Ford and GM build some of the most popular and best-selling trucks in the market, but those are gas- and diesel-powered trucks. Now that all-electric trucks are part of the equation, these automakers have no choice but to hop on the bandwagon if they want to stay on top. GM seems to be in the development lead with the GMC Hummer EV truck because the automaker claims it will be ready at the end of the year and has released lots of information about it. Ford, on the other hand, has been very quiet about its F-150 Electric truck. We don’t even have a reveal date yet. But, don’t count Ford out yet. The maker of the world’s best selling truck should have an impressive EV hiding up its sleeve. Below, we compare the GMC Hummer EV and Ford F-150 Electric with the information that’s been released so far. Will Ford continue its dominance in the truck world? Keep reading to find out.
Remember, neither truck is in production yet, so the figures we’ve listed in this story are theoretical and not tested in real-world conditions. Some are built on speculation, and all are subject to change in the coming months.
Interior tech
GMC Hummer EV
GMC has only released limited information on the upcoming Hummer EV’s interior tech, but we do know it will have a large 12.3-inch digital instrument panel behind the wheel and an even larger 13.4-inch center touchscreen. An optional head-up display is likely. When it comes to smartphone and internet connectivity, the Hummer EV should have the same features as the GMC Sierra truck and GMC Yukon. This includes Apple CarPlay (also wireless), Android Auto (also wireless), OnStar, Amazon Alexa, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. A wireless phone charger should be an option.
Ford F-150 Electric
Ford has released even less information about the upcoming F-150 Electric’s interior tech, but since its platform will be based on the regular F-150, it’s likely it will share most of the same interior components. Therefore, we expect to see Ford’s Sync 4, a large 12.0-inch center touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Ford + Alexa, and a built-in Waze app should also be offered. A Bang & Olufsen audio system and a wireless phone charger are other likely options on the F-150 Electric.
Battery pack, driving range, charging, and power
GMC Hummer EV
Fortunately, GMC has released plenty of information on the Hummer EV’s motors, driving range, charging, and power. We don’t know the size of the battery pack yet, but it will be GM’s new Ultium battery pack that supposed to handle 350+ miles of driving range on the top model. Thanks to the 800-volt electrical architecture, GMC claims the Hummer EV can charge up to 100 miles in 10 minutes (when using the appropriate fast charger). That’s very fast.
Speaking of fast, the Hummer EV will be able to hit 60 mph in just 3 seconds when using what the company calls the Watts to Freedom mode. This is possible thanks to the power output of the three electric motors—1,000 horsepower. GMC advertises torque at 11,500 lb.-ft., but in the real world, that figure will drop to about 1,100 lb.-ft.
The less powerful version of the Hummer EV (EV 3X) with three motors has 800 hp and a driving range of 300+ miles. The two-motor models (EV 2X and 2) have 625 hp and a driving range of 300+ miles for the EV 2X and 250+ for the EV 2.
Ford F-150 Electric
Ford has been quiet on everything related to the motors, battery pack, range, and power so far. We hope to hear more soon but what we do know is that it will be all-wheel drive, like the Hummer EV, with at least two motors. The F-150 Electric will be the most powerful F-150 in the lineup when released. Currently, the PowerBoost Hybrid model is the most powerful with 430 hp and 570 lb.-ft. of torque. The Electric will also be the fastest F-150, likely hitting 60 mph in under 4 seconds. No word on the size of the battery pack, but we expect the driving range to be in the area of 300 miles. We can’t comment on charging because Ford hasn’t released information on the EV’s electrical architecture yet.
Hauling, towing, and off-roading
GMC Hummer EV
GMC has yet to release towing and payload information for the Hummer EV but it will probably be about as much or more than a traditional gas-powered truck. The upcoming Rivian R1T truck has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds and a payload capacity of 1,760 pounds. Tesla claims the most powerful version of the Cybertruck can tow over 14,000 pounds and haul up to 3,600 pounds. Those are impressive numbers, but we will have to wait and see what the Hummer EV will be able to do. For comparison, a GMC Sierra truck with the big 6.2-liter V8 can tow up to 11,800 pounds and haul about 2,000 pounds (depending on body and drive configurations).
