The battery-powered van is steadily becoming more popular but the next big step change for light commercial vehicles will be electric pickup trucks. These have taken a big step forward with the introduction of the Ford F-150 Lightning, which has shown off some truly exciting technology.
Sadly it doesn’t look like we are going to get the F150 Lightning on UK shores any time soon, although that is probably no bad thing given the sheer size of the thing – it’s too big and too fast for our roads.
However, there is every chance that the tech will make it down to the Ford Ranger and the closely related Volkswagen Amarok. Ford has confirmed that there will be a Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid while VW has confirmed that it is possible to make an electric version of the Amarok, even if nothing has been announced. They would join the Maxus T90EV, which became the first electric pickup to go on sale in the UK when it launched in 2023.
This page lists all the electric pickups that are on the way, and gives guidance on whether they are coming to the UK.
Electric pickups coming soon
1. Rivian R1T electric pickup truck (2024)
Rivian may not be a household name but this Californian electric vehicle firm has major backers – including Amazon and Ford. Its new all-electric pickup, the Rivian R1T, has been used as support vehicle in the ‘Long Way Up’ television show alongside the electric motorbikes ridden by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. It is the real deal.
Now on sale in the USA, priced from $73,000 (around £57,500), eventually the R1T range will include models that offer between 250 and 400 miles of driving range per charge. The headline spec uses Quad Motor technology – four motors, one for each wheel – providing 750hp and 1,120Nm, and 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds.
Towing capacity is said to be nearly 5,000kg (5.0 tonnes), and as well as the traditional pickup load bed, the Rivian electric pickup truck has underfloor storage and ‘gear tunnels’ for other kit – including a bespoke camping kitchen – just behind the cab.
Will it come to the UK? Yes, this is the hope, although we don’t yet have a definite arrival date. It is expected to be priced from around £70,000.
2. Radar RD6 (2023)
You might not have heard of Radar but you may well have heard of Geely. The Chinese giant owns many brands including Volvo and Radar is one that will focus on electric pickup trucks.
This RD6 went on sale in China in early 2023 and comes with a choice of three battery packs, with 63 kWh, 86 kWh and 100 kWh versions. The latter of these offers an impressive 632km (393 mile) range.
Don’t get too excited about the prospect of this precise vehicle coming to the UK any time soon – Geely doesn’t have a presence of its own here yet, so the likelihood of it bringing a new brand with a standalone electric truck are not particularly high. However, it could inform other brands in the Geely group if they choose to start making pickups.
Will it come to the UK? Not much chance of that.
3. Fisker Alaska pickup truck (2025)
The Fisker Alaska was revealed alongside several other all-electric models as the brand showed off its intentions to expand in the coming years.
The Alaska is not quite like many of the other big American trucks that feature on this page, though, as Fisker has targeted lightness and efficiency as two of its selling points. It says the Alaska is designed to be the world’s lighted electric pickup, and that it is also meant to be sustainable. At 5,283mm long, it is shorter than the Ford Ranger, so it should fit onto UK roads. And the plan is for it to do so, from 2025.
It’s based on a stretched version of the Ocean SUV’s platform and will be priced at the equivalent of £36,546 and is promising a range of between 230 and 340 miles.
Will it come to the UK? Yes, that’s the plan.
4. NXU XT electric pickup truck (on hold)
The Atlis XT was first announced in 2020 and is an American work-focused ‘full-size’ electric heavy duty pickup truck that uses a motor-per-wheel electric drive system. It stands out against all the other electric trucks listed here because it targeted a 500-mile driving range and promised new battery technology with a speedier charging time.
How speedy? Atlis claimed 15 minutes – with the promise it will take just five minutes in the future. However, we’re referring to the XT in the past tense as the company changed its name to NXU in 2023, at which point it said that it was putting the pickup truck on pause for the time being while it concentrated on making components, such as batteries. It’s not ruled it out for the future, though, which is why it is still in this list.
If and when it comes, here’s hoping it matches the original claims. Power output is 600hp, torque 16,270Nm (again, one of those crazy EV figures). Payload is up to 2,267kg, while towing capacity is as much as 7,711kg.
