Several new electric truck models are coming over the next few years. This move is on for electricity to replace gasoline and diesel in every vehicle we drive. The environmental benefits of an EV are pretty straightforward, but is an electric pickup better for you to drive than a diesel truck?

Is an electric pickup truck worth it?

Until recently, pricing for an electric vehicle was much higher than its diesel or gasoline counterparts. That’s not the case any longer. The starting price for the Ford F-150 Lightning is $39,974, which is similar to the starting price for the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which comes in at $39,285. The price difference has shrunk to a more affordable level.

What are the benefits of electric vehicles?

The immediate benefit of using electricity is the lack of emissions expelled. Diesel engines are considered dirty because of the high emissions put into the atmosphere. An electric truck offers power and zero emissions to give you more of what you want and need during your drive. Let’s look at some additional benefits of EV pickups.

1. An electric truck delivers instant torque

Both gasoline and diesel trucks cannot give you the full torque range as soon as you hit the accelerator, but an EV truck can. The electric power makes one of these trucks move right away and gives you an impressive amount of power without waiting to reach a specified level of RPMs. According to Auto Trader, this power gives an electric pickup the advantage in towing and carrying payload.

2. Electric vehicles don’t require as much maintenance

There are fewer moving parts in an electric vehicle, which means less maintenance and less downtime. This is a benefit of a diesel truck vs. a gasoline model, but an EV requires even less maintenance than diesel models, making it easier to keep an electric model out on the road.

3. Clever storage options found in an electric truck

Without a traditional internal combustion engine in the front of the truck, you’ll have more room to store items you want to take along with you. Most automakers use this area and call it a “frunk” for a front trunk which adds several cubic feet to the cargo room. The cabin area of an EV truck is also larger without the need for a transmission tunnel.

Are electric trucks better?

It’s difficult to answer this question right now. We only have a couple of pickup trucks that fit into the normal pricing structure and build in the electric truck market. The Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T are useful trucks that tow and carry the weight you need them to, but that doesn’t make them better than diesel trucks at doing truck stuff.

The Ford F-150 Lightning tows up to 7,700 pounds, while the Chevrolet 1500 Silverado with the diesel engine, pulls up to 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the Rivian R1T has a 4.5-foot truck bed. Most diesel trucks offer truck beds that measure up to eight-feet long to carry full sheets of plywood.

When it comes to daily driving and regular activities, an electric truck is more environmentally-friendly, gives you instant torque, and offers some impressive storage features. However, if you’ve got to tow a heavy load, you still might turn to a diesel-powered truck.

Next, check out the five reasons pickup trucks will never disappear, or watch the video below to tell you how electric trucks are better than gas and diesel pickups.

This article was updated on 8/7/2022.