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2026 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss joins the lineup

4.3K views 92 replies 13 participants last post by  moosetags  
#1 · (Edited)
Here we are folks here be the TrailBoss!!


2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss

Front 3/4 view of the 2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss in Habanero Orange driving off-road.

Chevrolet will offer its popular off-road Trail Boss trim as part of the 2026 Silverado EV lineup starting this summer.
Previously available on Silverado and Colorado, the newly available lifted off-road trim offers customers the added capability they expect from a Trail Boss with the benefits of an electric truck.
“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.”

More capability
“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.”
With a 2-inch lift, the Trail Boss has 24% higher ground clearance than the base Silverado EV. The coil suspension is uniquely tuned with a hydraulic rebound control system.
Trim-exclusive Terrain mode is available at low speeds and offers additional control when maneuvering areas with uneven terrain. Compared to Normal mode, Terrain mode unlocks sharper 4-Wheel Steer, giving drivers better ability to control torque and traction at low speeds. Paired with other drive modes, including off-road mode and Sidewinder mode, the Silverado EV Trail Boss is ready for adventure.
Sidewinder, first introduced on RST trim vehicles, allows all four wheels to turn in the same direction and move the truck diagonally at low speeds1. Selectable from the infotainment screen, the feature gives drivers a new way to conquer everything from rugged terrain to tight parking spaces.
The Trail Boss version with the extended range battery pack offers a max towing of 12,500lb2 and 2,100 lb of payload3. Up to 725 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque4 is available with the Max Range battery pack.

Looks like a boss
Beyond capability, the Silverado EV Trail Boss looks the part of an off-road truck, with bold, aggressive design that includes the following trim-exclusive design features:
  • High-angle approach front fascia
  • Rugged 35-inch all-terrain tires with unique 18-inch wheels
  • Exterior badging
  • Unique interior
  • Red front tow hooks
For those looking to customize their rig, auxiliary switches are easily accessible for accessory lights and more.
Silverado EV is available in nine exterior colors, including three new options: White Sands; Polar White Tricoat; and Magnus Gray Matte Metallic.

Driver assist updates
Silverado EV also offers Super Cruise enhancements, including integration with Google Maps that navigates to the correct lane for your chosen route with ease when on Super Cruise-capable roads.
And, newly-added hands-on functionality keeps you centered in your lane and adapts to the speed of the driver ahead, all while your hands remain on the steering wheel. Then, when you reach a Super Cruise-enabled road, the steering wheel lightbar turns green and hands-free driving will automatically engage for added comfort.
Adaptive Cruise control has also been upgraded so the driver can choose to automatically adjust speed to match posted speed limits. Super Cruise with towing is available on LT and Trail Boss.

A full lineup
With three trims – Work Truck, LT and Trail Boss – Chevrolet offers a Silverado EV for every price point, capability need and lifestyle. The Silverado EV lineup has expanded to provide customers with more choice, and now the brand will sunset the launch trim RST. The 2026 Silverado EV has a starting MSRP of $54,895 and continues to offer customer-favorite features:
  • Up to 10.2kW of off-board power available on all trims
  • Multi-Flex Midgate available on LT and Trail Boss
  • WOW mode to unlock max horsepower and torque available on LT and Trail Boss
  • 22-inch wheels available on WT and LT
  • 17.7-inch-diagonal center infotainment screen paired with 11-inch-diagonal driver informational center standard on all trims, including Work Truck for the first time.
Here’s a look at the full lineup:
TrimBattery PackRange7 with standard contentStarting MSRP9
(includes $2,095 DFC)
Work TruckStandard286 miles (EPA-estimated)$54,895
Extended424 miles (EPA-estimated)$68,295
Max493 miles (EPA-estimated)$76,295
LTStandard283 miles (EPA-estimated)$62,995
Extended410 miles (EPA-estimated)$71,195
Max478 miles8 (GM-estimated)$91,295
Trail BossExtended410 miles (EPA-estimated)$72,095
Max478 miles8 (GM-estimated)$88,695
The Silverado EV is assembled with domestically and globally-sourced parts at Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center in Michigan — the launching pad for GM's multi-brand all-EV strategy.

