The growth of electric vehicles is ongoing, but electric trucks haven’t caught on quite as well as other EVs. Are electric trucks ready to handle the big jobs?

Some electric pickups are popular, and others are not. Many drivers trust the Ford F-150 Lightning and, subsequently, the Chevrolet Silverado EV but might not trust the Rivian R1T or Tesla Cybertruck. There aren’t many trucks that operate entirely using electricity yet, but the class is growing. Unfortunately, these trucks have one strong disadvantage compared to their gas and diesel-powered counterparts.

What are the advantages of electric trucks?

For the most part, the advantages of driving a pickup powered by electricity are the same as other EVs. Some of these advantages are:

Environmental benefits

Electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, which means no pollutants are being expelled into the air. Gas and diesel-powered trucks produce harmful emissions that contribute to greenhouse gasses, causing atmospheric pollution and smog. Some will argue against mining for minerals used in electric batteries, but that’s a topic for a different discussion.

Cost savings

Despite higher initial costs, driving electric trucks is much more affordable than driving conventional models. The fuel savings and lowered maintenance costs mean you won’t spend as much to recharge the batteries or on vehicle maintenance. EVs have fewer moving parts and don’t have the same explosive nature in the engine bay as traditional vehicles.

Quiet operation

Electric vehicles operate quietly, and this includes trucks. This is beneficial for deliver operations that need to drive through neighborhoods late at night or early in the morning. The lowered noise means you won’t wake the neighbors by starting up the truck and taking it on residential streets.

Government incentives

Electric trucks qualify for the Federal EV Tax Credit, which can be taken at the dealership, thus reducing the cost of the vehicle by up to $7,500 before you ever take it home. These incentives help offset the higher costs of EVs and entice more drivers to choose to drive an electric vehicle than one powered by gasoline or diesel.

What are the disadvantages of electric trucks?

Like anything else in life, where there are pros, there are also cons. Some of the disadvantages of electric vehicles, including trucks, are:

Range limitations

To be completely fair, all vehicles have limited driving ranges. When the tank or batteries are empty, you can’t drive any further. That said, the time it takes to recharge batteries compared to refilling a gas tank is significantly greater, which means it can be challenging to understand how long it will take before you have a full battery when recharging.

Charging infrastructure

The charging infrastructure in America is not as widespread as that for gas and diesel-powered vehicles. Many public charging stations are located in urban areas, and it takes a long time to recharge electric truck batteries. The lack of a strong public charging infrastructure is only offset by drivers using at-home chargers, but this significantly limits the driving radius.

Initial cost

Electric trucks are much more expensive than traditional trucks. EVs might cost less in terms of maintenance and refueling, but you will pay thousands of dollars more for an electric vehicle than for the same vehicle with a gas-powered engine.

Battery disposal

EV batteries have a limited lifespan and will need to be replaced after several years of use. The deterioration of EV batteries begins to appear in terms of lessened driving range after recharging. Currently, disposal processes are being researched, but the hazardous materials contained in these batteries mean they need to be disposed of properly.

The greatest disadvantage of electric trucks

As hinted above, there is a significant disadvantage to trucks powered by electricity when compared to gas and diesel-powered pickups. This disadvantage shows up in the towing capability. Electric pickup can tow pretty well; the Ford F-150 Lightning tows 10,000 pounds, as does the Chevrolet Silverado EV, but the challenge occurs when the trailer is hooked up. As soon as a trailer is attached and programmed into the truck’s system, you’ll see a significant decrease in the expected driving range.

To be perfectly fair, gas and diesel-powered trucks also lose driving range when pulling a heavy trailer, but not to the same extent as electric trucks. Additionally, refueling a conventional truck takes far less time than recharging the batteries in an EV. This is the greatest disadvantage of electric pickups.

Are electric trucks ready to handle the heavy-duty work? As long as you keep them close to home and the jobsite, they can get the job done but they still don’t have the capability of long-range towing as traditional pickups.