Something special went down to the desert outside Las Vegas this weekend: Two EV took for the first time the Mint 400.
Since mint 400 launched in 1969, vehicles in this iconic desert patience race have been made possible by dead dinosaurs. The spectators and participants of the race are accustomed to the wind fuel smell in the air, as everything, from the motivated V8 trophy trucks, to the humble class 11 Stock Volkswagen Beetles fly over the jumps, clamber on the rocks and go out on the lake’s dry bed.
This changed all in 2024 when a group of friends entered a R1T Rivian and the organizer of the mint Matt Martelli created an EV production class. This year, Chevrolet entered the game and entered the concept of off -road Truck Silverado EV ZR2, a modified version of his Truck EV. The discovery of the concept comes as Chevy prepares to launch the Trail 2026 chief Silverado EV, his first EV -oriented variant this summer.
While Rivian is a lot of stock truck and for up -to -date tires 35 inches Bfgourich, Silverado EV took many separate parts.
The longest wings were taken by Hummer EV to allow 13 inches of travel. The air suspension was bonded in favor of double spiral springs at the front-with a 1,600-pound spring rate for inch-and-spiral sources in the rear. These do not need to support so much weight and sit on “only” 978 pounds/inch. Hey, this is what happens when a truck weighs nearly 10,000 pounds.
High resources and BFGOODRich tires 37 inches mean that the Silverado racing truck decreases 15 inches away from the ground. However, the truck itself is so great that I initially estimated it was only 11 or 12 inches high. Such is the power of proportion.
Also taken from Hummer is the three-motor system, with two engines in the back and one on the front. Chevrolet says all together they produce 1,100 horsepower and 11,500 pounds of torque.
Don’t be too much jazz for that torque number. Chevrolet is talking about wheel torque, which is not the measure that the industry usually uses to talk about torque. The company has not given up on all numbers to do math, but it is safe to say that the engines produce over 1,000 pounds of items. Still nothing to sneeze.
Chevy did not change the 205 kWh battery. In the street truck is quite good for 440 miles, in sufficient theory to compete all four laps in mint 400. However, travel height, tire size, violation and air pressure, and dirt all get their number.
Tim Demetrio, manager of the road performance group in Chevrolet, told me that in a limited amount of testing, average truck .5 miles/kWh in dirt. But he really didn’t know how the battery and car units would respond to strong desert races.
Not quite square
The chance to see Rivian Square and Modified Chevy Silverado EV in Mint was interrupted by a technician. Although both vehicles were race, they were in different classes.
Rivian competed in the EV production class; Chevrolet, as a vehicle currently not offered to the public, was in the open class. And each truck was in a class of one.
What’S what is the worst, Rivian r1t had to do two 73-mile course laps, chevrolet just one lap. It is common for production vehicles to get less laps than big trophy trucks, but I hoped that both trucks would remove it for two laps to prove both efficiency and charging.
When I asked Martelli about the inconsistency, he said: “Rivian has already competed and finished a lap in last year’s race. When we are grass in every new class, we try to relieve them in it. We do not want them to fail. This is not good for anyone. So we try to manage them by giving them a little more every time.”
Call that mint 73
As soon as the trucks came out of the start line, I immediately ran into shares Silverado ev chevrolet borrowed me to drive for the weekend.
The first pit is in the Mile 21 race, and the initial part of the course is very fast. Teams have to go out on a lake bed, through some sections of conditions and treat some sand wash. By the time I arrived at the first pit, I had lost the truck.
The second area of the pit is a quick car for Chase vehicles, but Chevy should only travel 16 miles of racing course. We found a place to parked only in time to see the Silverado EV quietly magnify the corner outside the pit area in a dust cloud.
The truck crossed the finish line with a charge of 40%. This means that on average .6 miles/kWh – a little better than the team expected. It took the team 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete the course, so their average speed was about 34 miles per hour. Not too bold for a big Ol ‘truck.
Both drivers Chad Hall and co-driving Mark Stielow were good in the race.
“We just sailed,” said Stielow “no problems at all.”
For Rivian, is mint 146
After I left Chevy, I greeted her to Electric American Chargers to check Rivian.
Yes, Rivian has to upload his 149 kWh battery to make both laps and fortunately has a 350 kW charger just a quarter of the race course. The team should only enter and get out of the course at the same point.
I reached a controlled chaos scene.
R1T exploded an air spring in the racing kilometer 50 or more. The team was busy with its repair while the truck was charged.
Driver Nick Paris told me that they reached the 20% state charging station, setting their efficiency in Lap 1 in the same .6 miles/kWh as the heavier silverado.
He admitted he had a few legs, hitting 110 miles per hour on the dry bed of the lake. “We saw Chevy before us,” said co-driver Brett Rieser. “And we said” let’s go “and zooop!” Rivian made the pass and the race was on.
Charged in 90%, Rivian left in the second lap. The vehicle exploded an front, but it was only 15 minutes.
The Rivian team arrived at the finish line with a 10% loaded condition and despite pushing the truck to 128 miles per hour on the lake bed, their efficiency in Lap 2 remained .6 miles/kWh.
With their loading time it is difficult to get an average speed, but I would put it in a slower tad than chevrolet. Chad Hall is, after all, a professional racing truck driver. The Rivian team is just a bunch of delightful Nerdy privates.
Despite, after both trucks ended, both are considered class winners and will take home first place trophy.
Where are Ford, Jeep, Tesla?
While battery density and charging infrastructure means that these electricity equipment will not be competitive with cars and ice racing trucks, there is certainly room for more to enter the scheme to prove their charging speed, string and durability.
Ford Performance – When do you enter lightning? Hey jeep, how to get into a wagoneer next year? Heck, I would even be in favor of Uncle Elon entering a cybertruck. GMC can throw in the hummer, maybe Porsche can campaign a Taycan Cross Turismo. I helped Volkswagen take ID4 to the finish line in Baja in Mexico 1000 a few years ago, so let’s bring that little boy too. Imagine the spectacle of all these vehicles that fight for the electrical superiority of dirt.