2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Specifications

EFFICIENCY

Driving Range1:
TrimBattery PackRange1 with standard content
Work TruckStandard286 miles (EPA-estimated)
Extended424 miles (EPA-estimated)
Max493 miles (EPA-estimated)
LTStandard283 miles (EPA-estimated)
Extended410 miles (EPA-estimated)
Max478 miles2 (GM-estimated)
Trail BossExtended410 miles (EPA-estimated)
Max478 miles2 (GM-estimated)


BATTERY SYSTEM
Type:Rechargeable energy storage system comprising multiple linked modules 
Batteries packs:Standard (WT, LT)
Extended (WT, LT, Trail Boss)
Maximum (WT, LT, Trail Boss)
Warranty1:8 years / 100,000 miles of battery and electric components coverage

ELECTRIC DRIVE
Type:Performance Torque Vectoring
Dual Motor 4WD (Electronic 4WD)
Motor:2 motors (1 front & 1 rear electric drive unit)
Power (hp):510 (WT)
605 (2LT)
645 (3LT)
760 (4LT)
625 (2TR)
725 (3TR)
Torque (lb.-ft.):490 (4WT)
580 (5WT, 8WT)
605 (2LT)
765 (3LT, 4LT)
775 (2TR, 3TR)

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION
Suspension:4-wheel independent suspension with premium ride and handling
Steering Type:Column-mounted electric power steering
Turning Circle (ft. / m):42.2 (Trail Boss with standard 4-wheel steering)
Brake Type:Front and rear sliding caliper disc with DURALIFE rotors with regenerative capability. 4-wheel disc and 4-wheel antilock braking.
Brake Rotor Size (in. / mm):F/R 355mm (14”) / 356.8mm (14”)
Wheel Size:22-inch (LT – available)
18-inch (LT, WT, Trail Boss - standard)
Tire Size:LT265/70R18, all-season blackwall (WT, LT)
LT275/50R22, all-season blackwall (LT – available)
LT285/75R18, all-terrain blackwall (Trail Boss)

OFF ROAD SPECS
Ground Clearance 205 (WT)
209 (LT)
255 (TR)
Approach angle31.6 (TR)
Departure angle25.1 (TR)
Breakover19.2 (TR)

CHARGING
Available DC fast charging up to 350 kW GM-estimated 100 miles in 10 minutes
Level 2: 240 V up to 19.2kW/80 amps: (PowerShift or Powerup+ Charger)37 miles per hour charging
Charging Speed220 kW (standard battery pack)
300 kW (extended battery pack)
350 kW (max battery pack)

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase (in. / mm):145.7 / 3700
Overall Length (in. / mm):233.1 / 5920
Overall Width (in. / mm):95.6 / 2430 (TR with mirrors)
81.6 / 2072 (WT, 2LT without mirrors)
94.3 / 2394 (WT, LT with mirrors)
83.8 / 2129 (3LT, TR without mirrors)
Overall Height (in. / mm):78.0 / 1982 (WT)

78.1 / 1985 (LT)
79.9 / 2030 (TR)
Front Overhang (in. / mm):36.2 / 919
Rear Overhang (in. / mm):51.2 / 1301
Track (in. / mm):68.9 / 1749 (WT front and rear)
68.7 / 1745 (LT front and rear)
68.5 / 1742 (TR front)
68.6 / 1743 (TR rear)

INTERIOR DIMENSIONS
Max Headroom (in. / mm):41.9 / 1063 (front – WT, 2LT)
39.7 / 1009 (rear – WT, 2LT)
43.9 / 1114 (front – 3LT, TR)
38.7 / 982 (rear – 3LT, TR)
Max Legroom (in. / mm):44.8 / 1139 (front)
44.3 / 1126 (rear)
Shoulder Room (in. / mm):64.9 / 1649 (front)
63.8 / 1621 (rear)
Hip Room (in. / mm):62 / 1574 (front)
61.4 / 1560 (rear)

CARGO DIMENSIONS
Cargo Box Volume (cu. ft / L):57.3 / 1623 (WT, 2LT)
57.5 / 1628 (3LT, TR)
eTrunk Volume (cu. ft/ L):10.7 / 303

@SilverDan
 
#9 · (Edited)
I was watching the dirt ride for wind tunnel aero performance, the dust giving visuals.

