There is no question that future trucks will be electric. The question really is – when will electric pickup trucks be widely accepted and become popular? Nearly every class and type of truck is already electrified with the exception of the common pickup truck.
Nearly every heavy semi truck manufacturer and brand has an electric truck on the way. We are talking about Diamler, Navistar, Peterbuilt, Man, Iveco, Mitsubishi, and many others. Even Cummins, a diesel engine manufacturer, has shown an electric big rig concept.
Newer companies such as Tesla and Nikola are also working on electric semi trucks that rely on batteries or hydrogen fuel-cell systems.
Workhorse is working on E-100 and N-GEN electric delivery vans, as well as an electric W-15 pickup truck for fleets that uses a range-extending engine. Mercedes-Benz is offering an electric version of the Sprinter (eSprinter) van in Europe.
This begs the question, why haven’t mainstream pickup truck manufacturers in the United States come out with a plug-in electric or an all-electric truck already? This process is slow. Ram is selling a mild-hybrid 2019 Ram 1500 trucks, which is not advertised as a hybrid. Ford made an announcement about a 2020 F-150 with electric capability, but very few details are currently known.
Finally, Toyota has just shown a hydrogen fuel-cell Tundra concept truck at the 2018 SEMA show. Is this simply a one-off, or is it foreshadowing what’s to come soon?
Naturally, there are also up and coming companies such as Bollinger and Atlis, who are developing all-electric pickup trucks. Production versions of these trucks are still a couple of years away.
