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The next time you see flashing lights, they could be on top of the new 2023 Chevy Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicle.

As Elwood Blues said, “It’s got a cop motor …, it’s got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks,” and in the case of the PPV, a giant alternator and Z71 suspension option. Chevy will start selling the Silverado PPV to departments this summer. It’s a crew-cab, short bed, four-wheel drive truck with a few high-speed enhancements and the all-important certified speedometer.

The new Silverado PPV joins the Tahoe PPV in Chevy’s first responder lineup.

‘Cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks’

The 2023 Chevy Silverado PPV is designed for police duty.
2023 Chevy Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicle | Chevrolet

unlike the Blues Brothers’ Dodge, there’s no 440 Hemi in this beast. Instead, the PPV has a 355-hp 5.3-liter V8 that gets slightly better city fuel economy than Chevy’s 6.2-liter. It’s rated at 20 mpg on the highway. Chevy says the 5.3-equipped Silverados can hit 60 mph in about 5.4 seconds. Not that long ago, Camaros were considered quick if they could do that.

The PPV is, pretty much, a Z71 package, and includes the same Rancho shocks, locking rear differential and skid plate. A two-inch lift is optional.

The big giveaway that it’s a PPV, and not a civilian truck, will be the 20-inch black steel wheels. Behind those rims are a six-piston Brembo brake package, and they’re shod with 20-inch Goodyear tires that are, of course, “speed rated.”

The new 2023 Chevy Silverado PPV includes a 220-amp alternator and two 120-volt outlets. The 220-amp alternator is an option on other Silverados. And departments can get the PPV outfitted with a bank of switches that control three 30-amp and two 20-amp circuits for lights and sirens.

The interior isn’t as plush as other Silverados; instead the PPV gets easy-clean heavy-duty vinyl flooring and rear seats.

Silverados are popular, but they are not the most reliable trucks, according to Consumer Reports.

The Tahoe PPV is its four-door cousin

The Silverado joins the Tahoe in Chevy's PPV range.
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle | Chevrolet

Since 2021 Chevy has offered departments a current-generation Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle and the Special Service Vehicle. The PPV can be ordered in two or four-wheel-drive. The SSV is only available as a 4×4, but it has a special terrain mode that mimics a four-low transfer case.

Both are powered by the same 4.3-liter V8 as the Silverado, but they have the higher-performance rockers from the Camaro’s ZL1 LT4. Those heads don’t provide more power, just better ventilation, so it can handle high-speed turns without starving for oil. That being said, it’s suffers from many of the same maladies that the Silverado does.

The cop tires on the Tahoes are pursuit-rated 20-inch tires from Bridgestone or Firestone on steel wheels. The cop suspension on the PPV and SSV Tahoes is slightly lowered and has different dampers and springs than the ones we can buy. The PPV Tahoe also features Brembo six-piston brakes.

To control all the lights, computers, sirens, radios and more that officers require, the Tahoes have a 760-amp battery connected to 31 circuits in the cockpit and 56 circuits in the cargo area. That’s a lot of lights.  

Can you order a PPV-spec 2023 Chevy Silverado?

The Silverado PPV is the police-only version of a Z71-spec truck.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado PPV | Chevrolet

Unfortunately, civilians can’t order a PPV truck. The closest thing to a PPV that we can order is a 2023 Chevy Silverado LT with the Z71 and Convenience packages. In white, of course.

The same adaptive cruise control, rear park assist, lane change alert and cross traffic braking are available, and so is the 220-amp alternator. A similar truck would sell for about $57,000.

So, as Elwood Blues said, “So whatta’ ya’ say, is it the new Blues mobile or what?”

Related: Refreshed 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 Pricing Is out, How Much Is the Silverado ZR2?

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.