It’s been highly speculated whether or not truck shoppers would generate enough interest in all-electric pickups to give them staying power on the market. However, recent interest spikes show that upcoming electric models have gained genuine anticipation with consumers.
A recent survey of Tweets showed trending anticipation for electric trucks across all 50 states based on geotagged Twitter data and hashtags. The survey was conducted by partscatalog.com. Among the models attracting interest, the Rivian R1T topped the list of most popular followed by the Tesla Cybertruck. The Rivian R1T ranked the highest as the most anticipated electric pickup in 17 states followed by the Cybertruck which ranked the highest in 15 states.
A peculiar aspect of the survey was that it seemed to only focus on electric models made by EV brands. Auto powers such as Ford and GM were excluded despite plans of all-electric pickups in the works for both automakers in the next five years.
Rivian gaining more anticipation on social media than Tesla is especially interesting considering the massive spark Elon Musk ignited after unveiling the futuristic truck last November. Rivian has gained momentum in 2020 as the EV maker prepared production of the R1T by the end of the summer. However, the pandemic has pushed Rivian back, delaying their plans of entering the market ahead of other electric pickup competitors.
Last month, Rivian confirmed that their pickup model would not hit the market until June of 2021. Despite slowed progress, the EV maker could still be the first to launch an all-electric truck to the market as competitors deal with their own production hiccups.
Nikola is still in the negotiation phase with major OEM truck manufacturers to begin production of the Badger EV pickup truck. The Badger, which ranked third on the survey, is listed by the company as a 2022 model which could insinuate production beginning late 2021 or early 2022.
Tesla recently bought a plot of land in Austin, Texas to build their next Gigafactory. The factory will help produce the Cybertruck along with the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. According to Tesla, the Cybertruck dual-motor and tri-motor models will begin production near the end of 2021.
Rounding out the top five of the list were the Bollinger B2 and the Lordstown Endurance. The Bollinger B2, costing much more than the other competitors at $125,000, was a buzz in four scattered states. Meanwhile, the Lordstown Endurance only won its home state of Ohio.
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