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At this point, electric vehicles are becoming more and more commonplace. That said, they tend to focus more on moving people – what if you need to move cargo? Electric trucks aren’t nearly as common, but that’s what the folks at Pickman have been creating. If you need to cross some trails and rocks to get to Electric Avenue? Then the recently-announced Pickman XR is what you’re looking for.
Now, make no mistake – the Pickman XR (and the rest of the stable) are not going to be challenging Ford and Chevy for supremacy of pickup trucks. In fact, on US streets, they might look a little out of place, as these are considered mini-trucks, and akin to something we might more commonly see in Europe and Asia. Doesn’t mean they can’t work here, though.
When I first saw the images of the Pickman XR, I thought that this could be an interesting vehicle in my own house (though, unsure how my 6’3″ frame would fit in). For one, when I’m commuting (whenever that starts again), it’s a pretty small loop to the train station and back, so an electric vehicle could be versatile. Through in a truck bed, and well now you’ve got versatility to head on over to the hardware store and get stuff for a project. And really, you could use some of the prior models for that.
The Pickman XR, on the other hand, is intended for more of an off-road sort of a usage. Say, you’ve got yourself a few acres out behind your house (or a large piece of property out in the woods). Here, the Pickman XR is presenting itself as an alternative to some of the four-wheeler-based side-by-side vehicles out in the market. I’m not saying one is better than another, they’ve just got different style and different merits.
The Pickman XR is offering up a 70 mile range, with a top speed of 35 mph (at least on the streets – if you’re offroad, it can go up to 50 mph) – so you’re not winning any drag races. With a payload capacity of 660 lbs, and a towing capacity of 6600 lbs (hooray for electric motor torque) this is a vehicle that can get some work done around your property, I’d say.
Then again, if you’re looking for the Pickman XR to be confined to just your property, the MSRP of $17,999 feels a bit steep, even if you are trying to go all-electric. Then again, I don’t have land like that, so perhaps I’m missing something. As a more versatile on/off roader, perhaps this is a good call, something you can run into town and then haul stuff into the back 40 when you need to. Of note, if you put a pre-order in now, you’ll save a cool $2,000 off the MSRP. For those looking for something a bit less off-roady, and want to save some bucks, check out the other models Pickman has – to my eye, the Passenger version looks particularly flexible. thepickman.com
