Electric cars are an inevitable future. Automakers like Toyota and Tesla have paved the way towards electrification with their endeavors in hybrids and full-on electrification, respectively, but America wants more than just family sedans. Thankfully, there are a number of badass EV pickups coming to market that may help increase electric vehicle adoption for people who want to be able to haul cargo or go on mountain adventures with oodles of gear.
Manufacturers such as Bollinger, General Motors, Ford, Lordstown, Rivian, and Tesla have all already announced EV pickups of their own. And while more are sure to come, the days when buying electric meant sacrificing performance or capability are over— that much has been made clear. Car companies are flexing their battery-powered muscles to prove it.
Here is a look at three upcoming electric pickup trucks ready to make a mark on the world.
The Chevrolet Silverado
Earlier this week, General Motors announced the newest domestic pickup to hit the market: the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. GM wasn’t exactly subtle that it planned to bring a competitor to rival the upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning, and its official announcement shows just how serious the automaker is at butting heads with Ford.
The Silverado EV is an amped-up version of Chevrolet’s top-selling Silverado pickup, except it’s powered by batteries instead of an internal combustion engine. This new truck will be capable of reaching an estimated 400 miles of all-electric range, according to GM, though the pickup will be offered with at least one other smaller pack size that has yet to be revealed.
And just because the truck is electric doesn’t mean that it will hum along with lackluster power. An optional dual-motor configuration will offer up to 664 horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque at all four wheels.
All of that power is good for up to 10,000 pounds of towing, or a maximum payload of 1,300 pounds. When not towing a trailer or hauling a bed full of mulch, the robust powerplant can propel the Silverado EV from zero to 60 MPH in just 4.5 seconds, which is as quick as the sporty Cadillac CT4-V.
[Related: The greatest automotive innovations of 2021]
When plugged into a commercial fast charging station, the truck accepts up to 350 kilowatts of juice. That charge rate can add up to 100 miles of range to the Silverado EV in only 10 minutes, according to the automaker. The battery pack’s stored energy can later be shared to regular household items via an onboard 10-outlet system capable of supplying up to 10.2kW of power. GM says that’s enough to power your home with the right equipment, or even charge another EV.
The Silverado EV base trim starts at $39,900, but its top-tier RST model starts at $105,000. Like the upcoming GMC Hummer EV pickup, the Silverado EV will offer optional four-wheel steering and air suspension. However, the Hummer is built as GM’s electric supertruck—a 1,000 horsepower, crab-walking, speed demon. The Silverado EV is built to be a bit more of a conservative offering to appeal to normal pickup buyers, and that’s exactly what it will do.
The Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford was the first of Detroit’s big three to electrify a modern full-size pickup truck, and the resulting creation is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The 2022 F-150 Lightning is a very normal-looking pickup truck. Under that Trojan-horse appearance is an all-electric powertrain which produces a respectable 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque. Similar to the Silverado EV, the F-150 Lightning is expected to sprint from zero to 60 MPH in the mid-four-second range. Ford says all of that power is good for up to 300 miles of range, so long as buyers equip the optional extended range pack.
When plugged in, the F-150 Lightning can accept a charge rate of up to 150kW. Commercial chargers that can supply this will be able to replenish about 54 miles of range in 10 minutes. While the Silverado EV is poised to accept a significantly higher charging rate of 350kW, it’s worth noting that those chargers are much harder to find in the wild due to the massive installation cost—although that could change with the recent passage of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
That power can also be used to power everyday objects when the truck is parked at home or at a worksite. With Ford’s Pro Power Onboard package, up to 9.6kW of stored energy can be allocated to power tools, appliances, or other household gadgets plugged directly into the truck. And with Ford’s option Charge Station Pro installed in a home, the entire F-150 can act like a portable battery pack for up to three days if the power goes out.
Like the Silverado, the F-150 Lighting’s front trunk—called the Mega Power Frunk—is designed to carry cargo at waist-height, making it easy to load and unload. Ford says it can hold up to 400 pounds, be accessorized to increase its usefulness, and can be hosed down for cleaning after a hard day’s work.
[Related: The everyday item behind the design of the F-150 Lightning’s frunk]
The F-150 Lightning isn’t expected to ship until mid-2022, but Ford says it already has more than 200,000 reservations for the truck. The automaker has since announced that it will nearly double the planned production capacity in order to fulfill 150,000 orders per year by 2023. Buyers can expect to pay $39,974 for the base-level Pro trim, or upwards of $90,874 for the Platinum trim.
The Rivian R1T
While the Silverado and F-150 EVs aren’t being delivered just yet, there is actually an electric pickup being produced and delivered today: the Rivian R1T. Amazon-backed electric vehicle startup Rivian began deliveries of its adventure-focused truck last year, and despite it being a newcomer to the truck scene, it’s still a very capable battery-powered pickup.
Just like Silverado and F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T offers buyers the option of two battery packs. Its standard-equipped “large” battery pack offers an EPA-rated 314 miles of range, whereas its huge “max” pack, which is delayed until 2023, offers more than 400 miles.
Unique to the Rivian is the motor configuration. Rather than one or two inboard electric motors powering its wheels, the R1T has four hub-mounted motors that power each wheel individually. The result is an astonishing 835 horsepower, 908 lb-ft of torque, and a zero to 60 MPH time of around three seconds.
Much like Tesla’s Cybertruck, the R1T is focused around being a pickup that’s also a lifestyle product. Rivian has even established a line of charging stations called the Rivian Adventure Network which, much like other commercial DC fast charging stations, can add a maximum of 140 miles of range in just 20 minutes. The chargers are placed along popular travel routes, but also at adventurous locations like state parks. The automaker plans to deploy these chargers at 600 locations by the end of 2023.
Even though Rivian’s pickup has a front trunk, it has an even more interesting storage area to tout. The unique Gear Tunnel spans the width of the truck between the cab and the bed, and is used to store long accessories which require dry lockable storage. Rivian has even built a line of accessories for the Gear Tunnel, like a portable kitchen that is powered by the truck’s high-voltage battery and can be neatly stowed away when not in use.
[Related: Rivian’s new electric pickup offers a magic sliding camp kitchen]
The R1T starts at $67,000 for its Explore package and climbs to $83,000 for the Adventure trim with its largest available battery pack. Buyers can order the truck today, but know that the backlog of 71,000 orders will take some time to fill.
