The electric vehicle market is heating up. New all-electric pickups are being promised by many companies, eleven at last count. A few of the pickups look like good, legit efforts. Others seem questionable. So, let’s take a look at one of these new electric contenders, The Hercules Alpha.

The Contenders

The electric segment of the automotive industry is all the rage right now. Tesla has had a lot to do with making the conversation mainstream. But, now, a lot of companies are coming out of the woodwork proposing revolutionary new cars or trucks. This is where the danger lies. In this day in age, any automotive enthusiast with experience using Photoshop can slap together a rendering of an interesting vehicle and put up a web page. So, the danger is determining which electric car manufacturers that are making promises are legit, and which ones are vaporware, meaning they just have an electronic presence, but little actual substance, or actual product. 

The list below is the all-electric pickup truck contenders, so far, that have announced intents to produce their product in the near future.

• Atlis XT
• Bollinger B2
• Ford F-150 EV
• GMC Hummer EV
• Hercules Alpha
• Lordstown Endurance
• Neuron T.ONE
• Nikola Motor Badger
• Maxus V
• Rivian R1T
• Tesla Cybertruck

The Hercules Alpha

I am choosing to focus on the Hercules Alpha. I know the least about this company and its truck. So, I chose to investigate the company a bit for my own selfish whim of learning something new. This is what I found. 

Hercules is a company based out of Detroit. Established in 2018, the company promises on their website a vehicle, 

“focused on providing the most luxurious experience available in the market, while providing supercar-like performance, whether on-road or off-road. We want to create an electric vehicle you love to drive, but that can also do the work you need. It’s a fully connected vehicle experience with both the passenger and driver in mind. The Hercules electric platform is powerful enough for you to take your tools and toys with you, wherever you’d like to go.”

Impressions

That makes the Hercules Alpha pickup sound like it is going to be a high-end product and consequently, probably a low volume one too. If the aim is to provide the most luxurious anything, then that will more than likely speak of a company that caters to those with wallets beyond that of the common man or woman, perhaps similar to a bespoke manufacturer. But, all that can be found online so far of the Alpha is just a rendering. There is no actual vehicle.

To be fair, it takes time to make the first vehicle for any new company. Business and production relationships need to be established, and financing has to be secured from investors willing to take the risk. But, those investors have to feel sufficiently confident enough that they are investing in a legitimate venture and not pie in the sky. So, they will take a look at the company and the promised product pretty closely to make sure everything looks feasible. 

Hercules Alpha Specifications

Since Hercules has been kind enough to place the specifications of their Alpha truck on their website, we too, can take a look and consider its feasibility.

• 1000 HP 4-motor drive system
• 300+ miles EV range
• 0-60 MPH in 4 seconds
• Top Speed 120 MPH
• Advanced torque-vectoring AWD
• Superior Handling
• DC Fast Charge Standard
• Zero radius turning
• 12,500 Trailering Weight
• 2,500 lb. Payload
• 10,400 lb. GVWR

The listing of specifications is nothing earth-shattering as far as electric pickups are concerned. The GMC Hummer pickup is also offering 1000+ horsepower. The range, speed, and towing capacities all seem to be in keeping with what we have also seen offered by the other manufacturers. Even the zero radius turning is not outlandish as tank-turns have already been promised by Rivian with their R1T. So, there does not seem to be a concern of outlandish claims. 

The biggest concern

The biggest concern that can be foreseen right now is that there is no tangible product that Hercules has put in front of people. Again, it takes time and money to make the first product, but the electric pickup market is hot right now. Some manufacturers that already have a tangible product have been showing their wares around and gaining more support on their way to launching in the next two years. If Hercules does not get a move on doing the same, their Alpha could be left behind quickly, with potential investors possibly losing interest. 

I am not a financial advisor, nor do I pretend to know anything about investing, including the risk margins that investors are willing to take. So, I certainly do not advise anyone putting any money or hopes on Hercules. But, I also do not advise against it either. The product seems feasible as outlined on their website, not outlandish. But, due diligence is always necessary before investing hard-earned money in anything.

So, is the Hercules Alpha vaporware or the real deal? I don’t know. There is not enough information to go on yet. That is why, for now, I am placing a question mark by them. With that said, I am looking forward to seeing more to develop in their story. It would be nice to see another player in the all-electric pickup market. But the question remains, will the real Hercules Alpha show up?