Off-roading is a different story. Not only do we have lots of information on the Hummer EV’s capability, it was designed to be an off-roader, just like the Hummers of the past. The R1T and Cybertruck will also have some impressive off-road chops, but not like the Hummer EV. Think of it as a futuristic, electric Ford F-150 Raptor.
One really neat feature has the air suspension lift the truck six inches for large obstacles or for wading through water. It’s called Extract Mode and it gives the EV up to 15.9 inches of ground clearance (11.9 without it), that’s more than a Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram 1500 TRX. Also, front and rear suspension travel is more or about the same as the Raptor and TRX.
Another impressive and innovative off-road feature is Crabwalk. Thanks to four-wheel steering, the Hummer EV can move diagonally at low speeds when needed. The Hummer EV also has an advanced camera system called Ultravision (includes up to 18 cameras), which has waterproof underbody cameras that provide an almost complete underneath view of the EV so drivers can traverse off-road obstacles with much more ease. Lastly, the Hummer EV comes with large 35-inch Goodyear off-road tires and full underbody armor.
Ford F-150 Electric
Unfortunately for the F-150 Electric and its fans, we don’t have any information for this section — notice a pattern? In terms of off-roading, don’t expect the F-150 Electric to come close to the Hummer EV. It will be along the lines of a more traditional truck, not an off-road brute. Off-road capability and features will be similar to the normal gas-powered version, but possibly with some additional EV features.
There aren’t towing or payload specs yet, but an F-150 Electric prototype pulled 1,000,000 pounds worth of train cars filled with F-150s for a promotional stunt. The actual towing capacity won’t be anywhere near that weight of course, but if the EV truck wants to be competitive, it should be north of 11,000 pounds—what the Rivian R1T can do. We hope the maximum towing capacity will be in the area of the gas-powered F-150, which maxes out at about 14,000 pounds.
Safety, driver-assist features, and semi-autonomous driving
GMC Hummer EV
Besides offering driver-assist features including emergency automatic braking, lane keep assist, rear-cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring, the Hummer EV will also offer the advanced Super Cruise semi-autonomous drive system. With Super Cruise, drivers can take their hands off the wheel under certain conditions, and the vehicle will take control of steering, acceleration, and braking. Automatic lane change will be one of the system’s features. Since the truck hasn’t been released, there is no third-party crash testing yet.
Ford F-150 Electric
Once again, Ford has been silent in this category as well. But since it will share most of its tech with the regular F-150, we have an idea of what the Electric will offer. Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 driver-assist package will likely find its way into the EV. This will consist of emergency automatic braking, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, and a few other features. The upgraded Co-Pilot 360 Assist 2.0 adds adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and intersection assist. A self-parking system will be optional. Ford’s version of a semi-autonomous drive system is called Active Drive Assist. This system is newer than Super Cruise, but Ford claims it will also feature hands-free driving. The regular F-150 has been crash-tested by the IIHS and received the highest score of Good in all six crash tests. Once released, the Electric should perform similarly.
Pricing
GMC Hummer EV
The first Hummer EV model that hits the market in the fall of this year is the Edition 1 (already sold out). This will be the most expensive model starting at $112,595. About a year later in the fall of 2022, the Hummer EV 3X (three motors) will be on sale with a starting price of $99,995. In the Spring of 2023, the Hummer EV 2X (two motors) will be ready and start at $89,995. The most affordable model, the Hummer EV 2 (also two motors), will be released in the Spring of 2024 with a starting price of $79,995.
Ford F-150 Electric
We don’t have pricing information on this section yet, we hope Ford releases it soon. The most expensive F-150 is the Limited model which starts at $70,825. We don’t think the F-150 Electric will start that high but probably pretty close. To be competitive with other electric trucks, we think a starting price of about $60,000 will be the mark. Expect to see Ford’s F-150 Electric hit the market in 2022.
The competition
Electric trucks might seem new to the industry, but within the next two years, many will hit the market. These include the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, Lordstown Endurance, Bollinger B2, and the Atlis XT.
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