Ford Motor‘s F-150 Lightning was the best-selling electrical pickup truck within the U.S. final 12 months. Nonetheless, Ford dropped it, displaying the challenges automakers face in studying what sorts of EVs prospects need.
Now, corporations are pivoting to extended-range electrical automobiles, or EREVs. Ford and Stellantis‘ Ram, in addition to newcomer Scout Motors are scheduled to begin delivering EREV fashions starting in 2026, relying on the model.
“I will say it is a recreation changer, even a segment-buster within the pickup world,” stated Douglas Killian, chief car synthesis supervisor at Ram.
An EREV — or REEV, as Ram calls it — is a “sequence hybrid.” On most hybrid automobiles, each the gas-burning engine and battery-powered motors drive the wheels. On a sequence hybrid, the engine solely fees the battery.
The battery is way bigger than these on most hybrids, resulting in longer vary. Each the Ram and Scout EREVs are anticipated to get about 150 miles of EV-only driving earlier than the fuel generator kicks on.
“I am a pickup man,” Killian stated. “We respect the electrical drive expertise. … [But] you’ll have a must go someplace farther. You could wish to take the identical electrical vehi cle on a trip and never look forward to the truck to cost on a regular basis.”
A few sequence hybrid fashions have been launched in America over the previous 20 years, such because the Fisker Karma in 2010 and the BMW i3 EV. However American automakers suppose it is the precise transfer for the U.S. truck market.
A part of their enthusiasm comes from the section booming elsewhere, like in China. In only one 12 months, the variety of EREV fashions worldwide jumped 40%, in accordance with a report by the Worldwide Power Company, virtually totally resulting from development in China.
The fashions appear to be particularly common in locations the place EV vary and charging occasions could also be better considerations.
A McKinsey survey printed in early 2025 discovered that someplace between 13% to 18% of automobile consumers in Germany, the UK and the U.S. would think about an EREV over an inside combustion, plug-in hybrid or an EV if given the choice. The U.S. had the very best degree of curiosity at 18%, with the most important share taken away from inside combustion and hybrid automobiles.
It is perhaps a method for somebody inquisitive about EVs to check out proudly owning a car with out having to commit absolutely, stated Paul Hackert, senior skilled and affiliate accomplice at McKinsey & Firm.
“These potential EREV consumers are inquisitive about sooner charging, a complete longer driving vary, being electrical with out being 100% depending on having to get their car charged after they’re low on battery cost,” Hackert stated.
Truck consumers are completely different
Ryan Decker, vice-president of brand name and technique at Scout Motors, a forthcoming pickup and SUV model backed by Volkswagen, stated truck homeowners are distinctive and “have a pickup as a result of they work exhausting they usually play exhausting.”
Scout has each full-EV and EREV variations of its pickup and SUV fashions, however so way over 80% of the shopper reservations are for the EREV model, referred to as the Harvester, he stated.
“I believe for lots of pickup consumers … their psychology is EV-only is not the perfect powertrain alternative for a hard-working car proprietor and purchaser,” Decker stated.
Loading up a truck mattress can knock down battery vary by 1 / 4 and towing can drop it by half, research have proven. That was a part of the rationale that Ram dropped plans for a full-size EV pickup, Killian stated.
Take Ford. The Ford F-150 is the most well-liked pickup line in America, promoting near one million models within the U.S. The Lightning bought about 90,000 — about 3% of the overall.
“You may argue 90,000 models for the entire EV pickup truck market was not a foul begin. However that market clearly is a finite market to go together with,” stated Itay Michaeli, an auto trade analyst at TD Cowen. “The basic problem with a pure electrical pickup vans is, due to the load and aerodynamics, you want a really, very massive battery to attain the specified vary, significantly if the truck is getting used for work.”
Better market potential
For those who measure vary mile for mile, an EREV could have a decrease upfront value than a full EV with comparable vary since an EREV has a smaller battery, stated Stephanie Valdez Streaty, govt analyst at Cox Automotive.
“The larger the car, the larger the battery, the larger the associated fee,” she stated.
EREVs do have a lot bigger batteries than typical plug-ins, however they arrive with longer driving ranges. Typical hybrids within the U.S. max out round 40 miles or 50 miles, whereas the Ram and Scout EREVs guarantees about 145 miles of vary simply on EV energy alone.
“We have now far more all-electric vary than a plug-in hybrid that is out there at this time,” Scout’s Decker stated. “That is why we’re anticipating our EV utilization issue, the proportion of shoppers who will really drive this in EV-only mode, might be considerably larger than a plug-in hybrid.”
To this point, Ram’s EREV might be first to market, arriving in late 2026. Scout is starting manufacturing in 2027, in a manufacturing unit it has been constructing in South Carolina. Ford has not but stated when it can launch its mannequin.
Scout stated its EREV will begin under $60,000. RAM has not launched pricing info but.
Not everyone seems to be diving in.
Normal Motors has no EREV within the U.S., though CEO Mary Barra has stated the corporate is contemplating including some sort of plug-in hybrid to its lineup. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe stated on the corporate’s third-quarter earnings name that it has no plans to make an EREV.
EREVs even have their critics. European advocacy group Transport & Surroundings stated in a latest report that EREVs have some technical benefits over different forms of plug-in hybrids, however can nonetheless emit as a lot air pollution as an extraordinary gas-burning car. Additionally it is attainable to drive it with out ever charging it.
They could possibly be extra pricey to construct.
“From a producing perspective, with the pure battery, it is easier, fewer components,” Valdez Streaty stated.
“Once you begin including various things, it simply will get extra sophisticated. … However they will determine it out they usually’ll proceed to seek out efficiencies, make it cheaper.”
The better complexity can even require an proprietor to take care of it extra like a fuel car, which nullifies a one of many most-cited advantages of EV possession. However homeowners have the added security of a backup plan.
“It is certainly one of these conditions the place we’re all saying, ‘What is the catch?'” Killian stated. “To a buyer, there actually just isn’t a catch.”
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