Electric Trucks in Canada: Best EV Pickups to Watch For

Let’s get into it. Or jump down to a truck below:

• Tesla Cybertruck
• Ford F-150 Lightning
• Rivian R1T
• Bollinger B2
• GMC Hummer EV
• Chevrolet Silverado EV
• Alpha Wolf
• Atlis XT
• Hercules Alpha
• Nissan Surfs-Out
• Canoo Electric Pickup
• Lordstown Endurance

Tesla Cybertruck

Cybertruck | Photo: Tesla 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Production delayed to mid-2023
• Size: Mid-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 804 kilometres (500 miles)
• Power: 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds 

Questions have been swirling around when exactly Tesla’s hotly anticipated Cybertruck will be available, as the electric vehicle auto-giant had originally scheduled production for the end of 2021. Celeb CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to assure fans it is on its way, featuring a top-line model with motors on each wheel, plus 4-wheel steering that gives it the ability to “crab” around obstacles. 

Its futuristic, box-like design makes it stand out among most of the EV truck pack. However, for some it might be “too futuristic” looking, with its robotic head lights and lunar landing exoskeleton. Not everyone will want to feel like they’re driving in a Mad Max movie.

Ford F-150 Lightning

F-150 Ligthning | Photo: Ford 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Production begins 2022
• Size: Full-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 480 kilometres
• Power: 775 lb.-ft torque and 563 horsepower; 0-60 in 4 seconds 

Ford has never had problems selling their F-Series trucks in Canada. According to the CVMA (Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association), the F-Series has been the best-selling line of pick-ups for 55 years! The F-150 Lightning, Ford’s first electric vehicle truck, will be a welcome addition to their popular line when it’s expected to hit the market in 2023. 

Read our full 2022 F-150 Lightning Platinum review here.

Ford is playing it safe with a design that looks not unlike the standard bearing F-150 pick-up. It will feature two motors powering the front and back wheels to provide 775 lb.-ft of torque and 563 of high-performance horsepower. And of course, it will be built tough for work, including 10,000 pounds of towing and 2,000 pounds of payload capability. 

We take a closer look at the new Lightning’s range and specs here.

Rivian R1T

R1T | Photo: Rivian 

Key specs: 

• Expected Release Date: Now available
• Size: Mid-size
• Expected Range: Up to 500 kilometres 
• Power: 800 horsepower; 0-60 in 3 seconds

Rivian is an Amazon-backed EV truck maker who made a big splash this year with not only a stock market debut, but also the fact that it is first to market with around 150 trucks already produced. Motortrend even declared Rivian’s flagship R1T model their 2022 truck of the year. 

The R1T bills itself as an outdoors-y type’s EV dream come true, with range up to 644 kilometres and ample storage – over 68 cubic feet – to provide loading space for anything from a tent to mountain bike helmets. It also features WiFi capabilities, vegan leather seats, “Elevation” audio, and a panoramic roof for gazing at the surrounding nature.

Bollinger B2

B2 | Photo: Bollinger 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Production begins late 2022
• Size: Full-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 320 kilometres 
• Power: 668 ft.-lb torque and 614 horsepower for 0-60 in 4.5 seconds 

Aside from the Tesla Cybertruck, the all-electric Bollinger B2 pick-up is a true standout in terms of unconventional design. Its boxlike look is reminiscent of the Mercedes G-Class SUV, and the B2’s price tag is similarly in the upper ranges at a $125,000 US starting point. The B2 features a large flat-bed trunk area that can accommodate 16-foot cargo when the pass-through is open. 

There’s also a very unique feature dubbed the “frunk,” which is essentially a trunk in the front that can extend the vehicle’s storage capacity. You can reserve the B2 with production originally scheduled for late 2021, though it is increasingly likely it will be some time in 2022.

GMC Hummer EV

Hummer EV | Photo: GMC 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Available late 2022
• Size: Full-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 560 kilometres
• Power: 11,500 ft.-lb torque and 1,000 horsepower for 0-60 in 3 seconds

If speed and power are your deciding factors for choosing an EV truck, you would be hard pressed to find more impressive performance than the GMC Hummer EV. It boasts 11,500 lb.-ft of torque, 1,000 horsepower and 0 to 60 in three seconds on the pick-up version (it also comes in SUV form).

The EV Hummer is being revived by GMC with a more luxury slant, as exemplified by its Ultravision feature of up to 18 cameras to provide every visual detail of the terrain around you. Similar to Tesla’s Cybertruck, the Hummer EV will feature a “crab mode,” an ability for the vehicle to move sideways, and “extract mode,” which can raise the vehicle 6” in order to traverse obstacles or water.

Here's our full review of the 2023 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1.

Chevrolet Silverado EV

Silverado EV | Photo: Chevrolet 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Available late 2023
• Size: Full-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 640 kilometres
• Power: 780 ft.-lb torque and 660 horsepower; 0-60 in 4.5 seconds

Chevy’s popular Silverado pick-up will get a full EV treatment in the coming years. The Silverado will be built using Chevy’s Ultium Platform battery system, which promises “exhilarating torque” rated at 780 lb.-ft and hit 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. 

