Its only a matter of time before pickup trucks become electrified.Brendan McAleer / Handout / Driving / GMC It was inevitable. Inescapable, really. Money, as they say, follows markets and there’s simply no market bigger right now than the gargantuan pickups that have, quite literally, taken over North America. Marry that predilection with the headlines surrounding pretty much anything electric and it’s amazing we’re not already awash in plug-in pickups. Actually, if Tesla’s biannual financial funk gets any deeper, Elon Musk may start taking deposits soon. Cynicism regarding Musk’s business practices aside, Tesla’s success has emboldened all manner of startups — Rivian, Atlis, and others — to build their own electric colossus, each vying to stuff more lithium-ions into their truck beds than the next. Even General Motors and Ford are leaping — OK, taking baby steps — into the segment themselves, worried the proverbial rock-and-hard-place that is consumer demand for ever more trucks versus increasingly stringent emissions standards may eventually limit how many profit-producing pickups they’ll be allowed to sell. So Motor Mouth decided to evaluate the major players in this burgeoning market; one eye trying to determine which ones will actually get produced, the other gauging their chances of success. And to measure each player’s chances, we have introduced a new rating system — the Motor Mouth Vapourware Index. Using our new VI index is easy: Our best score of zero represents an absolute certainty of success — a “dead cert,” if you will — while the maximum 10 denotes approximately the same probability of anyone actually driving, say, a Faraday Future vehicle. Tesla pickup — as inevitable as an inappropriate Elon Musk tweet A fan rendering of Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck Stephen William Mason There is little doubt Tesla will produce a pick-me-up sometime in the future. And, whatever its guise, it will likely be a grand success, loyal Teslarati likely to park one right beside the Range Rover that’s never seen a dirt road or the Ferrari that’s never been to a racetrack. Exactly what will power these “cyberpunk Blade Runners” — quite literally Musk’s description for his new pickup — remains speculation, but he has promised a range of 500 miles (800 kilometres), meaning — if the Model X is any indication — it eats up about 40 kWh every 160 kilometres of driving. We’re looking at about 200 kWh of lithium ion. That’s US$40,000 worth of battery, which means there will be precious little change from CDN$100,000. Nonetheless, look for them to be a plague at high-end craft meets. Motor Mouth VI: 0 Rivian R1T — the new darling of the plug-in set 2019 Rivian R1T Electric Truck Handout / Rivian Rivian is the one manufacturer threatening Tesla’s stranglehold on EV hype, its marketing just the right combination of exaggeration and outright hyperbole. Beyond the standard puffery — the R1T’s 180 kWh battery has inspired truly headline-grabbing embellishments — there’s some pretty nifty design, like the innovative ski pass-thru that reveals inventiveness beyond mere emissions reduction. Ford has invested heavily in Rivian, and R1T test mules were actually disguised as F-150s to prevent detection, which begs the question: Will Rivian produce electrified pickups under its own badge, or will the guppy get swallowed by the whale? Whatever the case, the R1T (or something using its technology) will hit streets. Motor Mouth VI: 4 as a standalone marque, 1 as a rebadged Ford Workhorse W-15 — perhaps a little too practical for its own good The Workhorse electric truck concept. Handout / Workhorse Workhorse is in negotiations to buy the shuttered Lordstown plant from General Motors, so one has to assume it intends to produce something that resembles its much-ballyhooed W-15. That said, the deal — contrary to Donald Trump’s recent tweet — is not final, rendering the promise of 2019 deliveries somewhat fanciful. Nonetheless, Workhorse stands out in this crowd with its decision to use a more practical plug-in hybrid powertrain. Oh, its 60-kWh battery does promise 80 miles (128 kilometres) of electric-only driving, but its BMW-supplied range extender allows 310 miles (500 kilometres) more gasoline-fueled range. The W-15 is set to start at about US$50,000 and will have the capacity to power your house in an emergency. Indeed, the only knock on the Workhorse may be that it is both practical and affordable, both qualities the EV crowd seems to find unappealing. Motor Mouth VI: Eventually 1, but a 7 going by the initial promise of this year Bollinger B2 — modest goals mean this “electrified Hummer” has an off chance to make it to market The Bollinger B2 electric truck Handout / Bollinger Unlike the rest of the plug-in pickups discussed here, the Bollinger is not looking to impress nouveau-riche dilettantes. It boasts but 200 miles (320 kilometres) of range despite carrying no less than a 120-kWh of Li-ion in its
Origin: Motor Mouth: Which of these EV pickup concepts have the best chance of reaching production?