It’s a stretch!
The Chevrolet Silverado EV resurrects a feature that was previously used on the Chevrolet Avalanche pickup.
It’s called the Multi-Flex Midgate now and it allows you to extend the length of the pickup’s cargo bed floor into the cabin.
The box is five feet, 11 inches long with the tailgate and midgate closed, but by opening the midgate, it grows to over nine feet long. And it can be configured in a variety of ways.
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The rear bench seat is split 60/40 and the sides can be folded down independently or together, which allows long items to slip under the rear window. To do that, you simply flip the seat bottom forward and then flip the seat back and wall down flat.
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The window above them can also be removed to make a larger opening. It’s held in place by two convertible-roof style latches and can be clipped into the wall for storage before you fold it flat.
The process is easy enough for one person to do in less than a minute and if you also open the tailgate — which has a flip up cargo stop on the end of it — the floor is further extended to 10 feet, 10 inches. The lower portion of the midgate can also be opened while a tonneau cover is in place to create a large enclosed storage space.
The feature is currently offered on the top of the line Silverado EV RST, which is launching soon, but not on the WT (work truck) that went on sale last year.
The Silverado EV RST is powered by a 754 hp all-wheel-drive system with 780 lb-ft of torque and has a cargo capacity of 1,500 pounds. It is also rated to tow up to 10,000 pounds and has a range of 440 miles per charge when it is unladen.
The price for a fully-loaded Silverado EV RST First Edition is $96,395, but lower-priced retail models will be offered later this year.