One thing particular went down within the desert outdoors of Las Vegas this weekend: two EVs took on the Mint 400 for the primary time.
For the reason that Mint 400 launched again in 1969, autos on this iconic desert endurance race have been powered by lifeless dinosaurs. Spectators and race members alike are used to the scent of race gasoline within the air as the whole lot from V8-motivated Trophy Vans to humble Class 11 inventory Volkswagen Beetles fly over jumps, clamber over rocks, and go flat out on the dry lake mattress.
That each one modified in 2024 when a bunch of buddies entered a Rivian R1T and Mint organizer Matt Martelli created an EV Manufacturing class. This 12 months, Chevrolet obtained into the sport and entered the Silverado EV ZR2 off-road race truck idea, a modified model of its truck EV. The idea’s reveal comes as Chevy prepares to launch the 2026 Silverado EV Path Boss, its first off-road oriented EV variant, this summer time.
Whereas the Rivian could be very a lot a inventory truck save for the upgraded 35-inch BFGoodrich tires, the Silverado EV obtained loads of particular elements.
The longer management arms have been taken from the Hummer EV to permit for 13 inches of journey. The air suspension was nixed in favor of dual-coil springs within the entrance — with a spring charge of 1,600 kilos per inch — and single coil springs within the rear. These don’t need to help fairly a lot weight and sit at “only” 978 kilos/inch. Hey, that’s what occurs when a truck weighs almost 10,000 kilos.
The tall springs and 37-inch BFGoodrich tires imply the Silverado EV race truck sits 15 inches off the bottom. Nonetheless, the truck itself is so huge that I initially estimated it to be solely 11 or 12 inches excessive. Such is the ability of proportion.
Additionally taken from the Hummer is the tri-motor system, with two motors within the rear and one within the entrance. Chevrolet says all collectively they produce 1,100 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque.
Don’t get too jazzed about that torque quantity although. Chevrolet is speaking about wheel torque, which isn’t the measure the trade often makes use of to speak about torque. The corporate hasn’t given up all of the numbers to do the maths, nevertheless it’s secure to say the motors produce over 1,000 pound-feet of the stuff. Nonetheless nothing to sneeze at.
Chevy didn’t change the 205 kWh battery. On the street truck that’s ok for 440 miles, in concept sufficient to race all 4 laps on the Mint 400. Nonetheless, experience peak, tire measurement, tread and air strain, and the grime all take their toll.
Tim Demetrio, Group Supervisor for Off Street Efficiency at Chevrolet, instructed me that in a restricted quantity of testing, the truck averaged .5 miles/kWh within the grime. However he didn’t actually know the way the battery and drive items would react to exhausting desert racing.
Not fairly a sq. off
The prospect to see Rivian and the modified Chevy Silverado EV sq. off on the Mint was disrupted by a technicality. Though each autos did race, they have been in several courses.
The Rivian competed within the EV Manufacturing class; the Chevrolet, as a car that’s at the moment not provided to the general public, was within the EV Open class. And every truck was in a category of 1.
What’s worse, the Rivian R1T obtained to make two laps of the 73-mile course, the Chevrolet just one lap. It’s frequent for manufacturing autos to get fewer laps than the large Trophy Vans, however I hoped each vans would duke it out for 2 laps to check each effectivity and charging.
After I requested Martelli in regards to the discrepancy, he mentioned,“The Rivian has already raced and completed one lap in last year’s race. When we are shepherding in any new class we try to ease them into it. We don’t want them to fail. That’s not good for anybody. So we try to manage that by giving them a little bit more each time.”
Name it the Mint 73
As quickly because the vans got here off the beginning line, I instantly ran to the inventory Silverado EV Chevrolet lent me to drive for the weekend.
The primary pit is at race mile 21, and the preliminary a part of the course could be very quick. Groups get to go flat out over a lake mattress, by way of a number of sections of whoops and sort out some sandy washes. By the point I obtained to the primary pit, I had missed the truck.
The second pit space is a fast drive for chase autos, however the Chevy solely has to traverse 16 miles of race course. We discovered a spot to park simply in time to see the Silverado EV silently zoom across the nook out of the pit space in a cloud of mud.
The truck crossed the end line with a 40% state of cost. Which means it averaged .6 miles/kWh — a bit higher than the workforce was anticipating. It took the workforce 2 hours and 10 minutes to finish the course, so their common pace was about 34 miles per hour. Not too shabby for a giant ol’ truck.
Each driver Chad Corridor and co-driver Mark Stielow have been in good spirits after the race.
“We just cruised,” mentioned Stielow “No problems at all.”
For Rivian, it’s the Mint 146
After leaving the Chevy, I hightailed it over to the Electrify America chargers to examine on the Rivian.
Sure, the Rivian has to cost its 149 kWh battery to make the 2 laps and fortunately there’s a 350 kW charger only a mere quarter-mile from the race course. The workforce solely has to enter and exit the course on the similar level.
I arrived at a scene of managed chaos.
The R1T blew an air spring at race mile 50 or so. The workforce was busy repairing it whereas the truck charged.
Driver Nick Paris instructed me they arrived on the charging station with 20% state of cost, placing their lap 1 effectivity on the similar .6 miles/kWh because the heavier Silverado.
He admitted to having a little bit of a lead foot, hitting 110 miles per hour on the dry lakebed. “We saw the Chevy in front of us,” mentioned co-driver Brett Rieser. “And we said ‘Let’s go’ and zoooop!” The Rivian made the cross and the race was on.
Charged to 90%, the Rivian left on its second lap. The car blew a entrance damper, however was solely down for quarter-hour.
The Rivian workforce arrived on the end line with a ten% state of cost and regardless of pushing the truck to 128 miles per hour on the lakebed, their lap 2 effectivity remained .6 miles/kWh.
With their charging timeout it’s powerful to get a mean pace, however I might put it at a tad slower than the Chevrolet. Chad Corridor is, in any case, knowledgeable race truck driver. The Rivian workforce is only a bunch of delightfully nerdy privateers.
Regardless, since each vans completed, each are thought-about class winners and can take dwelling a primary place trophy.
The place are Ford, Jeep, Tesla?
Whereas battery density and charging infrastructure imply these electron-powered rigs gained’t be aggressive with ICE race automobiles and vans, there actually is room for extra EVs to enter the fray to check their charging pace, vary and sturdiness.
Ford Efficiency — when y’all coming into the Lightning? Hey Jeep, how about coming into a Wagoneer S subsequent 12 months? Heck, I’d even be in favor of Uncle Elon coming into a Cybertruck. GMC can throw within the Hummer, possibly Porsche might area a Taycan Cross Turismo. I helped Volkswagen get the ID4 to the end line in Baja within the Mexican 1000 a number of years in the past, so let’s carry that little man in too. Think about the spectacle of all these autos battling for electrical grime supremacy.
