How Close Are We to Affordable Electric Trucks for Today’s Massive Workloads

Many electric trucks are announced, and it’s a fair question to ask if they will be affordable and do the work of current models. The marketplace is definitely on a precipice of what may be a significant change.

Table of Contents

Affordability

When electric trucks were first announced as coming to the marketplace, the prices were sky-high. Since then, however, Ford trucks have offered up the F150 Lightning Pro edition. This one is priced around $39,000. Tesla has listings at $39,000, $49,000, $69,000 and $99,000. After that, you jump to Rivian with a price of $67,500 or $73,000. The GMC Hummer is offered at $79,995.

Drivability

Electric trucks were getting a bad rap from those who looked only at the first electric cars. The early electric vehicles were such slowpokes that it was assumed that there was no way that an electric truck would be drivable. Pundits just thought there couldn’t be enough power generated for a full-size pickup truck to be competitive on the highway.

When you hear the electric truck stats, it’s clear that these pickups will be good on the highway and maybe even fun to drive. The GMC Hummer EV is expected to generate up to 1000 horsepower. It will put forth 1,045 lb-ft of torque.

The lesser-known but quite capable Rivian R1T can generate 800 horsepower and 900 lb-ft of torque. The Tesla Cybertruck is rated 690 horsepower and 824 lb-ft. Last but not least, the F150 Lightning generates 775 pound-feet of torque and 563 horsepower. The standard Lightning battery produces 426 horsepower.

If you wonder if these trucks can move, check out these 0-60 mph sprint times; 4.4 seconds for electric Ford trucks, 3 seconds for the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer, and 2.9 seconds for Tesla’s top battery package.

Capability

The capability question is still not thoroughly answered, but the stats show that electric capability grows. Ford’s Lightning Pro can tow about 10,000 pounds with its top-capacity batteries. It can pull around 6,000 with its regular battery, but that can be bumped up to 7,100 pounds with a tow package. This is still not on a par with Ford’s own 13,000-pound towing capacity, but it’s significant.

We couldn’t find the Hummer EV towing figures, but Tesla is claiming its packages tow 7,500, 10,000, and 14,000 pounds depending on whether the person buys the single-motor, dual-motor, or tri-motor system. The Rivian R1T can tow 11,000 pounds with the right equipment.

Payload is 1,760 pounds for the Rivian, 2,000 pounds for the Ford, and 3,350 pounds for the Tesla tri-motor edition.

Style and Marketability

The Ford F150 Lightning Pro can kick off this section. It looks a lot like the regular F150, except it doesn’t have an actual grill. Instead of an engine compartment, there’s a trunk or frunk, as the brand has labelled it. The Ford aluminium build is vital here since it helps balance out the weight of the batteries. Out of the gate, this one is aimed at the work market, but knowing Ford, it won’t be long before they are pushing their higher trim levels that trend toward luxury liners.

Looking as muscular as its name implies, the GMC Hummer will remind onlookers of the original Hummers. If anything, it is more athletic since it is aimed at an off-roading market. At its high price, it is looking for luxury car buyers.

Tesla’s lowest price electric truck is in parallel with the Ford offering. Since there are three editions, Tesla seems to be aiming low and high at the same time. Prices aren’t locked in, however, and there’s no way to know if the lowest price Tesla will arrive in the marketplace at that lower price. Cybertruck’s divisive style is designed to intrigue those inspired by space-age technology. It is made of stainless steel, which is heavier than stamped steel, but it doesn’t need to be painted.

Lastly, the Rivian R1T is priced like a top trim edition of the F150. The manufacturer tries to pack it with many amenities to earn its price tag from its technology and its substance. It looks more like a regular truck. The front-end design gives away that this is electric with its lack of a grille and attractive vertical, oval-shaped lights.

Due Dates

Many of these trucks are past their due dates. This is due to some shortage of parts in the United States. The Ford Lightning has reportedly got orders that will take three years to fill. The Rivian RT has stopped taking orders on its introductory edition. From this anecdotal evidence, we won’t see electric trucks on our roadways tomorrow. However, they certainly seem poised to start challenging the capability of their gasoline-powered rivals.