Pickups are a niche model in their own right, only popular in a few countries such as the United States. And electric pickup trucks are a niche among the niche. So with the exception of some manufacturers in the United States, other manufacturers will hardly develop or produce electric pickups.
In this article, we will take a look at the 4 hottest electric pickups in the US market.
[1] Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford's electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, has begun deliveries to customers in the United States. This is the third electric pickup truck to appear after the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV. Given the price and as a Volkswagen brand car manufacturer, it was the first electric pickup capable of mass production. In addition to the F-150 Lightning, Ford also mentioned the launch of a new electric pickup truck, which attracted consumer attention.
The F-150 Lightning is Ford's second electric vehicle after the Mustang Mach-E. It is not based on a dedicated platform, but is based on the development of vehicles with internal combustion engines. It is characterized by the application of large-capacity batteries on existing large car bodies. The capacity is standard 98kWh and the long battery life is 131kWh, and SK on Battery is installed. It can be about 32 km longer than initially expected. The standard version can travel 370 km and the long-range version can travel 514 km (EPA-based). It is worth mentioning that the front cabin has been converted into storage space. It's about the size of the trunk space for a small sedan. Currently, more than 200,000 units have been booked. Ford predicts that "about 80 percent will result in actual contracts."
【2】Rivian R1T
The pickup truck that was successfully mass-produced before the F-150 Lightning was the Rivian R1T. The R1T is more of a medium-sized pickup truck than a large pickup truck. It is similar in size to chevrolet Colorado. It adopts a self-developed platform for electric vehicles. There are three battery packs: 100kWh, 135kWh and 180kWh. Unlike the cute exterior design of traditional pickup trucks, it has attracted attention. The interior is reminiscent of Tesla. Combined with the SUV version R1S, it received more than 70,000 bookings.
The problem is mass production. Rivian produced only 1,410 units in the first quarter of this year. That's well below Rivian's initial target of 25,000 vehicles this year. The increase in supply and demand for automotive semiconductors and the rise in raw material prices seem to be difficult to cope with. Since it is seen along with Lucid as a representative of the new American company, there is a lot to look forward to. Ford, The Majority Shareholder of Rivian, plans to sell 8 million shares of Theivian. There is still a long way to go to mass production.
[3] Chevrolet Sorod EV
The Chevrolet Silverado EV, which debuted at CES 2022 earlier this year, has also attracted attention. It was the first pickup truck to feature GM's Ultium platform. It operates from a battery with a capacity of up to 200 kWh. The existing internal combustion engine Silverado requires a large engine compartment due to the application of a large displacement engine, but the Silverado EV has reduced its size and maximized the internal space. By connecting the passenger seat to the loading box, it is possible to load baggage up to 2.7m long.
Luggage can also be stored in existing cabin locations. Also includes V2L functionality for up to 10 sockets. It can provide 10.2kW of power and can be generously used with electric heaters.
The WT model starts at $41,595. The first version of RST is priced at $106,695. Starting with the WT model next spring, RST models will also be delivered to customers in the fall.
[4] Tesla Cyber truck
The most anticipated vehicle is the Tesla Cyber truck. It's an unimaginable, futuristic car design. Elon Musk's quest for minimalist design is continued untouched. At the time of its launch, it exploded in popularity, with 190,000 units signed up within three days of booking. It was originally planned to start production this year and mass production next year, but production was postponed to next year due to the impact of the semiconductor crisis on the industry and battery supply and demand.
Competition from U.S. manufacturers for electric pickups is fierce. There are also models that have been officially released, but they have shown a warm response in pre-orders. Since pickup trucks are the most popular segment in the US market, they are popular with consumers.
Thanks to the huge body, large-capacity batteries can be used, and the long-standing long-term mileage problem of electric vehicles can be realized. Since electric vehicles have good initial torque characteristics, the advantages of traction capacity are also very prominent, and the key is mass production.
Due to the large production, Ford's F-150 Lightning is very likely to dominate the market, beating the Rivian, who is almost always facing difficult production, and if the latecomers do not react quickly, they will naturally fall behind in the competition.