Chevrolet is promising four-wheel steering to provide great trailering, better agility and turning radius at low speeds while improving handling and stability at high speeds. In other words, you’ll be able to turn tight circles. Its other prominent features include a fixed-glass roof for heightened visibility and Multi-Flex Midgate with a pass-through to fit items 10 ft. in length.

Alpha Wolf

Alpha Wolf | Photo: Alpha Motor Corporation 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Production schedule under development
• Size: Mini truck 
• Expected Range: Up to 440 kilometres
• Power: 0-60 in 6.2 seconds

While many automakers in the EV pick-up truck sphere are tripping over themselves to create a completely new-looking truck, the designers at EV startup Alpha are going the opposite way. Its introductory model, the Wolf, is an undeniable throwback to classic compact trucks from the past. 

The Baja bar, off-road lighting, tubular bumpers, and huge tires will recall Toyota and Ford trucks from the 80s and 90s. As for performance, it promises 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds. Alpha is currently accepting reservations for the Wolf, but production isn’t expected to begin until late 2023. 

Atlis XT

XT | Photo: Atlis 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Production scheduled for late 2022
• Size: Mid-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 800 kilometres
• Power: 12,000 ft.-lb torque and 600 horsepower; 0-60 in 5 seconds

Here’s another full electric pick-up with a polarizing design. The Atlis XT will either repel or appeal depending on your penchant for hard, militaristic edges on a truck body that looks downright post-apocalyptic – much like the Tesla Cybertruck. 

The Atlis XT’s main highlight is its battery’s lifespan and charging potential. The company is promising a full charge at as fast as 15 minutes using its own 1.5 MW charger, and a lifespan over a million kilometres on a 250-kWh battery. Another cool feature is the exterior accessories, like power outlets in the bed where you can plug in a generator or USB-compatible devices.

Hercules Alpha

Alpha | Photo: Hercules 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Production expected to begin early 2023 
• Size: Full-size
• Expected Range: Up to 563 kilometres (target range)
• Power: 1,000 ft.-lb torque and 800 horsepower; 0-60 in 3 seconds

There’s nothing particularly flashy about the Detroit-based Hercules Alpha fully electric pick-up. At first glance it looks like a standard full-size truck, albeit with some cool LED lighting on the power-assisted tailgate. 

Under the hood, it gets more impressive with quad-motor torque that can deliver up to 1,000 horsepower depending on which version you option for. Besides multiple interior and exterior connectivity options, the Alpha will feature a solar charging cover (TerraVis Solar Tonneau Cover) that can pull energy from the rays to create your own mobile micro-grid. 

Nissan Surfs-Out 

Surfs-Out | Photo: Nissan 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: N/A/
• Size: N/A
• Expected Range: N/A
• Power: N/A

Considering Nissan is a pioneer in the electric vehicle market, having produced the ground-breaking Leaf well before its competitors, you would expect the Japanese manufacturer to be hitting the pick-up market soon. There have been no details of electric charged versions of Nissan’s popular Frontier or Titan models, but we do have concepts for a Nissan pick-up called the Surfs-Out. 

The specs are scarce, but basically it is a two-door regular cab with a bed that flows directly into the back of the cab for an open-air concept. While this EV looks ideal for the sun-soaked beach bums out there, it hardly screams work truck. We’ll have to see what else Nissan comes up with in the all-electric space.

Canoo Electric Pickup

Canoo Electric Pickup | Photo: Canoo 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Launching 2023
• Size: Mid-size 
• Expected Range: Up to 321 kilometres
• Power: 500 horsepower

Many of the EV trucks working their way to the market have box-like designs or hard edges to create a “masculine,” militaristic concept. The Cazoo Pickup is doing things differently with an attractive rounded frame that brings to mind popular outdoors-y vans like the Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear. The Pickup definitely has your weekend adventure plans in mind. 

It features a pull-out bed in the back and dual flip-down tables that can function as workbenches or a pop-up kitchen with multi-functional power outlets available nearby. The 320-kilometre battery range is somewhat limiting, but the AWD payload of up to 1,800 pounds will be sufficient for most drivers.

Lordstown Endurance

2023 Lordstown Endurance | Photo: Lesley Wimbush 

Key specs:

• Expected Release Date: Available now
• Size: Full-size 
• Expected Range: up to 321 km (200 miles)
• Powertrain: 4 in-hub AC synchronous electric motors
• Horsepower: 440 hp
• Torque: (lb.-ft.) 1500 Nm (1106 lb-ft) peak, 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) continuous at 1480 rpm

Build more for fleet manager than everyday Canadian drivers, the Lordstown Endurance is an outlier in the EV pickup truck race, based out of Ohio. 

The Endurance is a full-size all-wheel-drive electric pickup truck that was expected to debut in the U.S. by 2019. Financial, managerial, and production delays pushed that release date to the final quarter of 2022 – by which time Lordstown had vowed to deliver 50 vehicles to its first customers. 

Like most of its competitors, the Endurance feels stable on the road with a low centre of gravity, thanks to the “skateboard” architecture’s underfloor battery pack. And the interior can best be described as “utilitarian”. It’s clearly designed for the fleet market, with none of the premium trim, or design flourishes expected of more mainstream fare. Seat adjustment is manual, and the steering wheel tilts, but doesn’t telescope.

Read our exclusuve full Lordstown Endurance EV truck review here, including our driving impressions.