I recently had the opportunity to experience the MINT 400 off-road race from a unique perspective: behind the wheel of a 2025 Chevy Silverado EV LT pickup truck. Equipped with the Premium package, including a useful passthrough midgate, panoramic sunroof, 22-inch wheels, and SuperCruise, I was eager to see how the street version of the Silverado EV would handle the highways and dirt roads near Las Vegas, Nevada. My goal was to assess its efficiency and see if I could keep up with Chad Hall, who was piloting the Silverado EV ZR2 off-road concept race truck.
My experience didn’t involve navigating the grueling off-road racing routes. Instead, I used highways and shortcuts between pit areas to observe the race. The electric ZR2 off-road race truck began its life as a Silverado EV WT test mule and was later converted for racing. The most noteworthy element of the race was the debut of Multimatic’s new ASV (Adaptive Spool Valve) dampers.
We’re already familiar with Multimatic’s DSSV dampers, which GM uses in its ZR2 and AT4X pickup trucks, including mid-size, full-size, and heavy-duty models. The ASV technology integrates continuously adjustable spool valve technology. The truck’s computer adjusts the valving in each damper in real-time. This adaptation is designed to give the best performance in all driving conditions and terrains.
This concept isn’t new; Ford has been using FOX Live Valve dampers in its Raptor vehicles for several years, and Ram employs Bilstein Blackhawk e2 dampers on its TRX and RHO trucks. While GM isn’t currently testing this suspension in public, I anticipate that the ASV suspension will be offered on Chevy and GMC off-road trucks in the next year or two. Given that it will be a premium setup, it’s unlikely that the ASV dampers will be installed on all ZR2 or AT4X trucks. Of course, GM could surprise us.
Back to the Silverado EV LT street truck. The LT expands Chevrolet’s electric Silverado lineup and offers up to 408 miles of driving range. Given these driving conditions (around 75 mph on the highway and 20-35 mph on rough dirt roads), I achieved 1.7 mi/kWh. Although this is a heavy vehicle with dual-motor AWD, I would have preferred that efficiency was closer to 2.0 mi/kWh after daily driving. Although designed more for mainstream consumers, the Silverado EV LT has a starting price of $75,195. The LT Premium package adds $6,800 to the price. For comparison, a 2025 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT crew cab 4×4 pickup with a 5.3L V8 and maximum tow package begins at $60,395. The electric version costs nearly $15,000 more.
