It’s almost 2021, and there is still not a single battery-powered truck you can buy new in America. And yet, the list of carmakers trying to snag a slice of this lucrative segment grows on a regular basis, and electric pickups are will begin flooding the market during the first half of the 2020s. There’s a lot at stake: Trucks are profitable and hugely popular in America. It’s not a coincidence that the Ford F-Series has been the bestselling vehicle for the past 38 years.
While we wait, we’re looking at the battery-powered pickups that have been announced and are currently being developed. Keep in mind that the details in this story could change. We’re discussing trucks that don’t exist yet, sometimes made by companies that have never built a car. Delays, cancellations, and other surprises aren’t inconceivable. Basic market research is extremely important before you plop down a four-digit deposit.
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Atlis XT
Base range: 300 miles
Base price: $45,000
Available in: 2021
Arizona-based newcomer Atlis introduced the four-door XT online in 2019. It hopes to deliver a truck that drives, tows, and hauls at least as well as a V8-powered model without burning a drop of gasoline. Its drivetrain consists of four in-wheel electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that delivers up to 300 miles of range in its most basic configuration. There’s a 500-mile version on the roster, too. Atlis plans to launch XT production in 2021, though there’s no word yet on where it will be manufactured.
Bollinger B2
Base price: $125,000
Base range: 200 miles
Available in: 2021
Forget surfboards and Instagram-friendly beaches — Bollinger’s B2 is being designed to excel when the going gets tough. It will slot into the EPA’s Class 3 category, meaning it will land in the same segment as heavy-duty variants of the Chevrolet Silverado and the Ford F-Series, among other rigs. It won’t have power windows, interior carpeting, airbags, or a giant touchscreen. When it comes to electric pickups, the B2 is shaping up to be as tough as it gets.
Its 614-horsepower powertrain is relatively compact, and the cabin only seats four, so Bollinger carved out a lumber-friendly storage compartment that runs from end to end. The B2 also boasts 15 inches of ground clearance, a 5,000-pound payload, and a relatively low 7,500-pound towing capacity. This all comes at a steep price: $125,000. Production will tentatively start in 2020, and the first deliveries are penciled in for early 2021.
Ford F-150 Electric
Base price: TBD
Base range: TBD
Available in: 2021
America’s best-selling vehicle for decades is going electric. Ford confirmed it will offer a battery-powered version of the next-gen F-150 to fend off an offensive led by Tesla and Rivian. Little is known about the model, though we know it will be the quickest and most powerful version of the truck, and deliveries are tentatively scheduled to start in 2022. If you can’t wait that long for an electrified truck, you’ll have to settle for the PowerBoost hybrid model introduced in June 2020. Its gasoline-electric drivetrain is built around a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.
GMC Hummer
Base price: $112,595 (at launch)
Base range: 350 miles
Available in: Late 2021
After several delays, GMC finally introduced the first Hummer-badged off-roader in nearly a decade. It picks up where its predecessors left off from a design standpoint, but it’s entirely electric; it doesn’t burn a drop of gasoline. Its specifications are nonetheless extremely impressive. GMC quotes up to 350 miles of range, 1,000 horsepower, and a three-second sprint to 60 mph that’s on par with many high-performance models.
General Motors president Mark Reuss revealed that one-, two-, and three-motor variants will be available when the truck hits showrooms. It’s expected to begin rolling into dealerships in the fall of 2021 as a 2022 model.
Lordstown Endurance
Base price:$52,500
Base range: 250 miles
Available in: 2021
With 600 hp from four individual motors and a 7,500-pound towing capacity, the Lordstown Endurance sounds like an all-around practical truck that never needs to visit a gas station. It delivers about 250 miles of range in its most basic configuration, and its on-board power outlet promises to let users run tools and charge their devices off the grid by drawing power from its battery pack. We haven’t seen the truck in the metal yet, but we know it will be built in a former General Motors factory located in Lordstown, Ohio, hence its name.
Lordstown planned to introduce the production version of the Endurance at the 2020 edition of the Detroit auto show, but the event has been canceled. It’s still scheduled to make its debut in the summer of 2020, but its reveal will likely take place online. Deliveries will begin in early 2021.
Rivian R1T
Base price: $69,000
Base range: 230 miles
Available in: 2021
Rivian became the industry’s sweetheart when it introduced the R1T at the 2018 edition of the Los Angeles auto show. This electric off-roader is a lifestyle-oriented model that’s more comfortable hauling kayaks than hay bales, and it’s decked out with clever features like a pass-through under the cargo box and a feature called tank turn. Rivian’s project was so convincing that Amazon and Ford funneled a substantial amount of money into it.
The specifications sheet lists three available lithium-ion battery packs ranging from 105 to 180 kilowatt-hours, between 230 and 400 miles of range, and a towing capacity of about 11,000 pounds. Although the goal was to begin production by the end of 2020 in a former Mitsubishi factory located in Normal, Illinois, Rivian had to delay deliveries until 2021.
Tesla Cybertruck
Base price: $39,000
Base range: 250 miles
Available in: 2021
Imagine what you’d get if you crossed a sports car with a pickup truck. You may have guessed it already, but we’re talking about the Tesla Cybertruck. This radical-looking vehicle is one of the most controversial on this list, but there’s a lot more to it than just an angular roofline and potential bulletproofing.
For one, this pickup truck will comfortably seat six, will have a 17-inch touchpad, and will deliver 250-500 miles of range based on how it’s configured. The exoskeleton of the truck will protect passengers and drivers with stainless steel.
Not only that, but it will be able to tow up to 14,000 pounds, too – enough to put it in competition with fan-favorites like the Ford F-150. Tesla has told California regulators that it will be closer in weight to the medium-duty Ford F-250.
Tesla plans to build the Cybertruck in a soon-to-be-built factory, and they plan to release the first examples by late 2021. Some variations of the truck, however, won’t be available until 2022. It wouldn’t be out of the norm to see further delays, either – the company recently pushed back the Roadster’s launch, so the same could happen to the Cybertruck.
Electric pickup trucks are one of the vehicles of the future, especially since there are so few of them available so far. It’s exciting to anticipate the release of the potentially life-changing vehicles.