Anyone who watches the news knows that there is a huge push to go green. This applies heavily to the auto world, and many automakers are trying to develop electric trucks. While they have some great features, the Ford F-150 and Rivian R1T range numbers aren’t exactly impressing consumers.

The Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T range is underwhelming

Electric vehicles aren’t as popular as automakers had hoped. Part of the problem is range anxiety, which is only getting worse as it becomes clear there aren’t enough working charging stations. 

Many electric cars now have excellent range, with some traveling over 500 miles between charges, which is helping to alleviate some of the range anxiety. This is not the case for electric trucks.

Take the Ford F-150 Lightning, for example. It currently has a range of 240 miles. That’s fine if you only drive to work and back, but for people who wish to travel, then the F-150 Lightning is not the type of vehicle you want to do so in. It only gets worse if you need to tow any kind of cargo.

The Rivian R1T is an attractive truck, but once again, it doesn’t have great range. The lower trims get only 260 miles of range. If you’re willing to pay more, you can get up to 400 miles on the higher trim.

Automakers need to fix the range issue

If automakers want buyers to choose their electric trucks over their gasoline-powered competitors, then they need to do something about the range without significantly increasing the weight of the trucks. The current range figures simply aren’t good enough to tempt consumers, especially when you take a look at the prices.

The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning can cost anywhere from $49,995 to $91,995. The 2024 Rivian R1T is even higher, with a price range of $74,800 to $95,800. Very few people are going to pay this much for the base trim on an EV truck with lackluster range.

Unfortunately, getting a superior range is not a simple task to achieve. There are several reasons why automakers may be struggling to up the range on trucks. 

One is the weight. The heavier the vehicle is, the poorer the range will be. This, in turn, forces automakers to supply a larger battery. Automakers must also create more powerful motors and stronger frames to carry the extra weight.

What’s good with the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning

The Ford F-150 has always been one of the most popular trucks on the market, and Ford really ramped things up with the Lightning. The two dual electric motors enable it to tow up to 5,000 pounds. 

The Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0 adds several features such as pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, collision warning, lane-keeping aid and alert, auto high beams, and a reverse sensing system.

There is also a powered frunk that enables the F-150 Lightning owners to go off-road without totally leaving civilization behind. This is thanks in large part to four Pro Power On-Board 120V outlets, which gives the F-150 Lightning 2.4 kW of power. There is also a USB-C and USB-A outlet.

There’s more to the 2024 Rivian R1T than just range

The Rivian R1T has a lot going for it. According to Rivian, it can drive through three feet of water, rock crawl a 100% grade, and go from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds. While many trucks have superior off-roading specs, the speed is what really sets the RT1 apart.

The base trim offers two dual motors that produce 533 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque. It can also tow up to 11,000 pounds. Further adding to the off-road capability of this powerful truck is the 14.9 inches of ground clearance. Before you assume you need a ladder to get in, Rivian has added air suspension that enables drivers to lower it as needed.

All these features are incredible, but the poor range is holding the F-150 Lightning and R1T back. Hopefully, these automakers will be able to find a solution for the base trims that helps justify the price.