In the past, electric vehicles (EVs) were considered niche products sold by a handful of automotive startups. However, thanks to leading legacy automakers, that’s all changed, and in 2022, automakers like Ford, GM, Hyundai, and others released new EV lineups that were met with approval from critics and consumers alike.
One example is the Ford F-150 Lightning EV truck that debuted last year. The F-150 Lightning was recently named MotorTrend’s 2023 Truck of the Year, demonstrating just how successful legacy automakers have been in driving widespread EV adoption forward this year. MotorTrend explained that it chose the Lightning because “is the first EV pickup to appeal directly to the existing truck market…While some vehicles change the world by being radically different, others, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, change it by being different where it counts and familiar where it helps.”
As MotorTrend notes, the F-150 Lightning is a success because it’s a familiar truck from a familiar brand that nonetheless brings something fresh to the table, and this means we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to EVs from legacy automakers. Just as the F-150 Lightning appeals to the traditional truck market, other EVs like the Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are doing the same in other markets with their appeal. EVs from legacy automakers offer a variety of familiar models for different needs that incorporate new technology, something EVs produced by direct sales startups simply can’t match.
The F-150 Lightning was just one step in a series of strides made by legacy automakers in 2022. As the new year begins, the continued success of those automakers and their local dealership partners means that 2023 will be a promising year for the electric revolution.