Pickup truck are big business in America, you only have to look at the sale charts where pickup trucks are the top three best selling vehicles in the USA are the Ford F-Series pickups, GM’s pickup twins, and Ram’s full-size truck lineup. It was therefore only a matter of time before one of the big three gave us a green alternative to their V8 truck lineup. Although GM was first to announce the new Hummer truck, Ford looks set to beat them to market with the new F-150 Lightning. RAM? So far all we have are rumors and promises.
What about the Rivian and the Cybertruck? Or Lordstown? Or? Or? Well, let’s dissect that one at a time. The Rivian R1T is a compelling alternative, and it’s technically on sale as of September, although bulk deliveries will start later in the year. The difference is that the R1T is more of a mid-sized luxury truck. The interior is more Volvo than Ford and the footprint is more Tacoma than RAM 1500. The price tag is also notably higher than the Lightning starting at $67,500 vs Ford’s $39,974 starting price.
What is it?
Nutshell? It’s a F-150 body on a unique frame with two electric motors and a battery somewhat based on the Mach E’s major components. This makes a great deal of sense when you think about it because there’s plenty of “available” space in a body on frame vehicle like a pickup truck. Ford squeezes batteries between the major frame rails which also in turn protects the batteries from side impacts. The double-stacked pack extends from the front of the front doors, under the seats, and the area normally occupied by the gas tank and driveshafts. Making the manufacturing more cost effective is a body and interior largely shared with the regular F-150. Frunk fans will see the benefit of this choice immediately because the under-hood area normally reserved for an optional 5.0L V8 gives the consumer a Camry-sized cargo area instead.