40s mark
You can‘t tell from the still but if you watch the sequence it sure looks like it’s reforming those air streams from the bed and the bottom. Certainly I’m not seeing much turbulence in general

Image



35s mark
Looks like low turbulence right behind the truck which is what you want. This shot is picture perfect, that dirt stream off the back is so perfect it almost looks like an artist created it for a aniumation. Notice how much it looks like contrails, which form from the highly aerodynamic airplane wing/engine
Image


37s mark
If you watch the sequence you see the dirt kicked up by the front tire doesn’t get sucked under the truck which would mess with that flow presumably, instead it just quietly is outside the envelope. Also clearly shows low turbulence off the back
Image


At 57s the angle clearly shows the surface turbulence getting kicked out of the way as you’d want. And fascinatingly the kick off is pretty much the same no matter the steering toe out/in, he does some turns but it doesn’t really affect this part

Image



The acceleration at the end shows it better as the tires dig in and kick off more dirt. Interesting in that it appears like it’s the front motor doing all the work with the back little changed 🤔
You can also see the truck rear up - notice the back well is squatting
Image


56s mark
Dirt pulled up by the tire is in a quiet zone, it just kind of drifts off, not a lot of turbulence in that wheel well it seems which is what you want - it’s not getting turbulence from the outside

Image


Even in the macho money shot notice all that manly dirt clouds are just from the tires banging through that loose stuff, the ambient clouds the truck is driving through are relatively undisturbed. The messy lower section is just from the impact of the tires hitting mounds of fine sifted dirt, but look at that ambient along the top - beautiful! Also I think we get a hint of the sail action
Image



Anyhow this isn’t remotely definitive, and may not be unique to the SEV. I looked for other truck dirt videos but didn’t see anything comparable. Maybe some interesting clues though
 
#17 ·
I was watching the dirt ride for wind tunnel aero performance, the dust giving visuals.

40s mark
You can‘t tell from the still but if you watch the sequence it sure looks like it’s reforming those air streams from the bed and the bottom. Certainly I’m not seeing much turbulence in general


35s mark
Looks like low turbulence right behind the truck which is what you want. This shot is picture perfect, that dirt stream off the back is so perfect it almost looks like an artist created it for a aniumation. Notice how much it looks like contrails, which form from the highly aerodynamic airplane wing/engine

37s mark
If you watch the sequence you see the dirt kicked up by the front tire doesn’t get sucked under the truck which would mess with that flow presumably, instead it just quietly is outside the envelope. Also clearly shows low turbulence off the back

At 57s the angle clearly shows the surface turbulence getting kicked out of the way as you’d want. And fascinatingly the kick off is pretty much the same no matter the steering toe out/in, he does some turns but it doesn’t really affect this part

The acceleration at the end shows it better as the tires dig in and kick off more dirt. Interesting in that it appears like it’s the front motor doing all the work with the back little changed 🤔
You can also see the truck rear up - notice the back well is squatting

56s mark
Dirt pulled up by the tire is in a quiet zone, it just kind of drifts off, not a lot of turbulence in that wheel well it seems which is what you want - it’s not getting turbulence from the outside

Even in the macho money shot notice all that manly dirt clouds are just from the tires banging through that loose stuff, the ambient clouds the truck is driving through are relatively undisturbed. The messy lower section is just from the impact of the tires hitting mounds of fine sifted dirt, but look at that ambient along the top - beautiful! Also I think we get a hint of the sail action

Anyhow this isn’t remotely definitive, and may not be unique to the SEV. I looked for other truck dirt videos but didn’t see anything comparable. Maybe some interesting clues though
This is without a tonneau...the benefit of the sails and roof spoiler. Would love to see something like this for the AT4.

The dust kicked up from the rears may just be hidden by what comes of the front tires. Or, as the truck pitches up the fronts slip a bit in the dirt.

As I mentioned in the other thread, it rocks in this color.

No mention of lockers.
 
#45 ·
There was a patent application a while back for interlocking the diffs on axles with motors on each wheel. For now, you are better off in off-road/limited traction situations having one motor per axle since, in that case, full power can be transferred to the wheel with traction with mechanical lockers. With separate motors for each wheel, e-lockers mean the wheel with traction is limited to the power of that wheel's motor and can even get less as the electronics try to match power to both wheels but are limited by the one with less traction.
 
#46 ·
With separate motors for each wheel, e-lockers mean the wheel with traction is limited to the power of that wheel's motor and can even get less as the electronics try to match power to both wheels but are limited by the one with less traction.
Had to think about this for a bit, I think there’s a problem with that logic; it’s actually backwards. With one motor and two wheels on a flat surface, each wheel gets half the total power delivered. With a motor on each wheel, in total there’s twice the power. There’s always more power with more motors.

