Affordable Electric Pickup Trucks Are Coming!
Do you see an electric pickup truck in your future? The marketplace for electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating rapidly. Only five years ago, all battery electric vehicles sold were limited to a range of 84 miles or less. Only the Tesla Model S had a range, over 200 miles, and a hefty price tag ($70,000 to $100,000). Beginning in 2017, several new EVs with ranges over 200 miles hit the market, starting with the Chevrolet Bolt and the Tesla Model 3, with prices starting around $37,000.
But will EVs be accepted by the public? Will the marketplace provide EVs people want to buy? One refrain we’ve heard for a long time is “I’m not buying an electric vehicle because nothing can beat my truck.” Guess what’s emerging in 2021? Battery electric pickup trucks. At least five new EV pickup trucks are coming out in 2021 and early 2022.
These new EV pickup trucks look to have all the power, space, and utility of current fossil-fueled pickups. And they come with lots of options to improve driving range and comfort. Best of all, these new EV pickups will lower the price of ownership and operation substantially. Some estimates show a total cost of ownership savings of $31,000 to $49,000 over a 16-year life (Electric Auto Association, EV Buyers Guide, 2021).
Warning: don’t read on. Seriously, you’re gonna want one!
Rivian R1T Pickup truck

One of the first EV pickup trucks to hit the market will be the Rivian R1T Pickup truck. Rivian is a new automaker and first deliveries are expected in summer 2021. Rivian has a futuristic body design with a crew cab. The driving range is 250 to 400 miles, depending on three battery sizes. Starting price is $75,000 for the “Launch Edition” but an “Explore” model will be available later with a $67,000 price tag. Where to start with the features … all-wheel drive, amazing acceleration, large towing capacity, long driving ranges, lots of standard features. Can’t wait to see this truck in a showroom somewhere soon. Another hint, Rivian will come out with a SUV version soon. To learn more, go to Rivian’s web site at: https://rivian.com/r1t
General Motors Hummer EV

GM is investing heavily in EV technology and announced going to all EV models by 2035. To show its commitment, GM announced a new Hummer EV model for a Fall 2021 release. Good news – 350 to 400-mile range, rugged construction, 4-wheel drive, a removable top, and options galore. It even has a 4-wheel steer mode to allow diagonal driving! It’s advertised as having “Extreme Off-Road Capabilities”. Have you seen the Super Bowl ad? The price for the initial “Edition1” model is around $112,000. After its October announcement, online reservations sold out in 10 minutes. Later models going on sale beginningin 2022 will start at $79,995. Check it out at GM’s website (https://www.gm.com/masthead-story/hummer-electric-truck-ev.html)
Tesla CyberTruck

Tesla has announced the production of a new EV pickup truck called “CyberTruck”. The design of this truck truly stands out. It’s not your typical pickup body style. Some have called it eccentric. The body uses stainless steel panels to improve durability and passenger protection, has a light bar rather than headlights, sports a futuristic interior design, has seating for six (3 seats in front and 3 seats in back), large towing capacity, all-wheel drive options, and a 250+ to 500+ mile driving range depending on battery options. Final details and features are still being developed. Good news is prices are supposed to start at around $40,000 with options boosting the price to over $70,000. It is definitely a different take on a pickup truck. Expect models on sale in early 2022. Check it out at Tesla’s website —  https://www.tesla.com/cybertruck
Ford F-150 Electric

Ford has announced it will sell a full battery electric version of its F-150 pickup truck starting in the summer of 2022. The F-150 pickup is the best-selling fossil fueled truck currently on the market. Expect Ford to produce an EV version that will match the capabilities of the current model. Details are currently limited but expect the body to be based on the current F-150 frame. Expected features are all-wheel drive, crew cab, and a very powerful towing capacity. (A prototype pulled a million-pound section of train cars! See more at: https://insideevs.com/reviews/377328/ford-f150-electric-truck-details/
Lordstown Motors Endurance

The Lordstown Motors Endurance pickup truck is aimed at being the first commercial EV pickup truck. Deliveries are expected in early 2021 to fleet customers. Starting price will be about $52,500 before options. The Endurance will have an in-wheel hub motor system at each wheel to power its all-wheel drive system. Lordstown says the design of the Endurance, with fewer parts than a fossil-fueled truck, will improve reliability and result in lower costs to operate. Other features include a crew cab, seating for five, and a range of over 250 miles. Towing capacity is 7,500 lbs.
See more at https://lordstownmotors.com/pages/endurance
If you read this far, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll want to have one of these five truck models when they, and others, hit the market in the next 18 months. Powerful engines, long driving ranges, heavy duty capacity to handle heavy duty work, and huge savings on cost of ownership. And with that, another hesitation to resist electric vehicles will begin to fade away. “Honey, I stopped at the dealership and have I got a surprise for you!”
More reading mileage
For an online presentation of this information at the recent Davis Electric Vehicle Association (DEVA) meeting Feb 10, 2021, visit this YouTube video on our LiveCoolDavis YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/d6FAUbcsvdA.Â
Note: The Nikola Badger pickup truck discussed at the Feb 10 DEVA meeting is not going into production. Nikola was depending on a billion dollar investment from GM to move to production but that fell through on December 1st. The Nikola website still looks like it is coming out. Googling Nikola Badger brings up lots of information from last summer about the Badger rather than the decision not to go ahead.
Cool Davis encourages “EV curious” folks to visit our Drive Electric page.
To watch Davis Electric Vehicle Association (DEVA) meetings and Driving on Sunshine 2021 home tours, visit our YouTube playlists.
To drop in on a DEVA meeting, or learn more, visit the DEVA webpage.
To see other LiveCoolDavis YouTube content, visit our channel.
Richard Bode is a member of the Davis Electric Vehicle Association’s Leadership Board. He has been an EV driver for over eight years. He has a strong interest in measures to improve air quality in California and its communities. He worked for California’s Air Resources Board to manage their Health Effects group and, later, the Greenhouse Gas Emissions group involved in developing the State’s 2020 GHG emissions goal.
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