INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Several companies rolled out electric pickups in 2019
Tesla Cybertruck got most of the attention, but don&t sleep on General Motors and Ford — bringing electric pickups to market is critical
for the viability of electric vehicles.
Automakers build vehicles around shared components
These platforms, the underpinnings of the vehicles, often live for 10 or more years, and are critical to each automaker economic stability
The exterior sheet metal might change, but dozens of models often share the frame, powertrain and electrical components.
Electric pickup
platforms offer vehicle makers a new revenue source
Instead of building electric vehicles designed to move people, these platforms can move goods
That key to building a long-term strategy around electric vehicles.
Look at Ford, whose best-selling F-150 is just a portion of its success
From the F-150, the automaker has dozens of commercial vehicles built off platforms that share components
If Ford can produce an electric pickup — which it says it doing alongside startup Rivian — Ford will be able to electrify its
commercial offering more quickly.
Specific vehicle platforms are perfect for electrification
Vehicles with a predictable driving route like municipal vehicles, delivery vans and even hearses could benefit from electric
powertrains.
Electric powertrains have long offered advantages over internal combustion; electric counterparts feature fewer moving parts
and are now often smaller, allowing for more interior space
And then there the torque that gives electric vehicles near-superhero strength.
