Picture an electric vehicle making its way down the highway. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s likely something compact, like the Chevrolet Bolt, or something sleek and trim, like any one of several offerings from Tesla. But a new generation of electric vehicles is setting out to change that, and to demonstrate that an electric vehicle can be just as massive as anything gas-powered.
The new electric Hummers are at the forefront of this, but they’re not alone. At The New York Times, Alex Williams took a deep dive into this phenomenon, which he dubs “the eco-beast.” If that sounds like a paradox, well, you’re not wrong.
The new Hummer EV promises to burn less gasoline than a Toyota Prius because, actually, it burns no gasoline. In theory, it should be able to draw sustenance from climate-friendly wind farms or solar cells, too.
Also in the eco-beast camp, according to Williams’s article? Tesla’s Cybertruck, for one. Williams also cites two upstart automakers as having their own forays into this emerging automotive market. There’s Bollinger, whose B1 retails for $125,000 and boasts 614 HP and a payload of 5,000 pounds. And there’s Rivian, whose R1 looks like something that slipped through a hole in time from about five years from now. The R1 has a range of over 400 miles, up to 750 HP and sells for $69,000 and up.
“In 2020, pickups are glamour vehicles, effectively hauling the American automotive industry along with their collective chrome trailer hitch,” Williams writes. Viewed from that perspective, the blend of technology and performance that can be found in this new generation of trucks doesn’t seem all that different from the blend of technology and performance that draws drivers to virtually any vehicle. And if this helps pave the way for a more ecologically sound future, what’s not to like?
Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
