Which Electric Truck is Right for You?
America is the world's biggest pickup truck market. There is a growing EV market, but at the moment, there are no electric trucks currently for sale. That is all about to change and there will be options. Five companies, from Ford to a handful of start-ups promise to bring an electric truck to the market soon. Each one promises to bring something different to the table. With so many upcoming EV truck options, we'll help you decide which one is best for you.
Best EV Truck for Overlanding: Rivian R1T
Max Range: 600 miles
Max Towing: 8,000 lbs
Available: Second half of 2020
Want an electric truck that is designed with overlanding adventure in mind? Rivian has just the truck for you. Rivian calls the R1T, the “World’s First Electric Adventure Vehicle” From the beginning, the R1T has been designed for those who explore the outdoors.
The R1T boasts specs such as a wading depth of over 3ft, 14.5in of ground clearance, 34.8 approach angle, 30.5 degree departure angle and 25.7 breakover angle. The electric motors have also been mounted as in-board as possible to maximize articulation at all 4 corners. Perfect for rugged trails and water crossings.
In quad motor configuration, the R1T gets a 400 mile range, 750hp, 829 lb/ft of torque and tow up to 11,000 lbs. A motor in each corner also allows the R1T to turnaround on a single axis, like a tank.
At last year's Overland Expo, Rivian showed off a fully kitted R1T that featured a rooftop tent and full, pop-out kitchen.
Best EV Truck for Someone that Wants an Electric Gladiator: GMC Hummer EV Truck
Max Range: TBA
Max Towing: TBA
Available: Fall 2021
Back when Hummer was a thriving brand, nothing said "America!" more than a Hummer. Made in America and based off a military vehicle, it was a big, gas-guzzling middle finger to environmentalists. Ironically in 2022, Hummer is coming back—as an electric truck from GMC.
Aside from a Super Bowl commercial, not much has been released about the electric Hummer. What we do know is that it will be an electric truck with up to 1,000hp and go from 0-60 in under 3 seconds.
Want the open air truck feel of a Gladiator but don't want to deal with fuel and oil? The Hummer EV Truck might be the one for you. Per Autoblog, who has seen the Hummer EV in person, the Hummer EV truck is “off-road ready” with a removable top and roof line at about 6ft high. Design wise, they describe Chevy Avalanche like styling, where the bed and cab are connected via the C pillar.
Best EV Truck for Towing: Nikola Badger
Max Range: 600 miles
Max Towing: 8,000 lbs
Available: September 2020
You may not have heard of the company called Nikola, but the Badger isn’t their first vehicle. After teasing a trio of hydrogen powered semi trucks and electric side-by-sides, the Badger is Nikola’s first attempt at a truck for the everyday consumer.
Taking from their expertise in hydrogen and electric power, the Badger is the only truck on this list that is powered by both electricity and hydrogen. The electric motor provides 300 miles of range. The hydrogen motor provides another 300 miles of range for a combined estimated 600-mile range. Together, the power plants make 906hp, 980 lb/ft of torque and take the Badger from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Though, not the most towing capacity of the bunch, the 8,000 lb towing capacity is more than adequate.
What it lacks in towing capacity, it makes up for in accessibility to fill up when towing. Most charging stations are situated like a parking spot. You pull in, which would make it difficult to charge while attached to a trailer. A hydrogen station is situated like a standard gas pump, making filling up the Badger, far more trailer friendly than the rest of the bunch.
Another benefit of Hydrogen fuel is the ability to fill the hydrogen tank in around 10 minutes, whereas the electric battery needs at least 30 minutes or more to recharge. The downside is that there are only 39 hydrogen stations across the United States and 35 of them are in California. To solve that issue, Nikola plans to build 700 hydrogen filling stations, though their locations are yet to be announced.
With Diesel Brothers’ Heavy D Sparks as a brand ambassador, you can be sure to see some wildly modified Badgers at a future SEMA show.
Best EV Truck for Work on the Job Site: Bollinger B2
Max Range: 200 miles
Max Towing: 7,500 lbs
Available: TBA
Bollinger’s B2 is a strictly business, all-electric truck that claims to be the "world's most capable truck."
It features a no-frills design inside and out. It's got manually sliding windows, to dedicate more power to moving the truck’s 10,001 GVWR. 
Because the EV drivetrain primarily resides in the floor of the truck, the Bollinger B2 can be configured for a full-length pass-through cargo area. With the tailgate up, the B2 can fit cargo as long as 16 ft from nose to tail.
Additionally, the B2 features a 5,000 lb payload capacity and 7,500 lb towing capacity. The dual motors make 614 hp and 668 lb/ft of torque. Unloaded, the B2 can go 200 miles on a full charge.
Best EV Truck for the Anti- Tesla Cybertruck Early Adopter: Lordstown Endurance
Max Range: 250+ miles
Max Towing: 7,500 lbs
Available: September 2020
So you want to be the first on the block with an electric truck, but want something unusual, yet not as radical looking as a Cybertruck? The Lordstown Endurance is just the truck for you.
You may not have heard of Lordstown before, but they’re serious about building an EV truck. Lordstown takes its name from Lordstown, OH, where the company purchased an old GM manufacturing facility.
Similar to the R1T, Lordstown’s Endurance will feature four electric motors mounted at each wheel hub. Lordstown says this layout allows the Endurance to have the least number of moving parts of any vehicle on the market. They claim their quad-motor setup will produce 600 hp and have a range of over 200 miles.
Best EV Truck for the Everyday Truck User: Ford F-150 EV
Max Range: TBA
Max Towing: TBA
Available: TBA
For 42 years, the best selling truck in America has been Ford’s F-150. The F-150 can be found anywhere from construction sites, to farms to millionaire’s driveways.
From what is known, Ford isn’t trying to "reinvent the wheel" on this one. At a glance, it shouldn’t look too different from a gasoline powered F-150. Designed for people who actually use a truck, the F-150 EV could be a good choice for those who need a truck but want the advantages of an electric vehicle.
Best EV Truck: Tesla Cybertruck
Max Range: 500 miles
Max Towing: 14,000 lbs
Available: Late 2021
The Cybertruck isn't for everybody. It's polarizing design shares more in common with a diamond or a door stop than anything else on the road—making it perfect for those who can't get enough attention with their color-changing Lamborghini.
"Everything" is what Tesla aims for the Cybertruck to be good at; fast, useful, handle like a sports car on the road and capable like a truck on the trail.
On paper, the Cybertruck promises to be the Swiss army knife of trucks. 0-60 in 2.9 seconds. 14,000 lb towing capacity. "Armor" glass. Ultra-hard stainless steel body. impenetrable exoskeleton. A tailgate that turns into a ramp for the bed which has a payload capacity of 3,500 lbs. An adaptive air suspension that will raise or lower your Cybertruck four-inches. On-board power and compressed air. It sounds great, but we'll see if Tesla delivers on their promises.
Click here to read how the electric Atlis XT pickup could be a threat to diesel truck dominance.
