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Automakers are developing new electric pickups, and they’re hitting the road in 2022.
The automotive industry is at a turning point. Automakers big and small are rushing to develop electric cars, and they’re not alone. New competitors such as Tesla and Rivian challenge the domination of Detroit automakers in the truck segment. Pickup trucks, one of the most popular vehicle segments, will play a vital role in the emergence of EVs.
The next few years will see several new electric pickup trucks go on sale. It’ll be a crowded field of compelling options. Each new model targets a different type of customer and offers different specs, payload capacities, and varying starting price points.
Here’s a look at the electric pickup trucks that will go on sale in 2022 and beyond.
Rivian is a brand-new startup company that produces the R1T. It’s a lifestyle pickup truck aimed at outdoor enthusiasts. It is also aimed at those looking for endurance. Rivian designed many of the R1T’s stand-out features for those consumers, like the Gear Tunnel. It’s located between the cab and bed and it can house a portable camp kitchen.
Its electric motors make it capable of hitting 60 miles per hour in 3.0 seconds. It has an 11,000-pound towing capacity. It’s also capable off-road, with over three feet of wading depth. It has superb ground clearance thanks to its air suspension setup.
The Rivian R1T is a new player on the scene in a competitive segment. Established American automakers have dominated truck sales for decades.
The Hummer used to be a brash, gas-guzzling utilitarian SUV with military roots. Now, the latest iteration gives the popular model a new future. General Motors revived the Hummer nameplate for the new all-electric pickup called the GMC Hummer EV.
It’s a massive vehicle with a big price tag. It also has a few party tricks like Crabwalk, four-wheel steering and fast charging. Unlike the Rivian, the Hummer pushes the boundaries on performance. It offers up to 1,000 horsepower with its Ultium batteries and all-wheel drive. This can launch the pickup to 60 miles per hour in an estimated 3.0 seconds.
Like many new electric models, GMC is staggering the Hummer EV’s launch. It will first introduce the most expensive model. The first of several cheaper, less-powerful models will arrive this fall. Another new model will launch in 2023, followed by the last variant in 2024.
The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle and the best-selling full-size truck in America. Transitioning the icon to all-electric power is no easy feat. However, the Ford F-150 Lightning shows a lot of promise for the pickup’s electrified future.
Unlike the Rivian and GMC, Ford targets the traditional truck buyer. That effort is evident in the truck’s styling. It looks identical to the gas-powered F-150 with a few EV-specific details. Ford wanted customers to know that the F-150 Lightning offers the same capability as the F-150.
The switch to electricity allows Ford to increase the truck’s storage capability with a front trunk – frunk. The move to a battery pack also will enable customers to power other things with the truck, like tools. The truck can supply electricity to a house if the power goes out.
The Chevrolet Silverado EV has more in common with the GMC Hummer EV than the gas-powered Silverado from General Motors. That’s evident in its styling. However, things are different with the powertrain, with the Silverado EV geared more toward typical truck buyers.
It’ll be less powerful and slower than the GMC Hummer EV. It will have 664 horsepower on tap for a 4.5-second sprint to 60 miles per hour for the RST trim. The WT (Work Truck) trim has only 510 horsepower available, but the estimated range is the same.
The Silverado EV will have a staggered rollout like other EVs, with the pricey First Edition arriving first. It will go on sale for the 2023 model year. Different variants will debut in summer 2024 for the 2025 model year.
Tesla in California first teased the Cybertruck as a concept in 2019 and it hasn’t entered production yet. Its futuristic design has excited EV enthusiasts, which might get toned down for the production version.
The Cybertruck concept debuted with a unique, wedge-shaped design with a steel sheet metal body and no side mirrors. It’s as far from a conventional truck as one can get, but specific details about it remain a mystery. Tesla and CEO Elon Musk often make big changes to a product before it enters production.
Toyota trails its competitions with EVs, but it did tease more than a dozen electrified models late last year that included a pickup truck. Toyota didn’t call it a Tacoma, but the EV is a mid-size truck, which would make it a sibling to the Tacoma.
The automaker shared little about the products it showed off, so it’s too early to tell when the electric Tacoma would go on sale. However, Toyota has ambitious plans to offer 30 battery electric vehicles by 2030, and we expect a Tacoma-sized truck to be one of them.
Nissan hasn’t made any official announcement about plans to produce an electric pickup truck. But the company did tease such a model late last year called the Nissan Surf-Out. Nissan hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but like other automakers, the company has big plans. It wants to produce only electric vehicles one day.
There isn’t a wide selection of electric pickup trucks on sale yet, but that’s quickly changing. Starting this year, automakers big and small will begin releasing a variety of all-electric trucks, giving customers a range of choices. Many of the trucks listed above will be on sale in a few short years, and customers will have to decide which truck fits their needs and budgets.
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