In a recent study, researchers found that the Ford F-150 Lightning is more likely to attract prospective buyers then offerings from General Motors, namely the Chevy Silverado EV.
According a report from Cox Automotive, the Ford F-150 Lightning is at the top of list for consumers looking to purchase a new electric vehicle. The research demonstrates that shoppers are more likely to consider an EV truck from a brand they’re familiar with or currently own.
It’s worth noting that the F-150 Lightning is the only truck in the study whose consideration increased after the product was revealed.
Appeal and Consideration of EV trucks
“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,” Cox Automotive Market and Customer Research Senior Manager Vanessa Ton stated in a prepared statement. “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.”
In regard to the specific factors that are important to consumers, the Ford electric truck topped all categories, including overall look/styling and technologically advanced. As a whole, this study appears to indicate that prospective buyers are highly influenced by reduced fuel costs and the expected positive environmental impact of driving an EV. Of course, pricing woes remains a sticking point for many customers.
“This research really shows how important it will be for a brand like Tesla to attract consumers and shoppers who are not traditional pickup truck buyers,” Vanessa Ton added. “The new Cybertruck will have to convert shoppers who are not already pickup owners or intenders. It is natural to consider the new Tesla truck as part of the full-size pickup segment, but this research demonstrates Tesla’s need to attract a different audience.”
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Comments
Gm should’ve known this new Chevy design is waaaay to simple and ugly. Fords designs been garbage for awhile but this … this is bottom of the barrel
King, I absolutely agree – Chevy and GMC EV pickups are absolute garbage and won’t appeal to the masses because of GM’s hideous (and failed) attempts at being hip and cool.
Of course people are going to gravitate more towards the F-150 – its designers and planners didn’t get high and destroy the appearance of a truck that has sold so well. People who buy trucks do so because it’s a TRUCK and has the capability and specifications required for their particular needs (I’m sure appearance is also a factor). The Silverado EV (and other GM EV monstrosities) will not be good sellers if they take what is tried and true and give it a makeover that is completely and utterly unnecessary.
People are sure complaining about the Lightnings poor charging speed, towing distance and overall range. That’s some of the downfalls of just sticking electric motors and batteries in your current truck. GM could have done the same thing but realized it’s not a good long-term strategy.
Agree, I don’t understand why GM chose to pattern their EV truck after the failed Avalanche design instead of the very popular current Silverado?? It makes no sense. The could have saved money by sharing more components.
In the competition of trucks that no truck person really wants, at least Ford has stuck to a general design that looks like a truck and not a hipster futuristic looking vehicle. Zero surprise about the appeal being in Ford’s favor here. GM design team management is out of touch on this project.
GM EV department is way disconnected from those of us that purchase the ICE equivalent models.
Escalade IQ looks like a Blue Whale
Lyriq looks like a baby Blue whale
The biggest issue is Price and towing for any of these. If GM can get the towing better than ford’s then they will have a winner. Only way they could possibly do it would be to make actual gear box is my guess. We will have to wait and see. Also with 4 percent difference between ford and Chevy this is practically a tie.
Styling wise, there’s a reason the Avalanche and the original Honda were not big sellers. Why Chevy would design a pu meant to be a Silverado replacement that mimics that styling just doesn’t make sense.
I agree with the comments above that call out the GM trucks for trying so hard to look different. I’ve been saying this forever. Why do they feel that just because it’s a hybrid or EV that it needs to look different or in some cases just plain stupid?
The Silverado EV looks like they took a Tahoe, made some bad styling changes and then cut the back part of the roof and sides off.
Not to mention the Bolt battery fires scaring off buyers.
FYI –
“As of August 2021, seven Chevy Bolts have caught fire, or about 0.006 percent of those on the road. In comparison, 212,000 gas and diesel vehicles caught fire in 2018, or about 0.07 percent of those on U.S. roads.”
GM recalled the Bolts to fix the problem. What about all the gas vehicles? Those are the ones you need to be worried about since there hasn’t been a Bolt fire since the recall.
Yeah, that’s nice and all, but his point was that it scared off their buyers.
It’s the little things that make the E-valanche visually less appealing. In the pic above, the black parts of the ‘grille’ are ugly. The black-wheel fad on anything but a black vehicle needs to die, and that silly ‘floating roof’ spear is not needed. Keep it white to the roof.
The truck itself has one thing needed on today’s ‘trucks’ – the midgate that creates a usable bed. Not the open trunk of the shorty Lightning bed. But the styling could be better (unless compared to the Cyberyuck)
The Silverado reminds me of the Ridgeline…and that’s not a good thing. I like the GMC the most. Would need real world comparison to really decide. So far this is all based off how it looks. Ford did a much better job there. GM has been lost in the design department.
