The Power Of Pickups Shows No Signs Of Fading Away Even In The EV Era

With all eyes on Tesla Inc TSLA and its third quarter earnings that are scheduled for release after the bell, General Motors GM made quite an earnings appearance this week, smashing estimates and hiking its earnings guidance for the third time this year, fueled by the strength of trucks and crossovers in the U.S. market.

The unquestioned king of pickup trucks Ford Motor F is due to report it result on October 28th. But while General Motors continued to expand its EV lineup, Ford has been turning to hybrids to deal with mounting EV losses.

The last but not least of the Big Three in the U.S., Stellantis STLA, might have started with layoffs earlier in October, which are part of its broader cost cuts, but this week, it revealed its plans to launch an EV fleet with game changing technology. 

Everyone is adapting differently to the evolving automotive landscape.

Stellantis to launch EV fleet fitted with factorial solid-state batteries

By 2026, Stellantis will be launching a demonstration fleet of EVs fitted with solid-state batteries from U.S. startup Factorial. This battery technology reduces fire risk and enables automakers to make lighter and lower-cost EVs while improving their range on a single charge. By integrating Factorial's innovative battery solution into the STLA Large platform, Stellantis is validating its potential to enhance its EV lineup, improving the experience for its EV buyers. Batteries will be fitted in a fleet of all-new Dodge Charger Daytona vehicles, with the STLA Large platforms also supporting large-sized models of other group brands, such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. 

Meanwhile, Worksport Ltd WKSP continues to enhance the pickup experience with its innovative tonneau covers.

Established as an innovative U.S.-based manufacturer of hybrid and clean energy solutions for light trucks, Worksport just announced a targeted market release of its highly anticipated AL4 Premium Tonneau Cover has been scheduled for December 15th, with manufacturing of production-ready samples for testing and customer evaluation already in motion. With this launch, Worksports expects to further boost sales channels, improve profit margins, and enhance brand penetration considering that this is the highest-volume category of all hard tonneau covers in the $4 billion market. The initial offering will cover Ford Motor, Ram under the Stellantis umbrella and General Motors with Chevrolet and GMC brands, while the R&D team works on developing variations to suit Toyota Motor TM, Nissan Motor Co Ltd NSANY, and Honda Motor Co Ltd HMC.

Worksport already disrupted the market with its solar-power duo: the tonneau cover SOLIS and the portable battery system COR that are currently in the Alpha release phase. These portable nano-grid systems are set to revolutionize off-grid power solutions, bringing the pickup experience to a whole new level. In September, Worksport reported successful lab results of level 1 Tesla charging with the COR energy system, more precisely of the Model 3. Therefore, Worksport addressed range anxiety that has also been troubling owners of the Tesla Cybertruck, while already nearing completion of product engineering for its solar-powered ecosystem to fit the first electric pickup that has hit the road, the R1T from Rivian Automotive RIVN. In addition, Worksport also has an active partnership with Hyundai for the SOLIS that will also be available for General Motor and Ford pickups, among others. 

Electric or powered by an internal combustion engine, pickups are as strong as it gets so no wonder their popularity is showing no signs of fading away even in the EV era that is changing the automotive industry for good. 

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