Electric Trucks Vs. Gas or Diesel, The Pros and Cons

Electric vehicles (EVs) are nothing new. Electric cars have been increasingly adopted into the mainstream for more than two decades. In this third decade of the 21st century we're beginning to read more abut electric trucks and it appears that we'll be seeing them soon.

Elon Musk sure has a way of garnering media attention, and his Tesla Cyber Truck rollout definitely turned some heads. Yes, it's odd looking by conventional standards, but then we thought the VW Bug was a bit odd when it first began multiplying ou American roads. The plan is to have Tesla Cyber Trucks on the road by the end of 2021 or sometime in 2022. 

Five other manufacturers have EV trucks in the works to be road ready later this year or early next as well. In light of these developments people are wondering about whether or when to consider this new concept in transportation. The ideas here below come from WBAP, a news/talk radio website story titled, Are Electric Trucks Better Than Gas or Diesel? 

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The article lists the following Pros for electric trucks,, most of which we're all familiar except the last.

Pros
Reduced Emissions

Lower Cost per Mile

Quiet (How loud is your golf cart? Sweet.)

Less Frequent Maintenance and Less Expensive

Tax Credits (EVs are incentivized)

HOV Lanes (Carpool lanes available in some places even if you are solo.)

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There are some drawbacks worth noting, however. It's nice to find them assembled in one place

The Cons

Range Anxiety

In 1900, 50% of all cars were electric. The problem was that you could only go about 17 miles before you had to re-charge. How do you get from New York to see cousins in Boston? 

The author of this article focuses not on the range limitation per se, but on how awareness of our limitations distracts and affects us inwardly. I'd never considered this before. What's more, haulers designed to crisscross states not only need to be recharged regularly but also quickly.

 

Choice of Truck

Right now the options are quite limited. There are only a handful of companies with EV trucks in the works.

Insurance Costs

Evidently, and I was unaware of this also, there are only a limited number of insurance companies willing to take the risk with insuring EV truck. Prices are higher, too.

Availability of Charging Points

The infrastructure is not yet in place as with gas stations. This is a concern, at least in the near term.

Time to Charge 

It takes minutes to fill your fuel tanks. Not so to re-charge your batteries.

Increased Cost of Vehicle 

Be prepared for sticker shock.

 

The Bottom Line

Here are the conclusions presented by the author of this article:

The current administration wants more EVs and will offer incentives. In other countries, the incentive helps but doesn’t cause consumers to sell their vehicles and have only one EV in their households. It helps but will not replace all gas and diesel-powered vehicles.

Manufacturers will be producing electric vehicles in order to meet the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE), as federal fines could be excessive over time. Manufacturers are not making profit from these vehicles and they’re in business to make money. If they’re not making money and are forced to produce cars that don’t produce a profit, it will only hurt their bottom line which will reduce their advancement in technology and employment.

List of 2021 Electric Trucks available

Rivian R1T 
Prices start at $67,500 – 250 mile range – deliveries start in June

Tesla Cyber Truck 
Prices expected $39,500 – very late 2021 or 2022

Bollinger B2 
Prices start at $125,000 – no set time in 2021

Lordstown Endurance pickup 
$52,500 – September 2021

Atlis XT 
$45,000 – available 2022

Hummer EV 
$80,000 – late 2021

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READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:
https://www.wbap.com/news/are-electric-trucks-better-than-gas-and-diesel-trucks/