Best Electric Trucks for 2022
Car and Driver
There are only three battery-electric pickup truck offerings available for the 2022 model year, though more are set to arrive in the coming years. This trio of trucks purports to offer the functionality of a pickup with the efficiency of a battery-electric powertrain. Still, these three offerings cater to vastly different types of buyers. One puts an electric twist on America’s best-selling vehicle, another combines luxury appointments with a “just right” size, while the third option aims for the child within us that still yearns for a life-size Tonka truck. These are the best electric trucks for 2022, ranked.
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The GMC Hummer EV knows how ludicrous of a concept it is (An electric revival of the quintessential gas-guzzler? You must be kidding), and it leans into the bit completely. Heck, GMC dubs the truck’s launch control setup Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode. With it engaged, this 1000-hp, tri-motor behemoth claws its way to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. If that’s not enough for you, take a look at the Hummer’s Extract Mode, which raises the truck nearly 16 inches off the ground, or its Crab Walk mode that, thanks to a four-wheel steering system, allows the truck to drive diagonally around obstacles.
For all its riotous fun, the Hummer EV is spectacularly expensive. Blame the fact it’s strictly available in loaded Edition 1 guise for 2022 (cheaper and less powerful variants of the model are due to trickle out over the course of the next couple of model years).
Its 7500-pound towing capacity is also notably less than those of the other two electric trucks available for 2022. The Hummer is also exceedingly heavy, with an estimated curb weight north of 9000 pounds. Even so, GMC claims the Hummer will travel 329 miles with a full charge of its giant 212.7-kWh battery pack.
Car and Driver rating: 7.5/10Base price: $110,295
MORE ABOUT THE GMC HUMMER EV
The Rivian R1T entered the market a smidge before the other two electric trucks on this list, making it the first battery-powered pickup to hit our market. We gave it an Editor’s Choice award due to its stylish looks, 314 miles of EPA-estimated range, quick acceleration, and admirable off-roading capability.
Power comes courtesy of four electric motors that receive electricity from a 128.9-kWh battery pack. With a total of 835 horsepower, the setup motors the R1T to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Despite its smaller size relative to its 2022 electric truck competition, the R1T offers the most towing capacity in this segment at 11,000 pounds.
Inside, the R1T feels like a bonafide luxury vehicle. That said, we wish Rivian supplemented the large touchscreen with hard buttons for controlling simple features such as the adjustment of the rearview mirrors. We also wish the truck was compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Overall, though, the R1T brings more positives than negatives to the table.
Car and Driver rating: 8.5/10Base price: $68,575
MORE ABOUT THE RIVIAN R1T
Though we gave the Ford F-150 Lightning the same rating as the Rivian R1T, we ultimately awarded the Blue Oval’s electric pickup the top spot on this list for its greater mass appeal. Specifically, we’re talking about its $41,769 starting price that undercuts that of the Rivian by more than $25,000 (note that the entry-level 2023 F-150 Lightning is set to see a $7000 price hike).
Ford offers the Lightning with two battery packs for customers to choose from: a 98.0 kWh unit that nets an EPA-rated range of 230 miles and a 131.0 kWh setup with up to 320 miles of driving range. Lightnings equipped with the smaller pack produce 452 horsepower, while the larger pack nets 580 horses. The latter setup also affords the truck a towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds.
For better or worse, the F-150 Lightning’s exterior and interior designs are not unique to the model. Certain decor, such as the front light bar, however, is specific to the battery-electric truck. Though the Lightning’s plastic-heavy interior feels a tad underwhelming in the truck’s $92,019 Platinum guise, the pickup’s array of models, relatively low cost of entry, and more than 200 miles of EPA-rated driving range make it a stellar combination worthy of its place on our annual Editor’s Choice list and the top-spot on this list.
Car and Driver rating: 8.5/10Base price: $41,769
MORE ABOUT THE FORD F-150 LIGHTNING
3. GMC Hummer EV2. Rivian R1T1. Ford F-150 Lightning
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