Back in 2019, Ford had its prototype all-electric F-150 pickup truck tow a double-decker, 10-car freight train filled with 42 other F-150s.
Not to rain on Ford’s parade, but apparently towing a train isn’t hard to do, though it’s still insanely cool and represented a trend toward EV pickups years in the making.
It’s a shift that makes sense for one simple reason:
America LOVES pickup trucks
When we say “loves,” we mean it:
- 5 of the 10 bestselling vehicles in 2020 were pickups
- For 39 straight years, the F-150 has been America’s bestselling vehicle
- The 3 top-selling pickups accounted for 13% of vehicles sold in the US in 2020
- 20% of total US auto sales in 2020 were — you guessed it — pickups
Companies new and old are revving their engines batteries
Tesla already received hundreds of thousands of preorders for Cybertruck, and Rivian’s R1T pickup will reach its first customers in June.
Detroit and Japan are making moves, too:
- Ford has said its electric F-150 will enter production in Q1 of 2022
- Toyota last week confirmed it’s bringing an electric powertrain to its pickup lineup
- GMC is releasing a 1k-horsepower, ~$113k Hummer EV pickup truck this fall
The new EVs could create a wave of ‘convenient environmentalists’
Consulting firm Oliver Wyman found 51% of people were willing to buy an EV in March 2021, up from 34% in spring 2020.
Per the WSJ, electric trucks are attracting drivers who might not otherwise opt for an electric anything, simply because they perform well.
If you’re in the market, but the prices are too damn high, check out this option from Alibaba. With a width of ~3 feet and a 28 mph max speed, it’s an absolute beast.
