Which concept has best shot at production?
Somewhere between the inevitability of a Tesla pickup and the pipe dream called the Atlis XT lies the truth, David Booth writes.
It was inevitable. Inescapable, really. Money, as they say, follows markets and there’s simply no market bigger than the gargantuan pickups that have 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.
So Motor Mouth decided to evaluate the major players in this burgeoning market, and to measure each player’s chances, we have introduced a new rating system — the Motor Mouth Vapourware Index. Our best score of zero represents an absolute certainty of success, while a 10 denotes the same probability of anyone driving, say, a Faraday Future vehicle.
Tesla pickup — As inevitable as an inappropriate Elon Musk tweet: There is little doubt Tesla will produce a pickup. Exactly what will power these “cyberpunk Blade Runners” — Musk’s description for his new pickup — remains speculation, but he has promised a range of 500 miles (800 kilometres). This means, if the Model X is any indication, it eats up about 40 kWh every 160 km of driving, so we’re looking at about 200 kWh of lithium ion. That’s US$40,000 worth of battery, so buying one means there will be precious little change left over from CDN$100,000.
Motor Mouth VI: 0
Rivian R1T — The new darling of the plug-in set: 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 puffery there’s some nifty design, such as the innovative ski pass-thru that reveals inventiveness beyond emissions reduction. Ford has invested heavily in Rivian, and R1T test mules were disguised as F-150s to prevent detection, which begs the question: Will Rivian produce pickups under its own badge, or will the guppy get swallowed by the whale?
Motor Mouth VI: 4 as a standalone marque, 1 as a rebadged Ford
Workhorse W-15 — perhaps too practical for its own good: Workhorse is in negotiations to buy the shuttered Lordstown plant from General Motors and 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 km) of electric-only driving, but its BMW-supplied range extender allows 310 miles (500 km) more gasoline-fuelled 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. Motor Mouth VI: Eventually 1, but a 7 going by the initial promise
Bollinger B2 — modest goals mean it may make it to market: The Bollinger is not looking to impress nouveau-riche dilettantes. It boasts but 200 miles (320 km) of range despite carrying no less than 120-kWh of Li-ion in its floorboards. Looking like a cross between a Jeep Gladiator, a 1950s Land Rover Defender and a bank vault, the B2 will be a limited-production, Class 3 work truck with an emphasis on towing and off-road ability. With its rear cabin wall open and the rear seats removed, the B2 will have a maximum bed length of more than eight feet.
Motor Mouth VI: 7
Atlis XT — about as trustworthy as a Donald Trump tweet: Atlis represents everything wrong with EV startups, the company’s phantasmagorical claims bringing disrepute to the industry. A base price of US$45,000 when its claimed 300-mile (482-km) range is going to require at least $20,000 of batteries? Hardly! A 1.5-megawatt charger that will fully recharge said batteries in just five minutes? What do you want to burst into flames first: the charging cable or the battery? Payload capacity? Aw, hell, make it 5,000 pounds or whatever you’d like — they’re just making it up anyway. In other words, the XT will never see the light of day. Motor Mouth VI: 12,973,256
General Motors and Ford — both will produce an electric pickup: Both GM and Ford need some form of plug-in pickup pronto. Ford, having bet the farm on pickups and large SUVs, is probably more desperate than GM, hence the hookup with Rivian. That said, talk of a fully electrified F-150 by next year may be a little premature. General Motors announced its intention to build a BEV pickup, though the lack of backup information would seem to portend a longer wait-and-see approach.
Motor Mouth VI: -10