Is it coming to the UK? Atlis didn’t have plans to sell outside the US originally.
5. Tesla Cybertruck (2024)
If electric pickups have a posterchild it’s this, the Tesla Cybertruck. Crazy name, even crazier looks, it’s planned by probably the most famous electric car company in the world and makes some extraordinary performance claims.
The exterior is made from stainless steel, the glass is supposedly armoured (though the tech demo of that didn’t go so well), and it’s claimed to have a payload in excess of 1,500kg and towing capacity of up to 6,350kg. You’re probably going to need beyond an ordinary UK driving licence for that, however.
Single-motor, dual-motor and tri-motor versions of the Tesla electric pickup are planned, delivering 0-60mph in 6.5, 4.5 or 2.9 seconds. Driving range is said to be 250-500 miles, with the most powerful going the furthest. Full production is now likely to start in early 2024, although the first model did roll off the production line in 2023.
Given it was originally planned for 2021 and then 2022 we will refrain from putting the date in our diary in ink just for now though.
Will it come to the UK? Not entirely clear. The Tesla UK website used to take £100 deposits from interested parties but this is no longer the case.
6. Chevrolet Silverado EV electric pickup truck (2023)
The Silverado is Chevrolet’s answer to the Ford F-150, so no surprise that a Chevy electric pickup truck based on this is coming. Especially as Chevrolet is part of the same General Motors family of companies as the GMC Hummer – the electric Silverado will be built in the same factory.
Official details were revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2022, confirming not only that the Silverado will go into production in autumn 2023 but also that it’ll have a four-wheel steering system, an estimated range of 400 miles and a powerful 660hp/1,057Nm electric drive system.
As a result, some versions will be able to tow over 9,000kg, while 0-60mph takes just 4.5 seconds. It also features smoothed over looks, a highly digital, screen-heavy interior – including fully integrated Google voice search (just say ‘Hey Google’, etc) – and a large panoramic glass roof.
Will it come to the UK? No way.
7. GMC Sierra Denali electric pickup truck (2024)
The third variant of General Motors electric truck to be based on the same technology as the GMC Hummer and Chevy Silverado EV will be an electric version of the GMC Sierra. It will be sold exclusively in the high-spec Denali trim level to start off with, although it will come in AT4 and Elevation spec for the 2025 model year.
So far it is not confirmed exactly what abilities the Sierra will offer, although it will mirror the other two. This means a range of around 400 miles, fast charging up to 350kW offering up to 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes and a maximum power output of 754hp.
Will it come to the UK? Even less likely than the Silverado EV
8. Hercules Alpha electric pickup truck (2025)
We remain fairly cynical about this one – especially after comparing the image above with the Nissan one below – but Hercules has apparently got famous Italian design house Pininfarina onboard to design the final product, so perhaps we shouldn’t judge things too swiftly. There is also plenty of technical detail to go on.
The Alpha will be offered with one, two or four motors, with power output for the latter targeting 1,000hp and 1,085Nm; the single motor option should be good for 262hp and the twin-motor version 550hp. The firm has dismissed in-hub motors as unreliable at this stage, but is investigating high-tech solid-state batteries.
A 350-mile driving range is expected from the four-motor, with 0-60mph in as little as 4.0 seconds. Payload claim is 1,134kg while towing capacity is an expected 5,670kg. The powertrain will go on sale in a recreational boat first, with the pickup following in 2023. Expect to pay around $100,000.
Will it come to the UK? We’re going with no on this one.
9. Nissan Titan electric pickup truck (2023)
So, largely just the rumour mill at the moment, but the word is Nissan is looking to build an electric version of its American-market pickup, the Titan. And that it’s planning to do so with help from… Hercules.
This would explain why the Alpha above is clearly a Titan in disguise, we suppose, as the potential deal is said to include Nissan providing conventional components for the Hercules pickup in exchange for electric tech to power the Titan.
That’s all the detail on this Nissan electric pickup we’ve got right now.
Will it come to the UK? No.