OK so other extreme is one wheel off the ground. It’s the same for single locked diff or dual motor - there’s only one operational motors with the total power in either case. Either the in air motor is off, or the diff only delivers to the traction wheel.

So you’re talking here about some middle ground where the two motors are trying to match power somehow? Like say there’s a side with slip, so it lowers the power output to that side to keep traction. Here the motors aren’t matched, they’re deliberately using different power levels to maintain traction.

So not seeing what the idea is here …
 
#65 ·
Well well well …

How to use locking differentials

Your vehicle must be in Terrain Mode or the 4Lo transfer case setting (if equipped) to engage both the front and rear lockers. On some vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the button must be held down for at least 5 seconds to engage both lockers.
This is a page about using lockers and EV’s, on the Chevy site. Could be a typo (but a really weird one?) or an inadvertent leak. Also an article about how to use Sidewinder mode
 
#66 ·
Well well well …
This is a page about using lockers and EV’s, on the Chevy site. Could be a typo (but a really weird one?) or an inadvertent leak.
Verrrry Interesting...great catch!

Encouraging. At some point lockers should be available...but when? If it weren't on a Chevrolet site I might go with typo since the Hummers have lockers but, with this being webpages specifically about EV driving on a Chevy site I am more inclined to think it is a publication getting ahead of the vehicles being in public.
 
#25 ·
Great product. Could be my next truck. Max 478mi is amazing, but honestly if the cost savings is there, that 410 is getting close to my current 440, I think I'd be comfortable sacrificing 30mi of ranch of $5-10k in savings.

The issue I'm having, and picked up from looking into the LT's, is that there will surely be some kind of package you'll be forced into for the Super Cruise which is a must for me. That means that it will still be $80k, and not enough savings to come off my Sierra EV. Just need SuperCruise/Lane Center on a $72k or less pickup. With Tax credit, only Ford and Tesla offer this at the expense of range. My Whack-A-Mole game for the perfect truck continues.
 
#27 ·
Thanks Nebula... it's just soooooooooooooooooooooo annoying. I don't need 22's, I don't need mid-gates, etc etc... please please GM just give us the tech. If I end up in a Tesla CT, if and when they increase range, it will be because of stuff like this. Actually, the Lightning Flash package comes with Blue Cruise capability for $67k pre-tax credit; how does GM choose not compete in this space.

Sorry guys, I know this is repetitive. 😒
 
#53 ·
Front Motor teardown:

<Munro boys>
Watching Munro videos always hurts, production wonks criticizing every weld and machining turn makes me want to cry 😅 It's like they think an engineered product is just about the lowest level of production efficiency, when it's much, much much more to consider.

Bean counters basically, it's like the food companies that say "aw damn you know cane sugar is marginally more expensive than high fructose corn, let's use the latter everywhere". Or another one they do "hey you know stopping the production lines for maintenance is costing money, but if we put more oil into the material (e.g. what you eat) then it'll naturally grease the machines and we can keep them running 24/7".

Manufactured food is such garbage in the US because of this this kind of production efficiency thinking; it's a disease and I'm thankful when I see a company like GM not succumb to it. Sure - make production as efficient as you can but don't obsess about it, make your margins other ways. This is why I have a bone to pick with Tesla - sure they produce cars cheap, big deal, but it's the same damn car year after year. Do not ever tell me that's better.

On this one I wish they did the video more like the Weber Auto channel where you can see it semi-assembled. Again a couple of wonks looking with a microscope.
 
#67 ·
I checked the Wayback Machine for this page. It's been around unchanged since 2023 with just very generic information about diffs and lockers, only the Hummer EV is mentioned and the icon is shown for the rear lockers only. The last snapshot was Feb 14 of this year with no changes. So these edits are post Feb and not captured by Wayback yet.

So somebody came into these pages in the last three months and added instructions on how to use them for the Silverado EV specifically. I'll call that practically definitive and say we're going to see dual lockers 🎉🎉🎉

before

Image


after
Image
 
#86 ·
So, I've been trying to figure out what the hydraulic rebound control is that keeps getting referred to in regards the Trail Boss and AT4.

The best I can make out is that it is the equivalent of a hydraulic bump stop only on the rebound side of the shock rather than the compression side. Here is a diagram of a shock with integrated hydraulic bump stop. Note, on the right, that it is a separate hydraulic valve set that creates additional resistance as the shaft stroke approaches the end of its compression stroke. I think the hydraulic rebound control is this sort of valve, only on the top of the stroke where the wheel is at its largest droop. This makes sense for higher speed running with heavy wheels and tires where you want the suspension to follow the terrain but not hit a hard stop in the shocks when they fully extend. Most suspensions will already have some form of mechanical bump stop on the compression stroke.

