Off-roading and outdoorsy-ness is hot right now in the auto industry and we love to see it. From Ford’s Raptor models and Subaru’s Wilderness trims to less serious trims like Hyundai’s XRT models, people are willing to pay more for an off-roader, or at least a vehicle that looks the part. Off-roading is slowly making its way to EVs as well. There’s Rivian of course, Mercedes has the electric G-Wagen, Volvo is getting into it with the rugged-looking EX30 Cross Country, and now Chevy is dipping its toes in the water (or the dirt, we should say). The bow-tie brand has an off-road Trail Boss version of the Silverado EV coming, and it’s previewing it by racing a near-production concept of it in the Mint 400.
A winning formula
Chevy calls this new race truck the Silverado EV ZR2. Engineers applied the same formula used on the gas-powered Silverado ZR2 and Colorado ZR2 race trucks. The front and rear suspension has been lifted and tuned for off-road racing, and GM’s excellent Multimatic dampers have been fitted. Skid plates, locking differentials and massive 37-inch BF Goodrich KM3 Mud-Terrain tires round out the mechanical package. If this all sounds complicated to you, it’s not. Just know that this race tuning means this thing can probably handle some pretty sweet jumps off-road. It’s also got a special livery, wider fender flares and a bunch of additional light bars.
There’s power to go with those off-road goodies, too. A tri-motor setup means the Silverado EV ZR2 is making 1,100 horsepower, 346 hp more than the dual-motor Silverado EV RST. All that power and off-road know-how is going racing in the Mint 400, with the Chad Hall Racing Team fielding the truck on behalf of the brand. Chevy says its engineers will analyze the truck’s performance and apply what they learn to production cars, performance parts and vehicle accessories. Chevy says 98 percent of the ZR2 concept’s components are production parts, too.
You’ll be able to buy an off-road Silverado EV soon
The best part? This isn’t just a one-off done for racing. The Silverado EV ZR2 is a light preview of what’s coming this summer in the form of the 2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss, which will have a lift kit, 35-inch all-terrain tires, tow hooks and a new Terrain mode. We’ll have to wait a bit for other details about the truck the closer we get to its summer launch. If the production Silverado EV Trail Boss proves to be a street-going version of the race truck — or if Chevy launches a production Silverado EV ZR2 to sit above it — the bow-tie brand may spark a new electric off-road truck war. I, for one, am here for it.
