Bronco vs Electric Pickup

[njcoach24]

So, I am 100% in love with the Bronco. No idea when mine will ever go into production. I also have a preorder from a Rivian Pickup (R1T) Launch Edition which my delivery window is this June. I think I prefer to have the Bronco and if it were offered in hybrid or full electric it would be a no brainer for me. Electric seems to have many advantages of ICE (and many disadvantages too) that I like (and all of these things are debatable).

Advantages to Electric: better for the environment, never have to visit a gas station or car dealership again unless for maintenance, can charge up to 300 miles for $12 bucks, instant torque, 0-60 in 3 seconds, state of the art. Cost of ownership is less over a longer period of time.

Disadvantages to Electric: Can't fill up anywhere in 5 minutes or less, can't fix what I don't understand, network of dealerships that I can take the car to for service is very limited that is, until the Lighting comes out.

Clearly the infrastructure is not ready for all electric but it seems like buying a gas car TODAY is like buying a VHS when Blu-Rays are out. Especially if some of us aren't going to see a Bronco for another year and at which point Ford may be offering an electric version since they want to be what seems like the new Tesla in terms of electric sales. I hate to think that my new 55K Bronco will be outdated in 2 years with all these new electric cars and trucks.

The other thing I am thinking about is best value for my money. The Rivian (or Lighting) can be had for about $75K (-$7,500 tax credit or hopefully to to $12,000 in rebates at point of sale if the laws pass) and are state-of-the-art and fully loaded. That puts the pricing of them within that of a loaded Bronco.

So i guess here is where my question is....what do you guys do in terms of best value for your money if you are between an electric pickup or a Bronco? Anybody else in this camp? I like both the Rivian and Bronco because they are marketed as adventure ready and thats really want I want. Anybody seen any good pictures of the two cars side by side?

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[Brick Vanderhuge]

The only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger on the Rivian is the price. I have no idea if my Bronco will be built this year or next year or the year afterward so everything about the Rivian other than the price seems like a plus to me at this point. As far as value for your money goes, I think the Bronco probably wins because it's purpose built for the off roading thing, it's about 15-20 grand cheaper on average, and I doubt the Rivian can handle the terrain the Bronco can handle.

 

[RagnarKon]

So the fundamental problem with an all-electric Bronco is the range of electric batteries. The Bronco is an off-road vehicle, made to go out into the wilderness where there is no power grid to charge your vehicle. Admittedly, there is also often a limited number of gas stations in many of these areas... but that's not a huge issue. If you have a gasoline engine, you can effectively increase the range by carrying more fuel. You cannot carry more batteries.

Until that range on batteries dramatically increases, or they figure out a way to carry "jerry can" batteries, and all-electric Bronco doesn't make any sense at all.

THAT SAID, a hybrid Bronco makes a ton of sense. And if the Jeep Wrangler 4xe sells well—which it seems to be—I fully expect Ford to offer a hybrid offering with either the next generation or during mid-cycle refresh.


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It should be noted that for many people, an electric pickup truck doesn't make sense either for many of the same reasons it doesn't make sense to have an electric Bronco.

The difference is the customer base for pickup trucks is much wider. Ranges from construction companies who need work vehicles to do their job, to families that live in rural Montana and need a pickup truck to maintain their family ranch. The construction companies would probably be very interested in an electric vehicle, especially if it can power their on-site equipment. The family that lives in rural Montana... probably not so much.

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Ultimately it depends what you need.

I personally am buying a Bronco to take on skiing/camping/fishing trips with my family & friends. But if I was in the market for a pickup truck I would definitely be looking at the Rivian or the F-150 Lightning. Although admittedly I would probably end up buying the F-150 Hybrid in the end.

 

[T.S.]

So, I am 100% in love with the Bronco. No idea when mine will ever go into production. I also have a preorder from a Rivian Pickup (R1T) Launch Edition which my delivery window is this June. I think I prefer to have the Bronco and if it were offered in hybrid or full electric it would be a no brainer for me. Electric seems to have many advantages of ICE (and many disadvantages too) that I like (and all of these things are debatable).

