Auto startup Canoo just entered the electric pickup race - here are the coolest features in trucks from Tesla, Rivian, and more

Canoo pickup truck
Canoo says its truck will hit the market in 2023, but preorders will open this year. Canoo
  • Electric pickup trucks are set to flood the car market over the next couple of years.

  • Startups and legacy carmakers promise to pack their trucks with innovative features.

  • For example, Bollinger's B2 will have removable doors, and the GMC Hummer EV will drive diagonally.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Electric-vehicle startup Canoo on Wednesday unveiled an upcoming pickup loaded with fold-out work surfaces, a customizable back seat, and an extendable bed. But it's not the only carmaker planning an electric truck with unique features.

Established makes like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla - along with upstarts like Rivian and Bollinger - are all racing to introduce battery-powered options to the hugely popular vehicle segment, and they're trying their best to one-up each other in the process.

From what we know so far, many of these forthcoming EV trucks share some key qualities. With exceptions, they generally claim to pack tons of horsepower, supercar-like acceleration, and a great deal of utility into a sleek, futuristic package.

Read more: REVEALED: How much Tesla, Rivian, and Nikola pay their employees, from engineers to managers

Plus, several companies are looking to set themselves apart from the pack by cramming their trucks with useful and just-plain-cool features - everything from a removable roof to in-truck storage for a slide-out camp kitchen.

Check out some of the wildest features promised in the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, Bollinger B2, GMC Hummer EV, Canoo pickup, and Lordstown Endurance below.

Although they're not on the market just yet, multiple electric pickup trucks are set to take the world by storm over the next couple of years.

Canoo pickup truck
Canoo pickup truck Canoo

Electric pickups on the way include the Rivian R1T, Bollinger B1, GMC Hummer EV, Lordstown Endurance, and, of course, the controversially styled Tesla Cybertruck.

The Cybertruck, Tesla's first electric pickup truck, is seen in this undated handout picture released by the company. Tesla/Handout via REUTERS.
The Cybertruck, Tesla's first electric pickup truck, is seen in this undated handout picture released by the company Reuters

We don't have all the details yet about these trucks, but here are some of the coolest features that will apparently be available.

Rivian R1T
Rivian R1T. Rivian

Canoo's pickup will have a work surface that folds out from its frunk...

Canoo pickup truck
Canoo pickup truck Canoo

And tables that fold down from its sides as well.

Canoo truck 1
Canoo pickup truck. Canoo

It'll also have a built-in bed extender that lengthens it from six to eight feet.

Canoo pickup truck
Canoo pickup truck. Canoo

Canoo also included a hidden step that makes it easier to access the bed. It's also a drawer where owners can stash food, drinks, and valuables when out and about.

Canoo pickup truck
Canoo pickup truck. Canoo

Rivian's R1T will feature what the company calls a "gear tunnel," essentially a long cargo compartment running widthwise through the middle of the truck, behind the rear seats.

Rivian R1T gear tunnel
Rivian R1T. Rivian

That tunnel can potentially be customized for lots of different purposes such as a slide-out camp kitchen, which is a $5,000 add-on.

Rivian R1T Camp Kitchen
Rivian R1T. Rivian

According to patent filings, the R1T also may have a "swing and drop" tailgate that can fold out to 90 degrees like a standard tailgate, or drop all the way down to 180 degrees for easier access to the bed.

Rivian R1t
Rivian R1T. Rivian

Source: Motor Authority

Not to mention, the R1T can spin in place like a tank.

Rivian R1T
Rivian R1T. Rivian

Not sure exactly what that tank-turn feature means?

Fun. That's what it means.

The GMC Hummer EV, unveiled in October, promises optional features like an "extract mode" that lifts the vehicle by six inches on demand ...

2022 GMC HUMMER EV 038
2022 GMC Hummer EV. GMC

... and a four-wheel-steering system that cuts down its turning radius and lets it drive diagonally.

2022 GMC HUMMER EV 044
2022 GMC Hummer EV. GMC

The Hummer EV also sports a transparent roof made of removable panels.

2022 GMC HUMMER EV 065
2022 GMC Hummer EV. GMC

To help with challenging off-road terrain, customers will be able to opt for underbody cameras ...

2022 GMC HUMMER EV 039
2022 GMC Hummer EV. GMC

... as well as underbody armoring to protect the battery and other vulnerable spots.

2022 GMC HUMMER EV 040
2022 GMC Hummer EV. GMC

Tesla's Cybertruck failed to live up to the hype within minutes of its debut due to its supposedly unbreakable windows, but the model has no shortage of features that'll be quite exciting - should they come to be.

FILE PHOTO: Nov 21, 2019;  Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A; Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils the Cybertruck at the TeslaDesign Studio in Hawthorne, Calif. The cracked window glass occurred during a demonstration on the strength of the glass.  Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY
News: Tesla Cybertruck Reuters

During the Cybertruck's reveal event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off a retractable ramp for loading dirt bikes, ATVs, and other cargo into the bed.

Tesla cybertruck ATV

Tesla also claims the retro-futuristic truck will be impervious to dents, scratches, and bullets thanks to a thick, stainless-steel body.

Cybertruck 1
Tesla Cybertruck. Tesla

It'll also purportedly have a transparent roof that can be optioned with solar cells. Musk said on Twitter that the solar-roof option could generate 15-plus miles of charge per day.

Cybertruck 3
Tesla Cybertruck. Tesla

Source: Elon Musk on Twitter

Built for utility, the boxy Bollinger B2 doesn't have much in the way of modern conveniences. It sports manual windows, manual mirrors, analog gauges, and no screens, but it still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Bollinger Motors B2 driving outdoors
Bollinger B2. Bollinger Motors

It boasts removable windows, doors, and roof panels.

8 Bollinger Motors B1 glass roof top outdoors
Bollinger B2. Bollinger Motors

Plus, it will supposedly have a nifty, folding rear-cabin wall, which will make room for bulkier items that won't fit in the bed.

21 Bollinger Motors B2 side outdoors
Bollinger B2. Bollinger Motors

Without a pesky engine in the way, the B2 will offer a full-length pass through, which lets owners haul 16-foot-long boards and other cargo.

bollinger pass through
Bollinger. Bollinger

The Lordstown Endurance, meanwhile, claims to have a drivetrain with only four moving parts.

Endurance electric pickup truck by Lordstown Motors
The Endurance. Lordstown Motors

That's because it has a hub motor in each wheel.

Lordstown Endurance   Sneak Peek 3
The Endurance. Lordstown Motors

But while the EV pickups are on the way, they won't be here right away. Lordstown Endurance, Hummer EV, and R1T deliveries are expected to begin in 2021, while an electric Ford F-150 won't be around until mid 2022.

Endurance electric pickup truck by Lordstown Motors
The Endurance. Lordstown Motors

Source: Road & Track

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