10. Alpha Wolf electric pickup truck (2023)
Alpha is – yes, you guessed it – another one of these American electric vehicle start-ups. The difference is that it seems to get its kicks out of a kind of retro aesthetic, and the Wolf pickup is no exception. Rather than look like a futuristic version of an ordinary modern truck it’s got a much more classic-looking style, helping it to win plenty of early friends.
There are two versions: the single-cab Wolf and the extended-cab Wolf Plus. Both are based around the same electric vehicle tech concept, promising single or dual motor drive systems and a range of 250-275+ miles per charge. No power outputs have been given, but 0-60mph is quoted at 5.9 seconds.
There’s no payload info, but Alpha says the Wolf will tow up to 3,050kg. Unlike most listed here, this is a small electric pickup, similar in size to UK and European models, so it wouldn’t feel too big over here. Pricing is set to start at $36,000 (around £26,000).
Will it come to the UK? Nothing has been announced, but at least it’s not too oversized to be over here.
11. Canoo electric pickup truck (2024)
Canoo is another start-up company that has been promising vehicles, announcing deals and sending trucks out for testing, but has yet to hit the big time with loads of pickups on the road.
The promised technical details include a 746Nm of torque, limited 200-mile range and an actually quite pathetic 816kg payload capacity. But perhaps that’s the price you pay for style. Rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models are planned, and there’s space onboard for just four people.
Still, at least when you look at Canoo’s website you can see actual prototypes of their other vehicles in testing. So it does at least feel as if there’s a real engineering team behind this one. The plans are that it will go on sale in 2024, and there have been conversations with the US Army to supply some vehicles.
Will it come to the UK? Sadly unlikely.
12. Ford Ranger / Volkswagen Amarok hybrid electric pickup truck (2024)
It is now confirmed that the latest Ford Ranger – which also forms the basis of the new VW Amarok – will come with some kind of electrified drivetrain. The Ranger isn’t leaping in with a fully electric version just yet, though, with a PHEV planned first of all, and due to arrive in 2025.
This is slightly behind Ford’s original commitment for all of its light commercial vehicle line-up to be ‘zero emissions capable’ by 2024 but it does fulfil that promise. To add to this, Volkswagen said, when it was launching the Amarok, that the truck was capable of offering an electric variant, so a BEV model is still a possibility.
Every pickup will almost certainly need to be at least part electric to meet the regulations. Which suggests we will also be seeing electric Toyota Hilux and electric Isuzu D-Max models in the near future as well. Toyota already sells a hybrid version of the larger Tundra pickup truck in the USA.
Will they come to the UK? Yes.
13. Ram 1500 EV electric pickup truck (2024)
Joining the ranks of important American trucks that have committed to electric variants is the Ram 1500. Ram is the Stellantis truck and van brand in the USA, and the 1500 model is a rival to the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado.
Ram is a little later than some of its rivals, but it is promising some decent numbers. A 500-mile maximum range, 1,225kg payload and fast charging up to 350kW are all impressive-sounding figures for example. You can add a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and 654hp to that list too.
We originally ruled the electric truck out when it came to a UK launch, but Ram popped up on the big launch of all the facelifted Stellantis vans in October 2023.
The quote that stood out to us in that event was from Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, who said: ‘From the US we will expand to the rest of the world and our trucks will complement the Stellantis van ranges in all regions.’ Is the UK part of that? We don’t yet know
Will it come to the UK? Maybe
14. Toyota electric pickup (2025)
Toyota has now officially joined the electric pickup party, revealing a concept model in December 2021 simply called the Toyota Pickup EV. In fact, it was one of many new all-electric Toyotas unveiled at the same time.
There’s not a great deal more information at this stage – we don’t even know exactly what size of pickup it most closely matches up to, though the thinking is it’s a variant of the American market Tacoma or Tundra, rather than the Toyota Hilux we’re familiar with in the UK.
Expected on-sale date at this stage is 2025, but that’s also entirely speculative at moment. We’ll bring you more when we have it.
Will it come to the UK? Probably not. But an electric Hilux might…
15. SPI Energy Edison Future EF1-T electric pickup truck (2025)
SPI Energy is a Chinese energy firm, and it unveiled a prototype version of this Edison Future EF1-T electric truck at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2021, where it also began taking customer reservations.
