WORDS + PHOTOS: GEORGE KENNEDY
Vehicle Review ELECTRIC TRUCK RIVALS
THE FORD F-150 LIGHTNING AND GMC HUMMER EV GO ABOUT EV PICKUPS IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE SEEMINGLY EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW. THAT IS, IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING NEW-CAR INTRODUCTIONS. OUT THERE ON THE ROAD, THEY ARE STILL A NICHE VEHICLE, BUT THE MARKET IS GROWING, AND AUTOMAKERS ARE KEEN TO CORNER THE SMALL-BUT-GROWING SEGMENT IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. The most sensible EV is a small, lightweight vehicle, such as the Chevrolet Bolt or Nissan LEAF, but they just don’t fit our modern appetites. For much of the country, only a truck will do. The two biggest truck-makers in America have each entered the electric fray (that’s a half-decent band name), and they have gone about it in different formats. The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is essentially an electric version of the conventional F-150, offering all the same versatility as the truck on which it is based. Meanwhile, the 2023 GMC Hummer EV is a ground-up new vehicle that is positioned as more of a lifestyle vehicle. In fairness, both trucks are not necessarily going to frequent worksites, but what do they offer the everyday driver? And which of these two trucks has staying power? Let’s get right into the price, because electric vehicles carry a premium over their ICE (internal combustion engine) counterparts. That’s just the price of being early. The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning starts at $59,974 at the time of this writing. We have to note the timing because the Lightning was originally advertised as a $40K electric truck. Considering how much folks are paying for trucks these days, that was an impressive figure. Since then, Ford has announced several price hikes. Now, the Lightning costs as much as a well-equipped F-150 Lariat, and the generous list of standard features on the Lightning helps
justify that, including a fully digital instrument panel, 12-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control. It still has vinyl upholstery and manual front seats. To get actual goodies, you’ll want to move up to the actual Lightning Lariat trim, which costs nearly $70,000. The range-topping F-150 Lightning Platinum costs $98,000. That might seem steep, but that fully loaded price is still less than the starting price for the 2023 GMC Hummer EV, which comes in at $108,300. Unlike Ford, which is offering multiple trim and battery/motor levels, the Hummer EV is only offered in one trim and one massively powerful setup. In the coming year or so, GMC will offer additional, less-powerful battery/motor combinations. In spite of the high price, all initial versions of this truck have been snatched up. And none of these prices for either truck factor in dealer markups, which can be steep. So what does a six-figure price tag get you in an electric pickup? The GMC Hummer EV has four motors making 1,000 horsepower and a stupendous 1,200 pound-feet of torque. And providing charge for this is a massive 212.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The whole truck weighs 9,000 pounds, and yet it can still sprint from zero to 60 mph in just three seconds. With all that weight, 29
