicle market (regardless of powertrain) grew 4.3% in Q1 2024, totaling roughly 3.9 million units, according to Auto News. That puts EVs at 7.6% of the market, a noticeable increase from last year, and a sign that electric adoption, while still uneven, continues to inch forward, at least for now.

Brands: Tesla Still Leads, But It’s Not All Good News

You probably guessed it that Tesla still wears the EV crown. The company moved 128,100 vehicles in Q1, capturing a commanding 43.5% share of the EV market. That’s still dominant, but it’s down 8.6 percentage points from last year. Some of that slip can be chalked up to delays in rolling out the updated Model Y. The rest? Probably a mix of market competition and the ongoing Elon Effect, a combo of social media theatrics and questionable business decisions that make both investors and buyers twitch.

Ford continues to hold a firm grip on second place, selling 22,550 electric vehicles in Q1, an 11.5% increase over last year, giving it a 7.7% share of America’s EV market. But the real drama happened just below that. Rivian, which held the No. 3 spot last year, tumbled all the way down to ninth place after a steep 37.1% drop, totaling just 8,553 sales. Hyundai, previously in fourth, slid to No. 6 despite a modest 5.1% gain to 12,843 units. Its Kia sibling dropped from fifth to eighth, as sales fell 24.1% to 8,665.

Taking their places, Chevrolet surged into the No. 3 spot with 19,186 units sold, recording a 114.2% increase, while BMW climbed to No. 4 with 13,858 deliveries, up 26.4% from a year ago. There were other notable shifts as well: Porsche more than tripled its EV sales in Q1, thanks to the Macan Electric. On the flip side, Mercedes took the hardest hit, with sales plunging 58.3%, despite aggressive lease deals and major incentives, as many of our readers have pointed out. For all the numbers and surprises, check out the full brand breakdown below.

BEST SELLING EV BRANDS

Models: The Y Slips But The 3 Soars

Looking at individual models, the Tesla Model Y still tops the US EV sales chart, but its grip on the lead has loosened. It delivered 64,051 units in Q1, marking a steep 33.8% decline from last year. The delayed launch of the standard facelifted “Juniper” version didn’t help matters, as only the pricier Launch Edition was available early in the quarter. We’ll see how the new Juniper performs once the entire range goes on sale.

On the flip side, the Model 3 is having its moment. It saw a huge 70.3% increase in sales, hitting 52,520 units in Q1. For perspective, that’s nearly as many as the next three brands (Ford, Chevrolet, and BMW) sold combined, at 55,274. Tesla’s aggressive sales strategy likely played a role, with improved lease offers and zero-percent financing, though that conveniently wrapped up in April.

More: Tesla Model 3 Performance Vs. BMW 330i xDrive, Which One Deserves Your $47K?

The Ford Mustang Mach-E maintained third place among EV models with 11,607 units sold, a significant 21% increase, helped along by solid discounts and lease incentives. Rounding out the top five were the Chevy Equinox EV (10,329 units), the Honda Prologue (9,561), and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which saw 8,611 deliveries, a 26.2% jump.

Trucks: F-150 Still Rules But Cybertruck Catching Up

As for electric trucks, the Ford F-150 Lightning remains the best-seller, even though deliveries dropped 7.2% compared to the same period in 2024. Tesla’s Cybertruck, love it or hate it (and many do), is at least moving the needle upwards, with 6,406 units sold, up 128.5% over last year’s laughably small starting numbers.

GMC doesn’t separate sales by body style, but Rivian does, and its R1T pickup moved just 1,727 units this quarter, a massive 47% drop from Q1 2023. For all the flak the Cybertruck catches online, it’s still outselling the R1T by a wide margin. No, it’s not the million-unit-a-year miracle Elon once promised, but it’s still finding more buyers than the R1T and that should be sounding alarms in Rivian’s executive suite.

BEST SELLING EV MODELS USA

Electric vehicle sales in the United States are gaining ground, but the road to mainstream dominance is still a long one. While EVs made a notable leap forward in the first quarter of 2025, they continue to account for only a fraction of total new car sales. Some automakers rode a wave of growth with new models and fresh demand, while others—Tesla included—faced early-year setbacks.

Read: Tesla’s Q1 Collapse Fueled VW’s Shock Rise In The EV Race

In total, 296,227 electric vehicles were sold nationwide between January and March, marking an 11.4 percent increase over the 265,981 units delivered during the same period last year. New data shows that General Motors had a particularly strong showing, with more than 30,000 GM EVs finding buyers in Q1—nearly doubling its output from a year ago. A mix of fresh offerings from Chevrolet and GMC helped drive the gains, while Cadillac continued to post steady performance.

GM Surges with Chevrolet and GMC

Chevrolet alone sold 19,186 electric vehicles in Q1 2025, a 114.2% increase over the 8,957 units it moved in the same quarter last year. The big success story was the Equinox EV, which led the brand’s lineup with 10,329 sales. The Blazer EV followed with a staggering 931.2% increase—rising from just 600 units in Q1 2024 to 6,187 units. The Silverado EV also posted a strong debut with 2,383 deliveries. Meanwhile, the Bolt EV and EUV were essentially absent, with only 13 units sold after GM officially discontinued the models two months ago.

GMC contributed solid numbers as well. The Hummer EV pickup and SUV posted a combined 3,479 sales, up 108.6%, while the brand also moved 1,249 units of the new Sierra EV.

