According to a new study from Cox Automotive, the demand for electric pickups may be larger than we think. The study showed that about two out of every five pickup truck shoppers are considering opting for an upcoming electric truck.
Right now, the race is on to see which automaker will bring the first all-electric truck to market, and it’s only a matter of time until we find out who will come out victorious. Several automakers are planning electric trucks and it seems like they keep popping up. With pickups being the largest market segment in the United States, it is imperative to excite pickup drivers who have a bias towards their conventionally powered ICE vehicle.
According to the study, 44% of respondents ages 18-34 indicated they were interested in both internal-combustion as well as all-electric trucks. Price seemed to be the most important factor when it came to making the switch to electric. Driving performance was a close second followed by interior design, and then the size of the vehicle. Interestingly enough, although driving performance proved to be a key factor, horsepower and towing capacity were not among the top priorities. Odd considering the type of vehicle we are talking about.
As mentioned above, several automakers are in the race to bring an all-electric pickup truck to market. The GMC Hummer EV is expected to go on sale come fall, however, the most expensive $112,595 Edition 1 will be the first available model; less expensive trims will come into the picture starting in 2022.
Electric vehicle startup Rivian is expected to release its R1T truck even sooner. The $75,000 Launch edition is expected to start deliveries in June 2021 for the United States, and November 2021 for Canada. The $75,000 Adventure edition is expected to hit the roads in January 2022.
Lordstown Motors is expected to begin deliveries of its new commercial work truck, the Endurance, in September 2021, with full production ramping up throughout 2022. Lordstown has said that it’s targeting a starting price of $52,500 before tax credits for the Endurance, but it hasn’t mentioned what options and trim levels will be available.
The least conventional of the bunch, the Tesla Cybertruck, is scheduled to be released late 2021 for the dual-motor AWD version. The single-motor versions will be released in late 2022. The base price for the Tesla Cybertruck stands at $39,900.
Lastly and most popular from the study is the Ford F-150 electric. Derived from the best-selling vehicle in the US since 1981, the F-150, production of the fully electric F-150 is expected to start in mid-2022 at Ford’s Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford hasn’t released pricing but we it’s expected to cost around $55,000.
Being that it is probably the most recognizable truck in the the lineup, its not surprising that the respondents seemed to prefer the Ford. When shown images of all the truck mentioned, three out of five respondents picked the Ford. Additionally, 75% of respondents looking to purchase an electric pickup said they were more likely to consider the F-150 Electric. Check out the study’s results in full here.