Hopefully, we will know more soon.

Image
 
#90 ·
What did you see that made you think the active damping only functions near the end of the stroke?

It would make more sense for the damping valve to have an effect over the entire travel of the suspension. That way it could better adjust for heavy and light loads and different air spring rates.
 
#47 · (Edited)
Hummer rear dual motor motor, duplicated ports for the two motors

Image


Hummer/Silverado Front, Hummer version has a locking diff. Presumably the diff is built in like the housing? Looks like it would be on the left side output from this picture. If so then a variation.

Image


Silverado back has a diff too, and will probably have a locker if it has any at all.

Now for the interesting question; what if the lockers are already built in but neutered? With low BOM lines like this it’s pretty common to just include dead hardware you neutered out for options, cheaper than having different variations. And would already be the case as the Hummer front uses the locker, with the non TB/AT4 SEV’s having them neutered 👀
 
#50 ·
Hummer rear dual motor motor, duplicated ports for the two motors

View attachment 5508

Hummer/Silverado Front, Hummer version has a locking diff. Presumably the diff is built in like the Bolt? Looks like it woudl be on the left side output from this picture. If so then a variation.

View attachment 5509

Silverado back has a diff too, and will probably have a locker if it has any at all.

Now for the interesting question; what if the lockers are already built in but neutered? With low BOM lines like this it’s pretty common to just include dead hardware you neutered out for options, cheaper than having different variations. And would already be the case as the Hummer front uses the locker, with the non TB/AT4 SEV’s having them neutered 👀
It would be cool to be able to turn on a locker with an aux switch if we could enable on an existing truck!
 
#7 · (Edited)
Image


She was replaced by Kathy Gillespie (Who also is the lead for the Celestiq) then looks like Joe is a recent replacement. Joe was the Chief Engineer for GM's Autonomous vehicles.
 
#8 ·
That's a lot of promotions and already in management. She's got the relaxed manner that makes for promotion so no surprise. This will continue until the Peter Principle kicks in, which is you get promoted to the level of your incompetence 😅 It's true actually ...

I made top tier engineering but never management despite a few tries, I made the mistake of being too good an engineer. Avoid being a good engineer if you want promotion, good ones are too valuable to lose so if you want to rise in the ranks you have to kind of suck as an engineer.
 
#19 ·
You're the shock expert not me in the slightest but I wonder if they're using this now?

General Motors Magnetic Ride Control

Magnetic Ride Control (MRC or MagneRide) is a General Motors chassis and suspension technology that adapts and adjusts the shock absorbers of a vehicle in real-time in response to changes in terrain in order to deliver optimal shock damping for the best possible driving experience.
Been around for a while but according to AI search has not been on the TB, which instead 'features a Z71 suspensions package with factory lift and Rancho shocks".

Given the weight of this vehicle the ICE suspension probably won't work, but maybe this system would be the treat. Slamming 9k lbs over potholes would need something special to keep from slamming around I'd think.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I think around 520 was the record going 100% to zero but with a lot of 70 mph. I actually think getting - who knows - 530+ should be possible with under 60 and a bit of hypermiling. I don't know why the YouTubers aren't trying this, seeing how high they can get, it would make a great video. They just run and gun. The first one to get 550 miles would be a big splash.
 
#30 ·
Also with those 22”/24” one concern for me is road noise, I’m not fond of the short sidewalls they have on the Bolt which gives too much road feel and noise.

You guys know from my blathering that I was long planning the Max LT, but damn if the off roadies aren’t compelling packages. Knowing the range just seals the deal. Only - the only downside for me is no underbody wheel storage. I’ll have to keep a spare in the bed. But totally worth it since the tradeoff is lots of sidewall cushion, AT and doesn’t hurt range enough to matter.
 
#31 ·
Only - the only downside for me is no underbody wheel storage. I’ll have to keep a spare in the bed. But totally worth it since the tradeoff is lots of sidewall cushion, AT and doesn’t hurt range enough to matter.
When was the last time you had a flat? I buy quality tires and it has been 30 years or so - lack of a spare isn't a big concern for me. With the 24s it might have been but with 35" tires on 18" wheels not really.