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Best electric trucks: haul without paying for gas

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Rear-three quarter view of the 2022 Rivian R1T.
Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The concept of what can and cannot be an electric vehicle is expanding. Just a few years ago, EVs were limited to small, cheap cars that were relatively ugly or at least not all that sleek. These days, all the coolest new vehicles are electric — and that even applies to some of the coolest new trucks. Electric trucks have to satisfy the same needs as gas-powered trucks — plenty of space for hauling, powerful performance, and a rugged build that can survive work sites and off-road situations.

Thankfully, there are more than just a few electric trucks. Sure, there aren’t as many electric trucks as gas-powered ones, but there are easily enough to mean that there’s something for everyone who can afford to shell out a little cash.

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Before we dive in to the best electric trucks out there right now, it’s probably a good idea to note a few things. Electric trucks are very powerful, and can haul large loads. But when you haul large loads, range takes a bit of a nose-dive. That’s true of gas-powered trucks too, but the ability to fill the tank in a few minutes somewhat softens the blow. Electric trucks can tow and haul, but they’re still probably not the best for towing and hauling over long distances, instead serving as great vehicles to tow and haul large loads over shorter distances. According to many reports, when towing a large trailer, an electric truck might only get one-third of its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-estimated range, or even less. Again, those hauling over shorter distances, with the ability to charge at night, should be perfectly fine.

All that said, without further ado, here are the best electric trucks out there right now.

Rivian R1T

Blue Rivian R1T
Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends / Rivian

Range: Up to 420 miles

Starting price: $69,900

Bed size: 54 inches

Rivian made a name for itself with its electric truck, the R1T. The Rivian R1T was Rivian’s first vehicle, offering a relatively large truck bed, a rugged build, and excellent EV features. The R1T is now on its second generation, and it comes in a number of models. The base model is the R1T Adventure Dual Standard, which offers two motors, a standard-size battery, and 270 miles of range. The longest-range model, however, gets up to 420 miles, which is pretty huge — and means that you could potentially expand its ability to tow to medium distances instead of just short ones.

Rivian is a pretty tech-forward company too. The R1T delivers an excellent software experience, with a number of self-driving features, including a number of promised features that will roll out in the near future. The vehicle isn’t cheap, so expect to pay for all these awesome features, but if you want arguably the best electric truck out there, the Rivian R1T is worth considering.

Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford F-150 Lightning
Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

Range: Up to 320 miles

Starting price: $62,995

Bed size: 66 inches

The Ford F-150 Lightning was one of the first electric trucks, as an electrified version of Ford’s much-loved F150. The vehicle looks much like the standard F-150, but with a few hints toward an electric powertrain. Inside, the truck is rugged and strong, with nice seat coverings and plenty of storage. It has a large display at the front, and supports tech like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning isn’t actually that much cheaper than the Rivian R1T, starting at $62,995. For the money, you’ll get a lower range — with the longest-range model offering 320 miles. The base model is the F-150 Lightning XLT Standard Range, which only has 240 miles — or much less if you’re hauling heavy loads. Still, there’s a reason the F-150 Lightning is so loved. It’s big, rugged, and very Ford.

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla

Range: Up to 325 miles

Starting price: $74,490

Bed size: 66 inches

We couldn’t write a guide about the best electric trucks and not include the Tesla Cybertruck. That’s not necessarily because it is the best electric truck, but rather because it’s perhaps the most famous. It’s easy to make fun of the Cybertruck, but under the hood, it actually has some great things going for it. Tesla knows how to make a great EV.

Exterior design aside, the interior of the vehicle is very Tesla, with a mostly minimalistic look and a large display at the front for infotainment, instrument monitoring, and climate control. The truck doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, but it does have Tesla‘s own software built into it, which is generally considered to be among the best car software out there. Eventually, there will be three Cybertruck trims available, but for now you can only get the All-Wheel Drive variant, with 325 miles of range and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds, or the Cyberbeast variant, which has 301 miles of range and can get to 60 miles per hour in 2.6 seconds.

Chevrolet Silverado EV

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST.
Chevrolet

Range: Up to 460 miles

Starting price: $73,100

Bed size: 71 inches

The Silverado is going electric too. The Chevrolet Silverado EV has been out for a while now, and while originally you could only get the First Edition mode, more trims are now available. That includes the Silverado EV LT, with 408 miles of range, and both an Extended Range and Max Range variant of the Silverado EV RST, with the latter offering an impressive 460 miles of range. The truck has a huge bed size too, making it a great choice for those who want to haul larger objects.

Those things don’t come cheap though. The Silverado EV starts at $73,100, which is a lot to pay if you’re used to spending the kind of money that gas-powered trucks cost. But, if you want a long range and a huge bed, you might find it to be the way to go.

GMC Hummer EV Pickup

Hummer EV
GMC

Range: Up to 367 miles

Starting price: $96,550

Bed size: 60 inches

The most expensive pickup on this list is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the GMC Hummer EV Pickup. This truck isn’t necessarily for those who just want a great electric truck for hauling loads around town — it’s for those who want to do so in style. The truck has a very Hummer vibe to it, with a long segmented light bar along the front, and a muscular build.

The range on the truck is pretty good — at up to 367 miles for those who get the larger battery pack. That’s pretty high, though again, you’ll have to pay for it. The interior of the Hummer EV Pickup is rugged too. It’s a great choice for those willing to spend some cash on a Hummer, and if you don’t want a truck, there’s an SUV version of it too.

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Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor

Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle space over the past decade-plus. Christian's byline can be found in the largest and most influential consumer tech publications on the internet. He got his start covering mobile for Talk Android, then moving to a five-year stint as a mobile contributor at Digital Trends, covering new smartphones, the rise and rollout of 5G, and the many mergers and attempted telecom mergers that took place during that time. During that time, he also covered mobile technology for the likes of TechRadar, and began covering other areas of the consumer tech industry. Today, he covers automotive and electric vehicles for Digital Trends, including all the latest and greatest EVs and everything that happens in the EV industry. He also covers personal audio for PCMag, smart home and home theater for Tom's Guide, consumer tech reviews for BGR, and general consumer technology for Forbes Vetted, and tech design for Design Milk. Since 2012 when he first began writing about consumer technology, he has also appeared in publications like Lifewire, Mashable, US News & World Report, AP Buyline, and CNN Underscored. He’s attended all the biggest trade shows in the industry, including CES, MWC, and IFA, and personally reviewed all the biggest and most important gadgets over the past ten years.

Christian studied music production at a small music school in Minnesota, where he both learned how to produce music and discovered his passion for writing. In college, he found himself wanting a job, but couldn’t go to one in person without a car or a driver’s license — so he turned to online work. He soon started writing for small phone blogs (his first big gig was at Talk Android), building his byline over time.

Christian's lack of a driver's license wasn't because of a poor driving ability. He spent the first 14 years of his life in Canberra, Australia, where he spent hours on his PlayStation 2 and honing his drumming skills. After his father got a job in Paris, France, Christian spent the next five years of his life there, learning French and developing an interest in music production. In Paris, he graduated from high school, and with the U.S. citizenship that he got through his American mother, he soon moved to Minnesota to pursue a higher education in music technology. After college, Christian moved to Los Angeles but eventually settled in Santa Cruz, California, where he now lives with his wife, daughter, and cat. When he's not hanging out with his family or working, he can be found playing PlayStation or developing a new hobby (his latest is leather-working). Oh, and he's a pretty good driver now too.

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Americans rushed to take advantage of the incentive, helping fuel a surge of more than 15% in EV sales in the fourth quarter, according to Cox Automotive.
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