New Electric Pickups Look to Shake Up Work Truck Mix
Tesla’s entry into the pickup truck market turned some heads but still needs to prove itself.
PHOTO: TESLA
The electric Bollinger B2 boasts a 200-mile range but will come with hefty price tag in 2021.
PHOTO: BOLLINGER
Ford is hoping its all-electric F-150 EV will show what batteries can do.
PHOTO: FORD MOTOR CO.
Pickups are one of the most common sights on the jobsite, but fresh engines and battery-powered upstarts may shake up the status quo this year. ENR looks at a few of the standouts in the pickup class of 2020 and beyond.
Ford has made serious improvements to its Super Duty lineup for 2020, giving the venerable F-250 and F-350 models a new 430-hp, 7.3-liter V8 engine option. There’s also an upgraded version of the 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 that puts out a massive 1,050 lb-ft of torque. But the biggest news may be the upcoming all-electric F-150 EV that’s shown enough muscle to pull a freight train weighing in at somewhere north of 1 million lb.
General Motors rolls into 2020 with new versions of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, which offer a wide range of trim levels and powertrains, including a new in-line six-cylinder turbodiesel. In electric pickups, GMC is reviving the Hummer name as a battery-powered model said to deliver a beefy 1,000 hp and 11,500 lb-ft of torque. Look for that entry in late 2021.
Ram enters 2020 with a recently revamped pickup line, including the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Powered by a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 with a robust 480 lb-ft of torque, this truck offers full-size capabilities—including a class-leading tow rating of 12,560 lb—with impressive EPA fuel economy estimates of 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. Add the best ride quality in the segment and unique extras like the built-in toolboxes and a tailgate the folds down or swings open to the sides, and it’s a versatile work truck.
Jeep is not a brand normally associated with work trucks, but that’s likely to change with the debut of the midsize Gladiator pickup. Built on its own dedicated truck platform, the crew cab pickup features inside storage for tools with the roomy rear seats folded and a 5-ft bed with a tailgate that can support 4-ft by 8-ft plywood sheets. It has a respectable tow rating of 7,650 lb, but the real draw is an above-average off-road capability suited for reaching remote jobsites.
Battery-powered pickup trucks offer the promise of pickup truck capabilities with no emissions. But this may be the time to see if the electrics live up to the hype.
[Sidebar: Electric- and Hydrogen-Powered Pickups Due in 2020]
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Bollinger’s expensive and boxy B2 pickup boasts a range of 200 miles with a 7,500-lb tow rating. With all-wheel drive, locking differentials and a whopping 20 in. of ground clearance, it should also offer impressive off-road capability. Add the ability to carry 16-ft lengths of pipe with the tailgate closed, and you have a unique entry into the work truck market. Starting at $125,000, it goes on sale later this year.
Rivian’s full-size R1T pickup offers all-wheel drive, an adjustable air suspension and a towing capacity of 11,000 lb. It also offers a choice of battery sizes for operating ranges of 230 miles to 400 miles. The price is expected to be about $70,000 when it launches in late 2021.
Looking like a prop from a science-fiction film, the Tesla Cybertruck features an angular, stainless-steel body that the maker claims is dent-proof, scratch-proof and even bulletproof. An air suspension offers up to 16 in. of ground clearance to complement the single-motor rear-wheel drive or two- or three-motor all-wheel drive. Other impressive stats include a 500-mile range on a single charge and a 14,000-lb towing capacity. With an anticipated MSRP of $40,000, it is set to go on sale in late 2021.