We’re not sure how many people took them up on the opportunity, but the plan is to sell the EF1-T in Standard single-motor, Premium two-motor and Super three-motor versions. Claimed power output is 400hp, 690hp and 816hp, respectively, with 0-60mph in 6.5, 4.5 and 3.9 seconds. Driving range is reckoned to be up to 450 miles per charge.
The Edison Future has another trick feature, though – a folding load cover packed with solar panels that can help keep the batteries topped up. This ‘solar mosaic’ technology will provide a ‘stunning visual signature’ apparently, and 25-35 miles of extra range. In addition to the pickup, there’s also an EF1-V off-road van based on the same platform.
Will it come to the UK? We suspect not.
16. Volkswagen Scout electric pickup truck (2026)
In addition to the as-yet-unconfirmed electrified version of the next-generation Amarok mentioned above, the Volkswagen Group has confirmed that it plans to launch an electric pickup in the United States, albeit with something of a twist. Instead of using a VW badge, this new electric truck will resurrect the Scout marque, once famous in the USA.
The reborn Scout will also launch a ‘rugged-SUV’ model – and both will be 100% electric. VW clearly feels there is a market here, though whether it will be targeting the likes of the Ford Bronco and Lightning or the bigger, badder renewed Hummer range isn’t yet clear.
We we do know is ‘the electrified Scout brand will be built upon a new technical platform concept which brings new pickup and RUV credibility beyond the existing Volkswagen Group portfolio.’ So it won’t use the current MEB platform underpins the ID. Buzz Cargo electric van.
Will it come to the UK? No – the Scout brand will be designed and built in and for the American market only
17. Kia electric pickup truck(s) (2026)
Kia is not traditionally a pickup manufacturer, but it has already announced its intention to enter the world of commercial vehicles with its so-called PBVs (Purpose Built Vehicles). The plan is to start with a mid-sized van, but the future could well include not one but two electric pickup truck models (not including the Bongo EV3 dropside already on sale in Korea).
One is described as a ‘dedicated electric pickup’, the other as a ‘strategic model for emerging markets’ – which is something we’ve not seen many other mainstream manufacturers talking about at this stage.
The company plan places the on-sale date for these electric Kia pickups as 2026, which is still some way off for now. As yet there’s no word on whether Hyundai (which does already sell a conventional pickup truck in the USA) will follow the same strategy, but as two parts of the same firm, the pair usually share development and technology.
Will they come to the UK? Possibly
Why aren’t there more electric pickups on sale in the UK?
Electric pickups are taking longer to go on sale because building them is a trickier task than electrifying a van. Existing four-wheel drive (4×4) systems are usually in the way, and the weight of the batteries may be a cause for payload concerns here in the UK.
As a result, there are lots of new brands entering the electric pickup market, using revolutionary ‘skateboard’ style chassis designs which put all of the components into a platform that can have different bodies on top – including a pickup body.
Almost all of these are focused on the USA – and though there are some Chinese electric pickup trucks as well, many of them won’t make it to the UK any time soon. Or ever.
What are the advantages of an electric pickup?
As well as producing zero emissions when driving – which is great for air quality – electric vehicles have plenty of torque, the muscle that gets loads moving. Most of the electric pickups above take advantage of this to deliver huge performance and capability.
Electric motors are also much quieter than conventional diesel and petrol engines, improving refinement. They also typically cost less to run and are cheaper to service.
More than this though, electric power gives pickup makers the opportunity to rethink conventional design ideas – and you’ll see some examples of this above.
What are the disadvantages of an electric pickup?
Weight is likely to be a problem – though there’s a special EV licence exemption for alternatively fuelled light commercial vehicles in the UK that increases the allowed maximum gross vehicle weight to 4,250kg (4.25 tonnes) for exactly this reason.
Besides, meeting the 1,000kg (1.0-tonne) payload rating required of pickups by UK light commercial vehicle tax rules may still be tricky for the size of pickup we’re used to seeing here. Batteries are heavy so will take up that vital weight allowance,
In addition to this there are the usual driving range and charging issues that face all electric vehicles. The other factor is electric pickup prices – all things point to them being higher than for diesel models.
