Last week, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the company will unveil a new, electric pickup truck some 18 to 24 months from now, MLive reports. Ford only just confirmed earlier this year that it would introduce a hybrid version of the ever-popular Ford F-150, but Tesla’s truck – a full-electric pickup from a company with a rabid following – could steal some of the wind from the F-150 Hybrid’s sails.
No; no one believes for a second that a Tesla pickup truck could ever threaten the Ford F-150 in the showroom. Even if the demand were enormous, Tesla’s manufacturing capacity is not. Meanwhile, the F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in America for each of the last 35 years, and that isn’t bound to change anytime soon.
Moreover, car buyers already seem to have trouble making the transition to EV ownership. We imagine acceptance among truck buyers would prove even more difficult.
Still, Tesla’s every move seems to attract heaps of media attention, and a pure-electric pickup truck would be nothing if not a headline-maker – much more so than a conventional-hybrid like the future Ford F-150 Hybrid. Tesla’s entry to the pickup market could take away some of the luster from the F-150 Hybrid, making Ford’s first electrified pickup seem rather unexciting by comparison.
It’s easy to imagine which truck the average buyer will ultimately choose, and why, but Ford’s F-150 Hybrid might face a bit of a battle in getting the attention it deserves.
Comments
An unbelievable number of guys commute back and forth to their no-pickup needed jobs with their shiny new gas guzzler trucks. If Ford can get 20-50 electric miles out of a hybrid truck AND convince employers to offer free electric charging to employees, it will be very tempting to get one of these. The ability to haul and tow must be maintained of course. I don’t think any hybrids today are capable of towing.
Kind of interesting to revisit such an article 4-1/2 years later.
Ford hybrid fseries sells well enough.
Ford EV Lightning fseries is a hit.
Maverick hybrid is a hit.
Mach-E is a hit.
Ford’s EV offensive is about to really start taking off.
Rivian’s EV pickup is in production.
Hummer is in production and more GM EV trucks are on the way.
Lordstown is not dead yet.
Toyota after snoozing on EV announced a EV product onslaught.
Other OEMs are on the EV offensive too.
And Musk still doesn’t have a pickup.
It will be interesting to see what happens to Tesla in 2 to 5 years.