According to Cox Auto, Porsche recorded the highest EV growth rate of any brand, with sales up 249% thanks to the arrival of the new Macan Electric. Toyota’s EV sales climbed 195.7% to 5,610 units, the Volkswagen Group jumped 183%, and Volvo spiked 172.9% on the strength of the new EX30 and EX90 models.

Tesla Flounders While Others Flourish

Tesla by contrast, didn’t share in the early-year enthusiasm. The company saw its US sales drop 9% year-over-year, delivering 128,100 vehicles in Q1. Still, even with the decline, Tesla holds a commanding 43.5% share of the U.S. EV market—nearly half of all electric cars sold.

Several other automakers also saw declines. Mercedes-Benz posted the steepest drops, down a staggering 58%. Rivian followed with a 37% dip, and Kia slipped 24% compared to the same quarter last year.

Looking ahead, Cox Automotive expects the rest of the year to be anything but smooth. “The rest of 2025 will likely be a volatile one for EV sales in the U.S., despite the introduction of new product and healthy incentives,” the firm noted. Tariff-related headwinds could weigh heavily, particularly for automakers relying on imported materials. Steel and aluminum tariffs are already a hurdle, and with China supplying much of the world’s EV battery materials, the ongoing trade standoff may distort the market further.

GM had high hopes for their BrightDrop brand, but that enthusiasm waned and the vans were rolled into the Chevrolet lineup. While that move was designed to boost sales and availability, it hasn’t helped much as hundreds of unwanted vans have been piling up.

More: BrightDrop Becomes Part Of Chevrolet

Given the growing inventories, it’s no surprise that the company is temporarily halting production at CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, Ontario. The Canadian plant started BrightDrop production in late 2022 and employs more than 1,200 people.

Temporary Layoffs and Production Shifts

According to Unifor, GM will initiate temporary layoffs on April 14 and then bring workers back for limited production in May. Production will then end again to allow for retooling for assembly of the 2026 model.

When production resumes in October, the plant will be dropped down to a single shift for the foreseeable future. The union says this will result in the “indefinite layoff of nearly 500 workers.”

Unifor National President Lana Payne described the moves as a “crushing blow” and called on the automaker to “do everything in its power to mitigate job loss during this downturn.” She also called on the government to step up and support Canadian auto workers as well as Canadian-made products.

Payne was particularly adamant about the latter as she pitched the 400 and 600 vans as a “smart choice for Canadian business, government agencies, and for our economy.” That’s a not so subtle hint that she wants the government to buy some of the electric delivery vans.

While BrightDrop’s struggles are far from new, Payne used the opportunity to attack the Trump administration. She accused the United States of creating “industry turmoil” and  said “Trump’s short-sighted tariffs and rejection of EV technology is disrupting investment and freezing future order projections.” She went on to claim this is “creating an opening for China and other foreign automakers to dominate the global EV market.”

Pricing Dilemma

As for the vans themselves, BrightDrop’s offerings start at $77,900, providing up to 614.7 cubic feet (17,406 liters) of cargo space and a combined range of up to 272 miles (438 km).

However, rival electric vans are far cheaper as the Ford E-Transit Cargo starts at $51,000 while the Mercedes eSprinter can be had for $61,180. That’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison, but it’s not hard to see why hundreds of BrightDrop vans are sitting on dealership lots.

Despite the problems, Unifor noted the company is committed to CAMI Assembly and the 2026 vans will be getting “upgrades.” What those are remain to be seen, but hopefully a smaller battery pack is on the way to reduce pricing.

Rugged trucks have been a huge hit with consumers and Chevrolet’s ZR2 lineup is among the most popular. Now, the company is giving us a glimpse at what an electric version could look like.

Unveiled at the Mint 400 off-road race, the Silverado EV ZR2 race truck concept was developed in just five months and is built almost entirely out of production parts. Since it will be taking part in the event, the pickup has been equipped with a lifted suspension and Multimatic continuously adaptive dampers. These changes help to deliver more than 13 inches (330 mm) of wheel travel.

More: Chevy Expands 2025 Silverado EV Range With New LT And Battery Options

The upgrades don’t end there as the concept has extended fender flares and unique wheels wrapped in 37-inch BF Goodrich KM3 mud-terrain tires. They’re joined by locking differentials, underbody protection, and an assortment of auxiliary lights. Rounding out the highlights are rock rails, red recovery hooks, and a ZR2-branded sport bar.

While the standard Silverado EV has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing up to 760 hp (567 kW / 771 PS) and 785 lb-ft (1,063 Nm) of torque, the concept is far more powerful. In fact, it features a tri-motor powertrain with a combined output of 1,100 hp (820 kW / 1,115 PS) and 11,500 lb-ft (15,574 Nm) of torque. Of course, it’s safe to assume the latter figure is more of an exercise in math than anything else.

According to Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bell, “There is no better proving ground to test the limits of our vehicles than competitive racing. The Silverado EV ZR2 race truck concept, which uses 98% GM production parts, showcases some of the best of Chevrolet to produce a beyond-capable pickup to tackle a challenging race of the Mint 400’s magnitude.”

While the ZR2 is simply a concept at this point, Chevrolet revealed the 2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss will arrive this summer. We’ll learn more in the coming weeks, but the truck features a factory-installed lift as well as 18-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch all-terrain tires.