Design Innovations in Electric Pickup Trucks

The electric pickup truck is quickly redefining the automotive landscape with groundbreaking design innovations. From sustainability and functionality to futuristic designs – they’re moving quickly.

As the automotive industry pivots towards battery power, designers are exploring new ways to sculpt pickups that are both visually exciting and efficient.

One of the most striking design shifts in electric pickups is the reimagined front end.

Without the need for a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE), designers can craft sleeker, more aerodynamic fronts. Take the Rivian R1T, for instance.

Its bold front with its continuous front light bar and absence of a grille creates a smooth, futuristic appearance that reduces drag and improves efficiency.

One of the best examples of how electric pickups only mimic the shape of an ICE truck is the R1T’s famous ‘gear tunnel’.

Which runs trough the width of the vehicle, behind the rear seats, ahead of the rear wheel well, and suitable for stowing skis, golf clubs, a step-ladder or – every marketing brochures must-have wow image – the pull-out Rivian camp kitchen.

There’s honestly no real utility in Rivian doing this – plenty of pickups have behind-seat cubbies in the cab but it’s a bold statement that says ‘hey, look! See what opportunities present themselves when you throw out that cumbersome drivetrain!’

What’s really interesting is that cutting edge tech (alright, ‘gimmicks’) like this are expected from electric trucks.

Customers demand innovation – but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the type of innovation unique to the electric fleet.

As Exhibit A, consider the GMC Hummer EV’s MultiPro tailgate with multiple configurations for easier loading and unloading.

It isn’t electric tech – but it feels like it should be.

There is, however, plenty of real world electric-only engineering space to be exploited. Getting rid of the ICE, the gearbox, the drivetrain and – significantly – altering the dynamic for cooling properties, opening up a lot of intriguing possibilities.

Pickups like the Tesla Cybertruck and Ford F-150 Lightning offering vast amounts of space and tech-centric cabins with flat floors, thanks to the compact (or, at least, flexible) nature of electric drivetrains.

This, in turn, opens up new possibilities for storage and passenger comfort, turning the cabin into a more functional space.

You can also add sustainable materials such as vegan leather and recycled plastics to add some eco-friendly gloss but this is mostly a vibe – you could do that just as easily in a conventional pickup.