Tesla, Rivian less interesting to shoppers than electric trucks from GM, Ford: Survey

Electric cars aren't profitable ventures -- at least not yet. However, legacy automakers and startups alike are drawing battle plans for a new segment: the electric pickup truck. So far, Tesla, Rivian, and are four key companies that have laid out extensive plans leading to the sale of an EV pickup.

What do car shoppers think? Well, Autolist surveyed 1,100 shoppers on what they thought, and there's good news for the old dogs ready to learn new tricks. Of those surveyed, the majority were excited about GM's upcoming electric truck at 29%. Behind GM was Ford with 27%. Details about both models are slim right now, so think of these results as an expression of interest. We don't even know which GM brand will build the electric pickup yet, though all signs point to a resurrected Hummer. Ford, meanwhile, will base its EV truck on the next F-150.

In third place was Rivian and its R1T with 24%. The Tesla Cybertruck came in last with 20%. Where things get more interesting was when the survey asked a followup question: do you own or have you owned a pickup truck in the past?

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Those that currently own a pickup or previously owned one preferred GM and Ford, with 35% digging the idea of a GM electric truck and 28% expressing interest in an electric F-150. Rivian again placed third with 23% and Tesla came last with just 14%.

On the flip side, those that don't own a pickup and never had one in the past tended to vote for the newcomers. Here, the Tesla Cybertruck was on top with 25.8% of the votes cast. The Rivian came in second with 24.8%. GM and Ford tied with 24.7% each. Interestingly, those aren't massive margins between Tesla/Rivian and GM/Ford by any means.

Overall, the small snapshot of buyers paints a good picture for each company. Clearly, there's interest in electric pickups, and GM and Ford seem to have the advantage, banking on their roots in building America's workhorses since the early 20th century. Meanwhile, Tesla and Rivian appear ready to challenge the status quo with a new take on the pickup truck. That's doubly true for the wild Cybertruck.

It's important to remember, however, that both the Rivian and Tesla pickups aren't production-ready designs. They may largely reflect these looks, but we'll only get the clearest picture when each model is ready to roll off a production line.

Watch this: The R1T concept from Rivian is the electric truck we've been waiting for

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