It seemed like a combo that shouldn’t work together… And maybe it didn’t. As electric vehicles have become increasingly prominent in the American car market, especially as the country pushed towards a zero-emissions industry, carmakers had to look beyond the typical round, lifeless electric car designs to attract more Americans to support their company initiative.
How do you get red-blooded, beer-drinking, hard-working Americans to buy an electric vehicle? Make it a truck!
American automakers started cranking out electric pickup trucks that would hopefully break the EV driver stereotypes and welcome a new community of skeptics into the fold. The Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Chevy Silverado EV, and even the Tesla Cybertruck arrived on the scene, with hauling, towing, and off-roading capabilities to rival their gas-powered cousins (sort of).
The Ford F-150 has a maximum towing capacity of around 14,000 pounds, while the F-150 Lightning was maxed around 10,000 pounds (and would lose a lot of range if it did so). While most oversized pickups just sit in people’s driveways waiting for a friend to need help moving, who wants a wimpy, less-capable pickup in their driveway that can be seen getting charged? What fishing and hunting Americans value “smooth” towing over “strong” towing when going on their bi-annual camping trip?
In 2025, the Ford F-Series had impressive sales, reaching over 828,800 units – an 8.3% increase. This included 84,934 Ford F-150 Hybrids, up 15.0% over last year. The Ford F-150 was America’s best-selling truck again, and the hybrid was the best-selling hybrid truck. Meanwhile, the Lightning had 25,583 sales, a 18% decline from 2024. A lower-than-expected demand for the Lightning had Ford announcing that it was discontinuing its electric pickup.
The Ram 1500 REV, first announced in 2021, never even reached production. The full-size electric pickup wasn’t worth it, and Ram blamed a lack of demand in North America for pulling the plug. The automaker also delayed its plug-in hybrid pickup. The Cybertruck has seen a dramatic decline in sales, and Tesla has cancelled some trims in response. However, I think that can be blamed on much more than the Cybertruck’s electric status, to be fair.
The American electric pickup truck isn’t dead, but it’s changing… Although maybe not enough
The electric pickup hasn’t died, but it’s being reincarnated. Ford made headlines when it announced that it was working on a $30,000 electric pickup truck as part of its Universal EV Production System. This cost-effective EV pickup is actually one of the big reasons that Ford gave up on the Lightning as well, hoping to see better results with a cheaper model that competes with China’s EV market. CEO Jim Farley even stated: “American innovation is how we compete and win against China and the rest of the world.”
This follows in the tire tracks of Slate, a highly customizable electric pickup that lets drivers choose a super cost-effective model by forgoing every luxury and feature the company offers.
So… Do Americans want an electric pickup truck or not? American carmakers seem to think so, but only if it’s dirt cheap. And they could be correct. Drivers in the United States expressed jealousy at a $10,000 pickup available in Southeast Asia, which was basically one step up from a Cozy Coupe with a truck bed. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to go that cheap in America due to the country’s extensive safety requirements and regulations. You’re not gonna see anyone driving around a glorified cardboard box here.
Will the electric pickups from Slate and Ford be cheap enough to appeal to this group of Americans? It seems a bit unlikely, especially as the United States is taunted by China’s cheap EVs getting closer and closer, thanks to Canada’s new outlook. If they’re getting $18,000 electric pickups, would a $30,000 electric pickup really satisfy that jealousy? It’s cheaper than the Lightning was, but only by $20,000. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not the most groundbreaking development for the EV market. And by 2027, China’s electric pickups may even be $15,000, who knows.
The American electric pickup truck isn’t dead. Not yet. The Chevy Silverado EV RST is returning, and we still have the Rivian R1T, which is super cute, in my opinion. The Cybertruck there, too… I guess. But that thing can’t even drive over a slightly deep puddle, which doesn’t scream “I love my country and towing things.” But yes, there are still options in the American electric pickup truck market. For now.
However, I don’t think it will last. Not as it is now. American carmakers have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to keep this segment alive. And Americans will need to put their money where their mouth is and buy these cheap, no-frills trucks. You know, instead of their oversized Ram 2500 that’s been waiting its whole life to haul a mattress across town. Would they give that up for a Slate truck with a 1,000-pound towing capacity? That might be a bit embarrassing for neighbors to see in the driveway.
