Stellantis announced in its Super Bowl LVII ad that its first electric truck could already be reserved. However, it did so by making an interesting parallel between customers’ concerns with electrification and one of the most common sexual complaints that there is. In both situations, being premature is the core issue. While that is something people are sure about during intercourse, they are still wondering about it when it comes to pickup trucks.
That’s only natural: so far, people can only buy the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 Lightning in the American market. Businesses can also select the Lordstown Endurance, but not regular customers. That said, they are just starting to experience what electric pickup trucks can do. The same worries related to electric cars extend to these larger vehicles, perhaps to an even higher degree.
The situations in the video relate to not being able to “last as long as you’d like,”“being unsure if you’ll have enough power to handle your payload,” and “lacking the confidence about getting and being able to keep a charge.” That has to do with range, tow capacity, and charging infrastructure, concerns that any EV owner has had before driving an electric car for the first time. Some still have them or gave up owning an EV.
Photo: Stellantis
Stellantis promises the RAM 1500 REV has “options being designed to extend range in satisfying ways.” In other words, it knows the range will not be enough for most truck drivers, especially when towing large trailers. The company is also aware that charging points will take more time to improve than it will need to deliver the first RAM 1500 REV. The new electric pickup truck will arrive in 2024 as a 2025 model year.
The only options to make this electric pickup truck driver further than the other two already for sale are working at 800V (which allows for faster charging) and having a range extender – possibly, a combustion engine that can be refueled anywhere. A fuel cell would be really welcome for those trying to avoid fossil fuels, but that would be another hindrance while hydrogen refueling is not widely available.
Photo: Stellantis
Without realizing it, Stellantis proposed a much broader discussion than just the funny analogy between sexual problems and possible issues with electric pickup trucks. Premature electrification is what Japanese carmakers veiledly claim to be happening right now. Most of them are waiting for the solid-state battery to invest more heavily in electric cars because the current cells would not be the right ones to power vehicles.
Toyota is being even more cautious than that by stating its first cars to have battery packs with solid-state cells will be hybrids. According to the Japanese company, these vehicles are the best way to test how robust these cells are due to the discharge rate they have to endure and also to costs. When these cells prove to be mature enough to be in EVs, Toyota should join electrification efforts more enthusiastically. Before that, it considers that route premature. Curiously, for reasons that are more than evident.
Photo: Stellantis
Lasting as long as you’d like does not refer solely to the charge, but also to the battery pack itself. How long will it be able to power electric motors after its warranty ends? How much will it cost to replace it when that happens? What about what is left of the electric vehicle? What will people do with it if the battery pack does not last as long as they’d like?
Supposing the charging network is enough to cope with thousands of electric pickup trucks, how will they recharge their battery packs when they are towing something? Current chargers will not work for EVs with trailers because they are parking spaces where the vehicles stop to get juice for 30 minutes or more. With EVs towing anything, they will have to be long enough for the trailer not to be unhitched. Ideally, it will also be a station designed for the vehicle to pass through, as we currently do with gas stations.
Photo: Stellantis
The problem is that charging takes quite some time, which will imply blocking that charging passage for as long as the EV needs to get more juice. What will happen to all other EV trucks that also need an extra charge to get wherever they are going? How wide will these charging stations need to be to deal with several electric pickup trucks at the same time? The design of these charging stations will be challenging, and the results should be interesting – at the very least.
Olivier François said that the intent of the spot was “to let our buyers know that we have listened to their concerns.” If that was really the case, the Stellantis chief marketing officer (CMO) based the advertisement on things its customers are truly worried about. While all these questions and many more are not answered, people will still ask if electrification is premature.
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