What Kind of Customer Will Buy an All-Electric F-150?
Most are understandably critical of electric pickups, so who exactly are companies like Ford hoping to sell them to?
Electrified Future
Few topics rile up old school truck enthusiasts like the forthcoming electric revolution. Sure, electric cars and SUVs have been around for a while now. But trucks? Well, that's sacred ground. But the reality is, EV pickups are coming soon, including an electrified F-150. So it's worth asking - who, if anyone, will be lining up to buy these newfangled trucks from the future?
Photos: Ford
Towing Deficiencies
It's worth noting, right off the bat, that Tesla's Cybertruck has thus far drawn an incredible amount of interest from potential buyers. And sure, its claimed performance numbers and styling are rather polarizing. But the truth is, existing Tesla vehicles aren't exactly capable of towing anything for long distances. Or even medium distances. So until technology advances significantly in that department, we doubt traditional truck buyers will even consider electric power.
Photos: Ford
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Critical Selling Point
Ford did make waves when it showed off its electric F-150 prototype towing over a million pounds, which was obviously impressive. And many expect the production pickup to achieve a range between 300 and 400 miles, which is adequate. The question is, how far will it go towing a trailer? Or with a bed loaded down with cargo? This will be critical for Ford, as Tesla vehicles tend to lose 50% or more of their range when hauling any sort of weight.
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Charging Speed
The next critical selling point for Ford is charging time. Many truck buyers tend to take their pickups on longer road trips, oftentimes in rural areas where you won't find charging stations. If we assume this infrastructure improves significantly in the coming years, Ford also has to ensure that the EV F-150 can charge quickly. Truck buyers don't want to sit around for hours waiting on their pickups to charge up. There are vehicles like the new Porsche Taycan that can charge to 80% in just 15 minutes, so there's certainly potential there.
Photos: Ford
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Sealing the Deal
The other major factor at play with an electric F-150 is cost. New trucks are already pretty expensive, and electric vehicles aren't cheap, either. You have to imagine that electric power is going to add around $10k to the price of a new pickup, which is substantial. So Ford has to be able to justify this jump with multiple benefits. Obviously, fuel cost is a big one. But the performance and towing capability could seal the deal. Heck, we've seen what Tesla has built on the back of raw acceleration and fancy technology.
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Double Duty
The difference here is, Tesla has achieved its stranglehold on the EV market by building a brand with a fiercely loyal fan base. Ford, of course, dominates the full-size truck market. So there's reason to believe the Blue Oval can chip away at Tesla's market share using its long-established reputation for building the very best trucks in the world. The question is, how do they convince traditional truck owners that electric power is superior to gas and diesel power, while also attracting EV loyalists?
Photos: Ford
>>Join the conversation about who may be an EV F-150 right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
Potential Customers
Well, we'll have to wait and see some final specs before we can completely answer that question. But for now, we have to imagine that the electric F-150 will be somewhat of a niche product at first. The folks that initially buy one will be those that use their trucks to haul a few bags of mulch from the local garden center on weekends. Not the ones looking to tow a trailer 1,000 miles. But if battery and charging technology continues to advance as it has in recent years, who knows? Maybe we'll all be driving an electric F-150 ten years from now.
Photos: Ford
>>Join the conversation about who may be an EV F-150 right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
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