Feature: 5 Innovative Electric Concept Vehicles Becoming Real

EV Ideas That Will Soon Hit the Roads

Electric vehicles were once rare, inconvenient and expensive, but now we’ve seen electric versions of nearly every type of vehicle. Here’s a glimpse at five innovative EV concepts and when they might appear on the roads.

1. Electric Semi trucks

Medium and heavy-duty trucks are responsible for 24 percent of transportation emissions, so it makes sense that they’d get EV alternatives, too. Tesla announced plans for an electric Semi a few years ago, but they’ve have already been beaten to the market by several companies. Volvo and BYD are just a few of the automakers already producing and selling electric semi trucks.

Daimler/Freightliner, PACCAR (Kenworth/Peterbilt) and International are close behind. Widespread adoption of these vehicles will likely take a few years because of high costs and a still-developing infrastructure.

2. Aspark Owl

One of the less practical but more exciting EV concepts is the Aspark Owl, an electric hypercar. The car will deliver a remarkable 1,984 horsepower and reach 60 mph in just 1.7 seconds. The Japanese company behind it plans only to make 50 and sell them for $3.2 million each.

Customers that can afford one can expect these to sell either late this year or the next.

3. Ford F-150 Lightning

The Ford F-series is the best-selling vehicle in America, so Ford’s announcement of an electric F-150 could be a landmark moment. Electric motors’ immediate torque delivery could make the F-150 Lightning one of the more powerful trucks on the market, not just a clean one.

Early tests have shown the F-150 Lightning to be quick, and its range should lie somewhere between 230 and 300 miles per charge, depending on the battery pack size ordered. Ford intends to bring this working person’s EV to market in early 2022.

They’ll be following the more expensive Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV, which have just begun delivering electric pickups to customers.  

4. Electric Firetrucks

The EV revolution is coming to more than just passenger vehicles. Firetrucks may soon be electric, too, helping cities make their emergency response systems greener. While these typically don’t travel as far as cars, they need lots of power, with some pumping water at 1,500 gallons per minute or more.

The Los Angeles Fire Department bought the first electric fire engine in the U.S. in 2020. Other cities will likely follow suit before long.

5. Chevrolet Silverado Electric

Another electric truck, the Chevy Silverado Electric, will be unveiled at CES 2022. While we don’t have much information on this EV yet, early signs are promising. It uses GM’s Ultium platform, offering up to 400 miles per charge, while 250 miles is the median for modern EVs.

Chevrolet hasn’t announced a release date yet, but with a 2022 reveal, it’s not unreasonable to think the EV Silverado will launch in 2023, joining the other electric trucks mentioned earlier in one of the largest segments of the auto market.

The EV Market Is Growing

These five EV concepts are just a small portion of the green vehicles coming to roads soon. With such a variety, there will soon be an EV for virtually every customer and use case. While it may take a while for these to outnumber fossil fuel-powered vehicles, the market is expanding quickly.

Story by Martin Banks. Photos from Clean Fleet Report Archives.