Electric Car Buying Guide: Factors & Areas to Consider When Buying an Electric Pickup
Technology runs the world and there is no way you will escape it in this twenty-first century. The advancements have led to the invention of electric vehicles, from personal cars and school buses to trucks.
Technology runs the world and there is no way you will escape it in this twenty-first century. The advancements have led to the invention of electric vehicles, from personal cars and school buses to trucks. With changing times, electric cars are becoming increasingly common. In the coming years, electric vehicles will glide through your community to deliver packages or even pick up garbage. There is a high demand from consumers to get relief from the high gas and oil prices.
Read: Tesla or Ford pickup?
If you’ve never previously owned a pickup, you may not know exactly what to look for when shopping for one. However, you should not worry because we have prepared a guide to help you in picking the best electric pickup.
Here are some of the factors to consider when shopping for an electric pickup.
Read: Electric pickups to rival Tesla Cybertruck
- Towing & Hauling Capabilities: One of the most obvious main selling points of any pickup truck is the class’ immense towing and hauling capabilities. As a result, you’ll want to pay close attention to a given model’s towing and payload capacities.
- Tech & Connectivity: Another major selling point for any cutting-edge electric vehicle is undoubtedly tech and connectivity. This includes everything from 360° camera systems to onboard infotainment displays to wireless charging stations to the ability to act as a roving power bank. Autonomous or semi-autonomous driving capabilities are also often included either as standard or as an optional amenity on a great many of today’s latest and greatest electric trucks.
- Cabin & Creature Comforts: Traditionally, the interiors of pickup trucks have been largely spartan, focusing more on utility than luxury. In recent years, however, this has changed, as modern pickups have grown increasingly refined. And nowhere is this more true than in the EV pickup sector, which often features cabins that can rival that of bona fide luxury vehicles. When reviewing this area we recommend keeping an eye out for elements such as available upholstery options, heated, cooled, and massaging seats, passenger display screens, and audio systems.
- Range: Though range anxiety was once a major drawback of electric vehicles, modern battery tech has allowed automakers to deliver pickup trucks that boast close to the same level of autonomy as petrol-powered models. It’s also worth noting that some modern electric pickups are offered with more than one battery pack option.
- Trim Level: Just like with regular ICE-engine pickup trucks, fully electric models are often offered across multiple trim levels, each of which comes standard with its host of unique options and amenities. This factor can also hugely affect a pickup’s pricing — marking just one more reason that trim level should be taken into account when shopping for an EV pickup.
- Off-Road Readiness: Pickup trucks can vary in terms of off-roading capabilities. So, if you plan on regularly taking your truck off-road, this is an area you’ll want to pay close attention to. When reviewing an electric pickup’s go-anywhere capabilities you’ll want to keep an eye out for factors such as ground clearance, suspension travel, approach, break-over, and departure angles. Some electric pickups are also offered with optional off-road upgrades such as factory lift kits, flared fenders, off-road wheels and tires, steel bumpers, skid plates, winches, snorkels, and headache racks, just to name a few.
- Powertrain: Though they may not pack a gas-powered engine, an EV pickup’s powertrain is still of monumental importance and should be very closely reviewed when shopping. More specifically, you’ll want to pay attention to an electric pickup’s type of motor(s) and total number of motors. Additionally, you’ll also want to examine the spec for the battery pack that the powertrain draws from. It’s also fairly common to see the same electric truck offered with more than one powertrain option.
- Power & Delivery: No matter what type of vehicle you’re shopping for, you’ll pretty much always want to look into the amount of horsepower and torque that its engine generates, as these figures will play a direct role in the vehicle’s acceleration and speed, as well as its towing and payload capabilities. Another factor that plays a major role in these areas is how a pickup’s power is transmitted to the ground — I.e. whether it uses a rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive system.
- Cab & Seating: From regular cabs to extended cabs to crew cabs, pickup trucks are produced in a variety of different configurations, all varying in seating and cabin space. When reviewing this area, we recommend considering your intended use as this should help determine which style of cab will be most conducive to your wants and needs. It’s also worth pointing out that different manufacturers often use different names for what’s essentially the same cab style.
