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Inevitable, this will be a question every prospective truck buyer asks themselves in the future. Who knows, in 20 years, electric trucks may be the only thing we sell here at Truckmax USA in Petaluma, CA. But until then, there are a few things to consider before you purchase an electric truck. Here are a few points that might be helpful to keep in mind. We highlight who we feel wins in each category, either a traditional gas/diesel pickup or an electric pickup. For simplicity we have left out hybrid trucks in this comparison.

1. Selection

While it’s true that more and more companies are promising to come out with an electric truck, few have done so to this point. That means that at the moment you don’t have a lot as far as choice goes. So if you have a specific truck in mind right now, you may be better off looking at a gas or diesel truck: Winner: Traditional Truck

2. Service

If you are buying a used truck with the goal of using it for work purposes, no doubt you will need to keep it well serviced. While the servicing of electric vehicles is much lower than traditional gasoline or diesel, they will still require regular maintenance. Do you have an electric vehicle service or repair center near where you live? Does the manufacturer you are buying from have a service center near you. The further away your service options are, the more of a pain it will be especially in an emergency service type of situation. Winner: Traditional Truck

3. Range

Electric vehicles have made amazing strides in range in recent years. The Cybertruck from Tesla will come with either 250+, 300+, or 500+ mile range depending on whether you get the single motor, dual motor, or tri motor option respectively. However, if you a doing any kind of long range travel you will need to think about where you can recharge. If you don’t plan on taking long road trips in your truck or even if you don’t mind recharging than an electric truck will work for you. For now though, most people like the option of not worrying about range on longer trips, so traditional gasoline / diesel pickups have the edge on this one. Winner: Traditional Truck

4. Cost

With the recent chip shortage affecting new truck manufacturers like GMC used truck prices have skyrocketed in recent months in the United States, and not just used trucks but also used cars and SUV’s. However, prices for used traditional fuel trucks are still a lot lower than what you would pay for a comparable electric truck. For example, the Rivian R1T lists new as of June 2021 starting at $67,500 USD. Most of the used trucks for sale at Truckmax currently are far below that price. Winner: Traditional Truck

So there are just a few points to keep in mind when considering buying a truck. This is not an extensive list and electric trucks do have some great advantages and features. It’s only a matter of time before many of the items and arguments on this list change to lean more towards going full electric. But at this time, we feel it’s a great time to buy a traditional fuel truck while the industry adapts and changes to meet the needs of consumers and the environment.