Electric Pickups Just Got Some Solar Power To Ease Their Struggles

R1T, the first electric pickup to hit the road, was the showpiece that launched Rivian Automotive RIVN. But considering that the R1S SUV became the signature vehicle Rivian got known for, launching the world’s first electric pickup wasn’t enough to launch Rivian among the EV stars. Even Ford Motor F couldn’t repeat its F-150 best-selling success on the EV front. Not to mention the EV king, Tesla Inc TSLA, who successfully launched the Cybertruck after quite a bit of delays, only to face a new set of challenges. Even Tesla ended up short on the electric pickup front, with Cybertruck sales being pale compared to Model Y and Model 3. To sum it up, SUVs won against pickups in the EV race. For now.

Putting it simply, a larger EV means a less efficient EV. To move around, a heavier vehicle needs more energy and therefore, huge batteries. Rivian somewhat solved this equation with R1T that has the range option of 420 miles, but it requires a huge and expensive battery pack. Stellantis N.V. STLA is claiming its all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup will outperform its competitors with range, towing, payload, and charging times. Scheduled to arrive to dealerships early next year, this will be Ram’s first electric pickup. 2025 1500 REV will come with two battery options, resulting in targeted ranges of 350-miles and up to 500 miles. This means Stellantis will leave behind not only Rivian, but also the pickup king, Ford and its 2024 Lightning, whose extended range of 320 miles, and the EV king, Tesla, whose Cybetruck has en estimated driving range of 340 miles. However, it’s no secret that Stellantis is also struggling, both in North America and in Europe, with Chinese EV makers setting up shop as they continue to expand their global footprint. But, despite challenges and weak results for the first half of the year, including a profit dive of 48%, Stellantis is not giving up. Earlier this month, it revealed its plans to invest $406 million to retool three Michigan plants for EV production. But also, it is slowing down as a week ago, it decided to pause the production of electric Fiat 500 model for four weeks, with the plant in Turin will undergo a significant transformation, involving an investment of €100 million, being equipped for developing a hybrid version of the model. Therefore, Stellantis is yet to fulfill its electric pickup promise. 

The Good News Is That All Electric Pickups Just Got Some Solar Power

Meanwhile, Worksport Ltd WKSP, an innovative maker of hybrid and clean energy solutions for light trucks and global consumer goods, just initiated the Alpha Launch of its solar-power duo that pickups can greatly benefit from. Its off-grid power on the go duo consists of SOLIS solar-powered tonneau cover and COR mobile battery power generator. Worksport is planning to bring this innovative system to market in three phases, beginning with the Alpha release, followed by the Beta release and ultimately, a full-scale market launch. The initial Alpha release of its cutting-edge nano-grid system has officially been initiated, with Worksport announcing that approximately 100 systems have been set for rigorous testing and public exposure. Worksport already revealed that the SOLIS will be available for major truck brands including Ford, General Motors Company GM and the Hyundai Motor Company HYMTF. In addition, Worksport revealed earlier this month successful lab test results of the portable COR battery system as a range extender for Tesla, namely its Model 3 and Cybertruck.

Therefore, the above examples show that as technologies improve and economies of scale emerge, electric pickups will be in a much more favorable position in the future.

DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.

This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.