By Autolist recently conducted its annual Electric Truck Survey, revealing some interesting insights into the current state of the electric pickup truck market. Surprisingly, the electric Toyota Tacoma has emerged as the frontrunner in popularity, overtaking the renowned Ford F-150 Lightning and even outperforming the highly anticipated Tesla Cybertruck. This is undoubtedly exciting news for Toyota, except for one small detail – the electric Toyota Tacoma does not exist.
Autolist surveyed a total of 3,600 car shoppers between August and November, aiming to understand their perspectives on electric trucks and the overall EV market. However, the survey findings indicate a decline in interest for EV trucks. Only 22% of respondents considered electric trucks to be more appealing than traditional trucks, compared to 29% last year.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that the intention to purchase electric trucks is diminishing. Merely 27% of respondents expressed that their next truck was “very” or “somewhat” likely to be electric, a decrease from 35% reported in the previous year.
Although EV sales are still on the rise, the rate of growth has notably slowed down. Autolist attributes this slowdown to the fact that those consumers who were willing to embrace higher prices, charging requirements, and limited range associated with EVs have already made the transition.
A fictional truck that captures attention
But there is one truck that has managed to capture the attention of many, despite its fictional status. In a surprising turn of events, researchers have discovered that an imaginary truck outshines all the vehicles currently available in the market. Astonishingly, 24% of respondents revealed that they would be most inclined to purchase an electric Toyota Tacoma – a truck that Toyota has not yet produced and has not publicly announced any plans to create.
In comparison, only 19% of respondents would opt for Ford’s F-150 Lightning, a truck that does indeed exist. A mere 15% mentioned that they would choose the equally real Chevrolet Silverado EV, while 14% expressed their interest in purchasing the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck, which has evolved from being merely a meme into a tangible reality. The Ram 1500 REV, which is still in the works, garnered the preference of 9% of the respondents.
Comparison: The showdown between the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV and the Ford F-150 Lightning
Although Toyota hasn’t hinted at the arrival of an electric Tacoma, the company recently showcased a small electric pickup at the Japan Mobility Show. It is important to note that this particular truck was smaller than the Tacoma and was officially classified as a concept car – merely a design sketch that an automaker doesn’t necessarily intend to manufacture. Nevertheless, these survey results should undoubtedly serve as valuable insights for Toyota’s product planners when entering their next meeting.
This story was originally published on KBB.com.
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