Page 43 - Green Builder Nov-Dec 2021 Issue

“We’re not here to make

an electric truck for the

few. We’re committed

to building one that

solves real problems for

real people.”

KUMAE GALHOTRA, PRESIDENT,
FORD NORTH AMERICA

COURTESY OF FORD MOTOR CO.
and several other brands will release EV trucks, along with some wanna-be anti-heroes, roving the countryside with “Not-a-Flame-
lesser-known brands. throwers” cued up in the passenger seat. The company claims
Tesla has promised to start shipping its Cybertruck in 2022, but that it has 1 million $100 deposits in place for these trendy trucks.
given the company’s past performance on product release dead- Soon will come the European invasion, led by Stellantis, the
lines, I wouldn’t mark any dates on the calendar. Also, this truck fourth-largest car maker in the world (the company also makes
looks more like a lightly armored Humvee than a work vehicle, the RAM EV here in the U.S.). Stellantis also owns Jeep and other
and the styling seems aimed at buyers with Mad Max fantasies, familiar brands. According to CNBC, the company plans to have
not working contractors. But maybe that’s the Cybertruck niche: 55 EV offerings in the U.S. by 2025, including work trucks.
Another wild card is a company called Rivian, which is heavily
supported by investments from Amazon and Ford. This U.S.-
based company has beat all the big players to market, and expects
to deliver 1,000 EV trucks this year. The R1T pickup is priced at
$67,500. Rivian also makes an all-electric SUV, the R1S. Accord-
ing to FleetOwner.com, the company had roughly 55,400 R1T and
R1S preorders in the United States and Canada as of Oct. 31, “a
backlog its leaders expect to fill by the end of 2023.”
One thing that’s clear: The auto industry is all in with electric
work vehicles this time. It’s poured millions into R&D and plans
to add billions in factory space and innovations. So far, buyers
have responded enthusiastically. In the ideal scenario, as more
of the grid converts to solar energy, each of these electric vehicles
Apocalypse ready? Looking more like a futuristic military vehicle than a will surpass its conventional, gas-powered counterpart, running
truck, Tesla’s Cybertruck is slated to become available in 2022. cleaner, greener (less polluting) meaner (with greater torque and
acceleration) and quieter.
COURTESY OF TESLA
Will there be hiccups and setbacks as this new technology rolls
out? Inevitably. But with each new iteration of vehicle and battery
system, each software upgrade, these trucks should get better.
And one of the perks rarely mentioned are the maintenance costs
you won’t have any more. Think about what it takes to keep a
combustion engine running: fluids, hose replacements, air filters,
carburetors, gas pumps, and on and on. Many of these parts and
services will simply become irrelevant, as gas vehicles age out,
Mystery truck. With backing from Ford and Amazon, Rivian’s R1T beat and EVs dominate the scene. The future of trucks is quiet, durable
all other EV pickup trucks to market. COURTESY OF FORD MOTOR CO. and less polluting. GB

www.greenbuildermedia.com November/December 2021 GREEN BUILDER 41