- Bed: On top of their powertrains and the payload and towing capacities they offer, another area that affords modern pickup trucks — electric or otherwise — with their workhorse capabilities in their beds. When reviewing this area, you’ll want to pay attention to a pickup’s available bed length options, overall dimensions, the actual bed’s construction (and any fortifying coatings or liners), and available tie-down and attachment points. In more recent years, a growing number of marques have also started delivering beds with unique, modular, multi-functional tailgates — making this just one more area that should be considered when shopping.
- Driving Characteristics: Whether it’s a station wagon, SUV, or sports car, how a vehicle drives, handles, and performs will always play a monumental role in the overall user experience — making this a pivotal area to consider when shopping.
- Appearance: Electric pickup trucks tend to be a bit more diverse than gas-powered models when it comes to aesthetic design, ranging from daily traditional-looking models that don’t hugely differ from their non-EV counterparts to ultra-sleek and unmistakably electric models employing futuristic designs and wraparound LED lighting elements. While purely based on personal aesthetic taste, this is an area that should also be considered when shopping — along with available color and finish options.
- Class & Dimensions: Typically broken down into compact, midsize, and full-size segments, pickup trucks exist across several different classes such as sizes, and electric models are no different. As such, you’ll want to look at an EV pickup’s physical dimensions, reviewing its width, height, length, and wheelbase, as well as curb weight.
- Battery life: The battery is one of the key components in an electric truck. Battery life can be prolonged by avoiding supercharging, driving in extremely hot climates, aggressive short driving patterns, and frequent drainage of the battery’s entire capacity. Be prepared to adhere to the mentioned guidelines for a healthy, long-lasting battery. Consider purchasing batteries from automotive companies that offer a warranty on their vehicles. It is also important to understand the frequency of your EV model needs a battery change. Also, it is recommended you buy batteries from reputable sellers.
Also see: Why are Electric pickups becoming common?
Some of the Best electric pickups of 2023
Ford offers up to 320 miles of driving range on the Lightning before needing a charge. There are two battery pack options available for purchase. Lightning trucks equipped with the smaller pack produce 452 horsepower, while the larger pack produces 580 horsepower. The truck has a towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds with the large battery pack option.
This pickup’s interior and exterior look similar to the F-150, with some EV-exclusive cosmetics, such as the lightbar that wraps across the front of the hood. Overall a great truck, and the cheapest option on this list, the Lightning provides the practicality and workability of the F-150 with the energy-saving appeal of an electric vehicle.
Read: Tesla Cybertruck Electric Pickup
Rivian, a brand that specializes in electric trucks, has come out with the 2023 Rivian R1T with a base price of $74,800. The R1T has a range of 328 miles before needing a charge. It is lauded for its off-road capabilities and its sleek interior exterior. Though it is the smallest of the electric trucks on this list, Rivian’s vehicle can tow up to 11,000 pounds.
The 2023 version of the R1T offers a new Quad-Motor system, which can accelerate up to 60 mph in three seconds. Not only is this truck fast, but it is also equipped with an air suspension that allows it to traverse rough terrain with ease. Both on the road and off the road, the Rivian R1T is a pickup with unique capabilities and Rivian is quickly gaining recognition in the nascent electric truck market.
Read: GM 12 future EV models from Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, and Buick
- 2023 GMC Hummer EV Pickup
This is the most expensive on the list with a base price of $100,395. This pickup boasts 328 miles of use before needing a charge and can reach up to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds.
See: Dongfeng Rich 6 electric pick-up(update)
This truck is known for its unique off-roading functions. In one mode, it can be raised 16 inches off the ground. In another mode, it allows the truck to drive diagonally around obstacles. Able to tow up to 7,500 pounds, the Hummer has the lowest towing capacity of the pickups on this list.
Though maybe not the most practical of 2023’s electric trucks, like other Hummers, it is a flashy vehicle that draws attention both on the road and on the unbeaten path.
