Here are 10 electric pickups you need to know about

The Ford F-150 going electric is a BIG deal, not least because the regular one has been North America’s best-selling vehicle (not just truck) for 40 years straight. Since the Lightning – which borrows its name from high-performance, petrol-powered F-150s of yore – was revealed in May 2021, tens of thousands of Americans have reserved one. 

You’re looking at up to 572bhp and 775lb ft and a claimed 320 miles of range. It has a massive front trunk and something called bi-directional power, meaning the Lightning can power your tools, or even your entire house, for days at a time if needs be. Max payload is 900kg, and it can tow 4.5 tonnes. Prices range from around $40,000 to $90,000, with deliveries expected to start later this year. 

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An all-electric pickup truck from an American start-up… you know where this is going. Right? Except you don’t, because this pickup comes from an American start-up called Rivian. And, unlike that other pickup from that other company, it's already in production.

Early trucks get a 300-mile range (longer- and shorter-range versions are coming) and quad-motor powertrain for 0-60mph in as little as three seconds, with prices starting from $67,500 (approx. £55k). It’s not short of loadspace either, with 330-litres in the bonnet, 350-litres in the lockable ‘gear tunnel’, and a 200-litre sealed bin beneath the rear bed floor. Oh, and it can supposedly wade through over 900mm of water and tow almost five tonnes.

Rivian has also promised a seven-seat SUV sibling, the R1S, though no word yet of when production might begin. You can read our first drive of the R1T below.

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Like no truck – no vehicle, even – that you’ve ever seen before. The much-hyped Tesla Cybertruck was scheduled to begin production late last year – with Tesla reportedly sitting on hundreds of thousands of pre-orders – but that came and went, when it was pushed back to 2022. Then, earlier this year, Elon announced it was being pushed back to 2023, with focus instead on developing the ‘Optimus’ humanoid robot. Because, priorities.  

Still, here’s what we know so far. Prices are set to start at less than $40,000 for the single-motor, rear-drive version and rise to $70,000 for the all-wheel drive, tri-motor model with a theoretical “500+ miles” of range, a 1.5-tonne max payload and over six-tonne towing capacity. Oh, and 0-60mph in a claimed 2.9 seconds. Tesla insists this is exactly what the Cybertruck will look like when it reaches production, too, with its unpainted stainless-steel body, toughened glass and seating for six. Like the look?

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Lordstown Motors – so named for Lordstown, Ohio, where the company owns an old General Motors factory. At least it used to, until it was recently sold to tech group Foxconn, a move which should help finally see its Endurance electric pickup truck enter production. Good news.

The Endurance itself is supposed to be a proper work truck, more like the F-150 than the Rivian, with four in-wheel hub motors and a 109kWh battery for a claimed 250+ miles of range. Prices start at $52,500.

Production is set to start later this year, with plans to build a total of 500 by the end of 2022, and 2,500 in 2023. More as we have it…

Image: Lordstown Motors 

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The Hummer EV isn’t for tradespeople, not really. Just look at it. You want some numbers? It measures eighteen feet long, six and a half feet high, more than seven feet wide and weighs more than four tonnes. Looks the part, at least.

Billed as the “the ultimate off-road EV supertruck”, the $112,000 First Edition models have 1,000bhp from three e-motors (drawing power from GM’s clever new ‘Ultium’ battery), 11,500lb ft of torque, can supposedly hit 60mph from a standstill in around three seconds, and have a range of around 350 miles. 

It comes with up to 37-inch tyres and a “CrabWalk” feature that points the front and rear wheels in the same direction. GM claims the Hummer can scale “18-inch verticals” and wade through over 600mm of water. The Navy SEAL of the pickup world, in other words.

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Just as night follows day, a Chevrolet pickup truck follows a Ford pickup truck. And don’t for one minute think it’s just a repurposed combustion-engined Silverado: it’s built from the ground up on the same electric platform as the Hummer EV. 

When it launches in 2023, buyers will have the option of the bells’n’whistles grade $105,000 RST First Edition, or the more rough and ready, and, er, reasonably priced $39,900 Work Truck (WT). Differences? Where the former offers 664bhp and 780lb ft of torque, a 600kg payload, and a towing capacity of 3,650kg, the latter gets you 510bhp and 615lb ft of torque, a 550kg payload and a 3,650kg towing capacity. Healthy enough.

Perhaps the smartest thing about it, though, is that bed. It measures 5ft 11in long, but open the midgate and you get 9ft, or with the optional tailgate extended, a monstrous 10ft 10in.

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Another day, another Californian EV start-up, but Alpha has hit the ground running. We first cast our eyes on the Wolf back in March 2021 when it was just a 3D rendering. Fast forward five months, and it had evolved into an actual, physical model. Speedy work.

Here’s what we know so far. There’s set to be three variants, the standard Wolf, the extended cab Wolf+, and the double cab SuperWolf. Buyers will have the choice of single motor 2WD, or dual motor 4WD. Alpha reckons it’ll do 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, with the 75kWh battery good for a range of around 250 miles. And get this – Alpha’s targeting a starting price of just $36k (approx. £29k), though we’ll believe it when we see it. 

Back in January Edward Lee – CEO and chief designer – told us he was hoping to have a test prototype by quarter two of this year, with plans to build 25k units a year in 2023, rising to 50k in 2024. In the meantime, check out our exclusive photo shoot below.

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Another American start-up after a slice of the electric pickup pie, Atlis first revealed its wedge-tastic XT pickup to the world back in 2019, complete with a claimed Mercedes EQS-rivalling 500-miles of range – and a 15-minute full charge time. Wowsers.

The rest of the specs were equally impressive: 600+bhp, 12,000lb ft of torque, 0-60mph in 5.0secs, a top speed of 120mph, a payload of nearly 2.3 tonnes, and a towing capacity of almost 16 tonnes. Buyers will have the option of a 6.5 or 8ft bed, with prices starting from $45,000 for the entry-level version with 125kWh battery and 300-mile range. The range-topper, meanwhile, with its 250kWh battery and 500-mile range, starts from $69,000. 

Oh, and one other thing – Atlas claims it’ll have a one-million-mile life span… four times as much as the average British driver reportedly covers in their lifetime. Otherwordly.

Meet the EdisonFuture EF1-T, which is notable for one reason above all: its solar panel roof. Which when you think about it, just makes sense, right?

Having made its public debut in concept form at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, a solar cover bed is also optionally available to maximise juicing, as well as helping to protect any contents. Oh, and the solar panels will charge the battery when both parked and driving.

It’s set to be available in three specifications: Standard (single motor), Premium (dual motor), and Super (tri motor). While there’s no word yet on battery sizes, we do know it’ll be good for a range of 300, 380 and 450 miles respectively.

Whether the whole solar charging thing will work as well over in the UK (or if we'll get it) as it will in sunnier climes is another matter entirely…

Image: EdisonFuture

Remember Canoo? Back in 2019, the California-based (obviously) start-up got us all giddy with its futuristic-looking microbus. A multi-purpose delivery vehicle followed, and then last year, this – the aptly named Canoo Pickup.

Reminiscent of VW Type 2 pickups of old (and the recently teased ID.Buzz pickup...), it offers a six-foot truck bed complete with two-foot pull out extension, a front cargo storage area that can hold tools or gear along with a fold down worktable with electrical outlets, flip-down side workbenches, hidden side steps and storage areas, and more.

Canoo says it’ll be available in dual or rear motor configurations, up to 600bhp and 500lb ft of torque, 816kg payload, and around 200 miles of battery range. The website is already taking pre-orders, with deliveries expected as early as next year. Tempted?