Advantages to Electric: better for the environment, never have to visit a gas station or car dealership again unless for maintenance, can charge up to 300 miles for $12 bucks, instant torque, 0-60 in 3 seconds, state of the art. Cost of ownership is less over a longer period of time.

Disadvantages to Electric: Can't fill up anywhere in 5 minutes or less, can't fix what I don't understand, network of dealerships that I can take the car to for service is very limited that is, until the Lighting comes out.

Clearly the infrastructure is not ready for all electric but it seems like buying a gas car TODAY is like buying a VHS when Blu-Rays are out. Especially if some of us aren't going to see a Bronco for another year and at which point Ford may be offering an electric version since they want to be what seems like the new Tesla in terms of electric sales. I hate to think that my new 55K Bronco will be outdated in 2 years with all these new electric cars and trucks.

The other thing I am thinking about is best value for my money. The Rivian (or Lighting) can be had for about $75K (-$7,500 tax credit or hopefully to to $12,000 in rebates at point of sale if the laws pass) and are state-of-the-art and fully loaded. That puts the pricing of them within that of a loaded Bronco.

So i guess here is where my question is....what do you guys do in terms of best value for your money if you are between an electric pickup or a Bronco? Anybody else in this camp? I like both the Rivian and Bronco because they are marketed as adventure ready and thats really want I want. Anybody seen any good pictures of the two cars side by side?

Same thought goes thorough my mind as well. In addition, it seems like the US is all-in on the EV concept, but I wonder about the impact all these batteries will have on the environment, I really don't know much about it , are we just switching from one environmental problem to another? I'd love to get an understanding if anyone here has info. I do know some Tesla owners who complain about battery life in cold weather, they are getting about half the range when it gets cold out.

Finally, I watched an interview with the Ford CEO Chris Farley, he said Ford is fully committed to EV and their goal is to be the #2 producer of EV's by 2025. No mention of Bronco, so while Bronco is near and dear to everyone on this forum, I think Ford's focus is elsewhere.

 

[FastAndLight]

So, I am 100% in love with the Bronco. No idea when mine will ever go into production. I also have a preorder from a Rivian Pickup (R1T) Launch Edition which my delivery window is this June. I think I prefer to have the Bronco and if it were offered in hybrid or full electric it would be a no brainer for me. Electric seems to have many advantages of ICE (and many disadvantages too) that I like (and all of these things are debatable).

Advantages to Electric: better for the environment, never have to visit a gas station or car dealership again unless for maintenance, can charge up to 300 miles for $12 bucks, instant torque, 0-60 in 3 seconds, state of the art. Cost of ownership is less over a longer period of time.

Disadvantages to Electric: Can't fill up anywhere in 5 minutes or less, can't fix what I don't understand, network of dealerships that I can take the car to for service is very limited that is, until the Lighting comes out.

Clearly the infrastructure is not ready for all electric but it seems like buying a gas car TODAY is like buying a VHS when Blu-Rays are out. Especially if some of us aren't going to see a Bronco for another year and at which point Ford may be offering an electric version since they want to be what seems like the new Tesla in terms of electric sales. I hate to think that my new 55K Bronco will be outdated in 2 years with all these new electric cars and trucks.

The other thing I am thinking about is best value for my money. The Rivian (or Lighting) can be had for about $75K (-$7,500 tax credit or hopefully to to $12,000 in rebates at point of sale if the laws pass) and are state-of-the-art and fully loaded. That puts the pricing of them within that of a loaded Bronco.

So i guess here is where my question is....what do you guys do in terms of best value for your money if you are between an electric pickup or a Bronco? Anybody else in this camp? I like both the Rivian and Bronco because they are marketed as adventure ready and thats really want I want. Anybody seen any good pictures of the two cars side by side?

It looks like the R1T is longer and wider with a longer wheelbase (see pics below). Those same general comparisons are also true for the R1S, but the gap is much less.

I feel the same way you do (though I haven't pulled the trigger on a Rivian reservation yet because it looks like if I reserve now I wouldn't get my R1S until 2023....probably the same week I'd get my Bronco). If you don't mind me asking, when did you reserve your Rivian?

