(The Gas Station is where American Cars And Racing Executive Editor Gary Gastelu vents his opinions. Feel free to let us know if you think they stink.)
The Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition is on sale now and, taking a page from the Ford history book, it’s only available in black.
At least for now. Chevy will add white to the First Edition lineup, but that’s it. You’ll have to wait for a second edition Silverado EV to get it in another color.
But that’s OK, because black and white are the third and first most popular vehicle colors in the U.S., with gray appropriately between them, according to Edmunds, and I know at least one person who is into it.
My friend is a funeral director and he’s excited that the Silverado EV has brought back not just the Midgate bed-extender from the Chevy Avalanche, but also Quadrasteer, although it’s not called that anymore. The Silverado EV RST First Edition comes standard with rear-wheel steering that allows it to make much tighter turns than a truck its size should be able to. And this all got us thinking.
The Silverado EV’s bed is 5 feet, 11 inches long, but when the Multi-Flex Midgate is down it is over 9 feet long with the tailgate closed. That’s more than enough room for a casket.
Throw in the maneuverability provided by the steering and the quiet, emissions-free drive and you have a very solemn vehicle that would look just right with a landau bar-festooned vinyl bed cap. It’s also perfect for use as flower car without the roof.
Chevrolet doesn’t currently offer any “professional vehicles” for hearse and limousine conversions, and that’s usually Cadillac’s job, but without an electric Cadillac pickup on the way, this might work for now.
Then again, Cadillac did used to sell a version of the Avalanche called the Escalade EXT that had a Midgate, so anything is possible and Silverado EV has another feature that fits in perfectly with this idea.
Its pedestrian alert sound, which plays at low speeds, as it would during a procession, is eerily similar to a pipe organ.
