Brand Matters to Electric Truck Shoppers

Electric pickup shoppers appear likely to stick with brands they already trust, a new study found.

The Ford F-150 Lightning came out on top in a Cox Automotive survey of shoppers, besting models by Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, Rivian and U.S. electric-vehicle market leader Tesla.

Cox surveyed consumers who want to buy a full-size pickup in the next two years, asking them to take factors into consideration such as driving range and performance and truck style and price.

Though shoppers have more options than when Cox did earlier such surveys in late 2020 and the spring of 2022, the Lightning surpassed them all.

“Ford’s full-size pickup has long been the best-selling, best-example of the genre, so perhaps it is no surprise that the F-150 Lightning arrives with a leg up on the competition,” said Cox Senior Manager of Market and Customer Research Vanessa Ton. 

“Our studies continue to show the importance of brand strength, and that is particularly true in the full-size pickup truck segment, where brand loyalty often runs deep and fierce. This fact makes it particularly challenging for brands like Tesla and Rivian, both newcomers to the pickup segments.”

The survey showed just how strong brand alone can be for many consumers. Initially, the Ram 1500 Rev scored highest for “straight vehicle appeal,” at 67%, but fell to second place once Cox revealed the brands.

Sixty-seven percent of shoppers indicated they’d consider the Lightning over Ram and Chevrolet electric trucks, which both drew 63%, followed by 48% who picked GMC Hummer and Rivian. Just 27% said they’d consider Tesla’s Cybertruck.

The Lightning outshined the other options in all categories, particularly in styling and technological attributes.

Cox said the survey showed shoppers in the segment are motivated by lower fuel cost and the idea of reducing driving’s environmental impact. The lowest scores reflected EV price concerns, particularly affecting the Cybertruck and Hummer scores.

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