I am all over the map with how I feel about spending any more money on a gas vehicle right now. It is frustrating because everything is so delayed and production is unclear.

I think how you view the tradeoffs that you mentioned with respect to electric vehicles is going to directly impact whether you think they are a good "value". All things equal, I'd get the Rivian. I think its the future.

 

[njcoach24]

Finally I watched an interview with the Ford CEO Chris Farley, he said Ford is fully committed to EV and their goal is to be the #2 producer of EV's by 2025. No mention of Bronco, so while Bronco is near and dear to everyone on this forum, I think Ford's focus is elsewhere

Today they said they are doubling the production of the Lighting and tripling the amount of Mustang Electrics they are making. Story Link

Ford is clearly going all-in on electric at this point.

 

[Bronco cat]

Let me say this. Pollution for cars accounts for less than 10% of the pollution the US puts out. Fossil fuel burning for electricity accounts for 74% percent of pollution so the assertion that an electric vehicle is better for pollution is completely untrue since your charge comes most likely from the electric grid. Also battery production and disposal generate a large amount of toxic polluting by products and finally the cost to operate and own a model 3 over 40,000 miles is the same as operating a bmw 3 series so your cost to own argument is moot too. End of the day electric isn’t the magic bullet everyone claims. We really should be working on the grid and related infrastructure if we want to be totally electric. Also factor in the cost of an electric car and it further shows the disadvantages.

 

[njcoach24]

I feel the same way you do (though I haven't pulled the trigger on a Rivian reservation yet because it looks like if I reserve now I wouldn't get my R1S until 2023....probably the same week I'd get my Bronco). If you don't mind me asking, when did you reserve your Rivian?

I preordered the R1T November 2020. My thing is once you factor in the tax credit or rebate both are almost the same price with the Rivian being slightly more but once you factor in never having to go to a gas station again or do oil changes after 3? years they become equally and than you are ahead going all electric.

Until that range on batteries dramatically increases, or they figure out a way to carry "jerry can" batteries, and all-electric Bronco doesn't make any sense at all.

This is true.

I wonder about the impact all these batteries will have on the environment, I really know much about it , are we just switching from one environmental problem to another? I'd love to get an understanding if anyone here has info.

Me also.

 

[PWillette]

IMO no comparison between the two unless the doors and top come off and has a manual transmission.

 

[Theowlhoothoot]

So, I am 100% in love with the Bronco. No idea when mine will ever go into production. I also have a preorder from a Rivian Pickup (R1T) Launch Edition which my delivery window is this June. I think I prefer to have the Bronco and if it were offered in hybrid or full electric it would be a no brainer for me. Electric seems to have many advantages of ICE (and many disadvantages too) that I like (and all of these things are debatable).

Advantages to Electric: better for the environment, never have to visit a gas station or car dealership again unless for maintenance, can charge up to 300 miles for $12 bucks, instant torque, 0-60 in 3 seconds, state of the art. Cost of ownership is less over a longer period of time.

Disadvantages to Electric: Can't fill up anywhere in 5 minutes or less, can't fix what I don't understand, network of dealerships that I can take the car to for service is very limited that is, until the Lighting comes out.

Clearly the infrastructure is not ready for all electric but it seems like buying a gas car TODAY is like buying a VHS when Blu-Rays are out. Especially if some of us aren't going to see a Bronco for another year and at which point Ford may be offering an electric version since they want to be what seems like the new Tesla in terms of electric sales. I hate to think that my new 55K Bronco will be outdated in 2 years with all these new electric cars and trucks.

The other thing I am thinking about is best value for my money. The Rivian (or Lighting) can be had for about $75K (-$7,500 tax credit or hopefully to to $12,000 in rebates at point of sale if the laws pass) and are state-of-the-art and fully loaded. That puts the pricing of them within that of a loaded Bronco.

So i guess here is where my question is....what do you guys do in terms of best value for your money if you are between an electric pickup or a Bronco? Anybody else in this camp? I like both the Rivian and Bronco because they are marketed as adventure ready and thats really want I want. Anybody seen any good pictures of the two cars side by side?