67 percent to 64 percent isn’t that much of a difference. It probably would be same for ICE variants as well. F-150 has a bigger base than Silverado and it shows it in the sales. This Appeal study shows us nothing new.
I call foul….I’m pretty sure I saw Ford stuffing the ballot box in their favor, and there were reports that there were some votes cast by some pretty nefarious people. I call for a recount!
“The f150 was the only truck who’s interest increased after production.” The same will happen with the Chevy. I need to see read a review before I would consider one. All 13 comments above say it’s because of it’s looks. The article never mentions anything about the reasoning of looks. Sounds like a groupthink jump to conclusions by all here.
It’s unfortunate they did’t stick with more traditional truck styling since the Silverado is technically the better EV. Even though I don’t see myself being an EV owner any time soon, I still like to see GM be competitive.
Well yea not too many people are fans of the avalanche look over f150 look
If they kept the actual silverado body like ford did with the f150, they would do better. never understood why they have to make electrics look goofy. people dont want that.
that said ev trucks are dead in the water and not selling regardless what a survey of APPEAL says. appeal isnt sales
Funny how it all comes down to looks to you people. Ford is garbage, always has been, they have proved it with the ev as well. Takes longer to charge, and because they just stuck it in their regular chasis, it won’t go half as far as the chev/gmc will
I have never really been a “fan” of Ford, but, GARBAGE? Hardly
If the ICE looked like the EV people wouldn’t like it, either.
Most of the persons who are on this sight, are either blind or have very poor taste in vehicle design and analysis. First off, the F-150 is a square block and that’s all.
Secondly, the GM EVs (Trucks especially) are a technological tour deforce, even when compared to the F-150 lightning.
Lastly, the Lightning is already available, unlike the Silverado EV which is simply a much better-looking truck than the box like lightning but is now being produce. I’m guessing that those who commented on looks, didn’t remember the Silverado EV RST, didn’t you?
It’s so ugly. Not sure who approved the design of that truck, but yikes. How could they get it so wrong?
The lines just aren’t appealing.
The ONLY reason the F-150 sells more than Chevy is because they only sell one truck. If you combine the Sierra and Silverado sales as a total GM brand then GM out sells Ford F-150 by a mile.
Currently, yes, but not always, a few years back The F-150 outsold the Silverado/Sierra/Colorado/Canyon. But if you add in the Tahoe/Yukon etc, then GM always sells more ‘trucks’. The reason for the recent ascension of GM truck dominance is clearly due to the rise of the Sierra (143,008) which used to routinely trail the Taco in sales, but now is approaching Taco + Tundra (116,845/59,735) in H1 2023 with a greater % increase in sales.
Can’t believe the grandstanding here about an article that indicates a few percentage points difference.
The article clearly says the Ford F-150 outsells the Silverado ICE..so y’all dog pile on design, it isn’t a factor here.
Agreed and until a consumer can buy a Silverado EV this survey has little meaning. If a year or two from now Ford is selling more Lightnings than GM’s selling Silverado EVs then there might be something to it. And that assumes Ford is selling more than the Silverado and Sierra EV combined.
Hmmm…So was a comparison done on a F150 Lightning (Non-Work truck) versus a Silverado EV Work Truck on appeal? I don’t see a Silverado EV RST or GMC EV Denali to compare to F150 Lightning. I guess, as one mentioned above, a reveal was missed in the comparison with all the tech on the EV RST/Denali has that the Lightning doesn’t have.
Everyone commenting on Avalanche looks, but what everyone fails to realize Midgate Passthru expands the bed to 10′-10″. A plus over the standard bed which the Lightning has. Maybe everyone saying the GM products are not great should really visit the WebSite and see the vehicles…Not the Work Truck in the PICS.
we all know the EV market just is not ready. Poor millage with very few charging stations. One article IO read recently a guy had $115,000.00 in Ford EV and chargers at his office and home . Took the family on a vacation, could not find a charging station and ended up renting a gas car to get his family back home. He has an EV for sale! CEO of ford found out the similar problem when he took a trip in the great F150 EV. I will stick with my 2023 Chevy 1500 4X4 3.0 mini Duramax with 30MPG. Diesel fuel can found almost anywhere. I wished GM had NOT used the rubber belt /oil pump system to which a fifth grader would have been smarter. The plastic handle on the front seat console that digs into your leg if your 6′-3 and 300 lbs. The console is so wide you have to sit on your hip sideways to fasten the seat belt. An engineer from china at 5′-6″ and 145lbs must have designed the front seat/console!!
They’re EVs, who cares!
The Silverado EV has too much cheap black plastic slathered all over the place giving it a very low rent appearance along with the overkill wheels. If they toned that down a bit and gave the wheels a two tone look with some silver accents it would do much to improve the look.
The picture above is of the work truck. Not the consumer version.