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The first battery-electric pick-up model to be produced in series comes from the US company Rivian.
The Rivian R1T has been in production since September.
Photo: Elliot Ross / Rivian
Is electric mobility now gaining momentum in the USA?
There is much to be said for it.
The Rivian RT1, the first series pick-up with an electric drive, has been in production for a few weeks.
A certain amount of hype has developed around the start-up Rivian from Plymouth, Michigan.
In the recent IPO, 153 million shares were placed for 78 US dollars each, a price range between 72 and 74 US dollars per share was expected.
Rivian now has $ 11.9 billion in fresh capital.
Based on the share price, the company is worth $ 76.4 billion - almost 10 billion more than BMW.
The future business with electric pick-ups is evidently triggering immense expectations among investors.
Pick-ups are rustic small trucks with two to six seats and an open loading area behind them.
In 2020, they accounted for more than 20 percent of all new car registrations in the United States.
They thus represent a significant part of the CO2 emissions in US traffic.
The three best-selling US models last year belonged to this category.
Together, the trio accounted for 13 percent of all new registrations in the US.
At the top as in the previous 39 years: the Ford F-150.
Despite the corona pandemic, the series was sold almost 800,000 times last year - exclusively with a combustion engine.
It was followed by Chevrolet Silverado and the Ram Pickup.
If it is possible to convince the fans of the flatbed trucks to use the electric drive, that would be a big step forward in terms of climate protection.
The chances of this have increased: Numerous manufacturers - established car companies and start-ups alike - have announced or have already presented electric pick-ups.
In the USA, half of all newly registered vehicles are to be electric by 2030, according to a regulation by US President Joe Biden.
This turnaround can only succeed if the pick-ups are electrified.
"If we are serious about saying goodbye to gasoline, then we urgently need to think about such a car," Tesla boss Elon Musk told SPIEGEL years ago.
Amazon supports Rivian
A number of manufacturers have therefore been working for years to bring the first electric flatbed truck onto the market.
Established companies such as Ford, General Motors or even electrical pioneer Tesla;
and also start-ups with names like Canoo, Bollinger or Alpha Motors.
Now Rivian steals the show from them.
As early as 2018, the company showed the prototype of the R1T at the Los Angeles auto show.
The interest was enormous, there were more people crowding around the car than were at the Porsche, Audi or Jeep exhibition stands.
In February 2019, Amazon invested $ 700 million in Rivian.
The Rivian R1T has been rolling off the assembly line at the former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois, USA, since September.
That alone is more than a prestigious success, the electric pick-ups from Ford or GM will probably not be available until 2022.
Almost 50,000 pre-orders for the Rivian RT1 have been made, according to the prospectus for the IPO.
The launch edition of the vehicle costs 75,000 US dollars, the equivalent of around 61,500 euros.
A cheaper basic version of the model for 67,500 US dollars (57,000 euros) is to follow.
GM brings electric lobsters
Four electric motors, one for each wheel, have a combined output of 588 kW (800 hp).
Rivian's pick-up will be available with three battery sizes: The storage capacity is 105, 135 or 180 kWh;
the car has a range of 402, 483 or 644 kilometers.
It can be charged with up to 160 kW at the fast charging station.
This means: The waiting time for a battery that is 80 percent full is 50 minutes.
The payload of the car is 800 kilograms, the trailer load is 5 tons.
Rivian faces competition from Ford in particular. The F-150 will be launched on the market as the F-150 Lightning in spring 2022.
Pre-series production in Dearborn, Michigan has already started.
Americans seem to be keen on e-pickups.
160,000 people have already reserved the electric Ford for a fee of 100 US dollars, according to the company.
Ford wants to gradually increase the production of the pickup truck.
E-cars seem to have a chance in the US if manufacturers think big.
"Americans have relied on Ford Trucks for years," says Darren Palmer, who is responsible for Ford's battery-electric vehicles.
"Now they are relying on the F-150 as their first battery-electric vehicle." Initially, around 15,000 e-models should come off the production line, and in 2024 Ford plans to produce 80,000 models per year.
Based on the current sales figures, every tenth F-150 would then be an electric car.
In view of Ford’s goals to have a 40 percent e-car share worldwide by 2030, this can only be a start.
The basic version of the F-150 Lighting costs 39,774 US dollars (34,289 euros), almost half of the Rivian model.
Tesla is weak
General Motors also wants to stir up the e-pick-up market as quickly as possible.
The Hummer comes back as the GMC Hummer EV - a real crusher: with more than 1000 hp, an 800-volt electrical system, a scalable battery with a capacity of up to 200 kWh and a total weight of more than 4 tons.
If this e-pick-up ever comes to Germany, interested buyers would have to check their driver's license.
Because you are not allowed to drive more than 3.5 tons with a younger car driver's license.
Tesla, on the other hand, has stumbled.
The start of production of the Cybertruck was postponed to the end of 2022.
Then the car will roll off the assembly line in Gigafactory 5, which is currently being built in Texas: with all-wheel steering and a range of up to 805 kilometers.
Bulky, don't mess - this is how e-mobility seems ripe for the US market.