So I wouldn't get a non Tesla for road trips until Tesla opens up their supercharger network. The Rivian / Lightning while more expensive but will pay for its price increase over a Bronco if you home charge for sure.

If you charge on public chargers the rate of return will definitely be lower and you will sacrifice having to sit and charge in public. Don't get an EV if you aren't willing to install a 240v plug and home charge outside of road trips.

That being said, no EV will compete with the bronco until maybe the Hummer, but the price won't be close to offset even with home charging.


We pay $30 bucks a month to charge the Tesla at the house.

 

[saymkt]

Rivian beats the Hummer GMC in looks that's for sure:

PICS: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/r1t-vs-gmc-hummer-ev-side-by-side-look.2499/

The F-150 Lightning is too conventional in looks for an EV and the Cybertruck is too wild. Rivian is my choice for an EV pickup.

 

[RagnarKon]

Let me say this. Pollution for cars accounts for less than 10% of the pollution the US puts out. Fossil fuel burning for electricity accounts for 74% percent of pollution so the assertion that an electric vehicle is better for pollution is completely untrue since your charge comes most likely from the electric grid. Also battery production and disposal generate a large amount of toxic polluting by products and finally the cost to operate and own a model 3 over 40,000 miles is the same as operating a bmw 3 series so your cost to own argument is moot too. End of the day electric isn’t the magic bullet everyone claims. We really should be working on the grid and related infrastructure if we want to be totally electric. Also factor in the cost of an electric car and it further shows the disadvantages.

Yeah I agree with this. People who think that switching to an electric vehicle makes them "green" are ignorant to how electricity is generated in the United States (and most of the world) today. Granted, I do think that electric vehicles are an important part of a greener future, and companies should absolutely be investing in electric vehicles. But until we fix how electricity is generated and how batteries are recycled, electric vehicles will be far from truly green.

That said, I think we're rapidly getting to the point where the cost of ownership for hybrid/electric vehicles is less than the cost of having a traditional internal combustion engine. So there are other incentives that may push people to own an electric vehicle that go beyond the usual clean energy debate.

 

[motocane]

@njcoach24
I cancelled my R1T reservation when the Bronco was revealed (I've wanted a Bronco since high school) then with all the Bronco delays, I reserved again for the Rivian. Going to the back of the Rivian line with newer reservation (Sep. 2021 vs. Apr 2019) seems to have worked out well though.

My Bronco (2dr BL) is scheduled for production this week and my R1T (max package) is currently estimated for the 2nd half of 2023 so I should have a good year and half with the Bronco to decide whether to keep it or replace with the Rivian. Maybe you can do the flip side of my situation?

I wouldn't cancel either though because both are going to be in short supply for quite some time. I just love the R1T because it hits all the right spots - luxury interior, truck utility, sports car performance. Getting in on that Rivian IPO didn't suck either.

 

[motocane]

Rivian beats the Hummer GMC in looks that's for sure:

PICS: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/r1t-vs-gmc-hummer-ev-side-by-side-look.2499/

The F-150 Lightning is too conventional in looks for an EV and the Cybertruck is too wild. Rivian is my choice for an EV pickup.

Yeah, the Hummer is fugly and I still think Cybertruck is an Elon prank - too hideous to actually produce.

 

[Jr87mustang]

Let me say this. Pollution for cars accounts for less than 10% of the pollution the US puts out. Fossil fuel burning for electricity accounts for 74% percent of pollution so the assertion that an electric vehicle is better for pollution is completely untrue since your charge comes most likely from the electric grid. Also battery production and disposal generate a large amount of toxic polluting by products and finally the cost to operate and own a model 3 over 40,000 miles is the same as operating a bmw 3 series so your cost to own argument is moot too. End of the day electric isn’t the magic bullet everyone claims. We really should be working on the grid and related infrastructure if we want to be totally electric. Also factor in the cost of an electric car and it further shows the disadvantages.

LOL, the kool-aide has already been drunk long ago my friend, it started in grade school. Logic will not work here. These mines are all over the world and they are starting one in Nevada I believe. If the site of a lithium mine doesn't give you pause, nothing will.

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