The future of the automotive industry is laying in electric drivetrains. We can see EVs in different segments, mostly small vehicles. Larger SUVs are starting to use hybrid technology, and there are some all-electric versions coming in 2025 and 2026.
In the truck segment, the situation is more difficult. Pickups fought SUVs to survive and that happened mostly because of their towing capability. On the other hand, electric drivetrains are expensive and spend too much power when loaded. That is exactly why we don’t see too many of those on the streets.
For now, the only electric pickup truck in production is Tesla Cybertruck. However, sales are not great. Plus, there are plenty of concepts by well-known truckmakers. Hummer EUT, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, and Ram 150 REV are projects that we might see in production soon. Also, Toyota introduced the Tacoma EV. But, the bottom line is – there are no electric trucks at dealerships.
Already Available for Buying
The F-150 Lightning can already be built and priced on the official site. But, buyers will have to wait a bit before it is delivered. The first units are coming in October, while other trim levels will be available in 2024. The Lightning Pro is the top of the class version and fans already completed the pre-order on these. The base price for the XLT is $65,000.
Before the F-150 went all-electric, Tesla proved its leadership in innovation in the electric world. The Cybertruck is the first-ever electric pickup. Still, you need to pay $100 for the reservation and wait until the production starts. The Cybertruck can offer a range of 500 miles in the high-end setup. The $50k priced base model won’t impress so much.
Pre-Orders Available
Another confirmed vehicle and already available for the reservation is the Chevy Silverado EV. There will be up to 400 miles of range and 10k pounds of towing capacity. It shares the platform and the battery with the GMC Sierra Denali EV. The recharging system can top up energy for 100 miles in 10 minutes, and vehicles speed up to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. But, the first electric pickup from General Motors is Hummer. It was a surprise to see it as a truck, but the company will also build an electric SUV. Highlights are the special features. Crab Walk allows Hummer EUT to move diagonally. The Extract Mode can lift the body and make it more capable for off-road drive.
Of course, the last big US truckmaker will build an electric vehicle. Ram Revolution, or Ram 1500 REV, is another official model available for pre-order. We still don’t know when the production starts.
Confirmed
The only truck available with hybrid technology is the Toyota Tundra. But, the Japanese carmaker is not bragging too much about and making early promises. It took just a few months between the announcement of the I-Force Max technology and its appliance in the Tundra truck. We expect the same from the Tacoma EV. Our sources confirmed it and the company released a couple of teaser images. But, the vehicle is not available on the official website. Future Vehicles and Electric Models tabs are not featuring the Tacoma. But, Toyota won’t wait for too long.
A Few Interesting Concepts
The electric truck segment is a promising market. Big companies took over the charge, but until a few months ago, we could find tons of startup projects and promising concepts. Some expected a lot from Rivian R1T and called it a Tesla rival. Furthermore, rumors were floating about big investments, but the vehicle never entered production. Everyone doubts it will ever do. Some of them are Canoo electric pickup, Lordstown Endurance, or Fisker electric truck.
These are some older concepts that are still possible to happen. Bollinger is for example, dead. Fans called it the electric Hummer. Well, it happened eventually, but not based on the Bollinger concepts. Badger is another older project which is shut down. More interesting, the owner company is called Nikola, and they tried to draw attention by filing a lawsuit against Tesla over the name rights.
New names we are following right now are Hercules Alpha, EdisonFuture and Atlis XT. All of them promise excellent towing capacities, long ranges, and high power outputs. Well, those are numbers for drawing attention, while the production vehicles will be slightly downpowered. Also, these startups can serve as a base for some trucks by big companies with a reputation in the pickup world.