Tesla wasn't the only company to reveal an electrified pickup truck in November. California startup Neuron EV revealed its own vision of the near-future e-pickup, and it feels like a truck that'll be much more palatable to the general public than Musk's 3rd grade art project. The Neuron T/One debuts as a versatile, all-in-one "electric utility vehicle" (EUV!) designed for both personal and commercial use. It comes in a variety of configurations with modular components to increase its capability, all wearing design language that's both futuristic and practical. If this truck ever gets made, it could be the one to persuade pickup buyers to go electric.
Neuron actually debuted the T/One pickup well before Tesla stole headlines with its Cybertruck. At the time of the November 5 debut, though, it released only renderings, not enough for anyone to care given the company's recent history of big ideas with only renderings to sell them. In attempting to slide into Tesla's huge Cybertruck draft, it released a little more information and some actual debut photos late last week, a sort of "hey, we revealed an electric pickup this month, too, and it's not super weird."
Indeed, the T/One might be the best-looking electric pickup we've seen. It's most similar to Rivian's R1T, but from our vantage point better combines sleek, modern styling with classic pickup utility and toughness. Thanks to the decentralized electrified powertrain, Neuron designers are able to push the cab forward for better visibility, something that'll be particularly valuable off-road. They avoid going full-on forward-control cab by adding the swept-back windshield, short hood, strong front bumper, and distinctive facial identity with wide-sweeping lighting and low grille. It's a design that looks sleek and aerodynamic without losing the strength and purpose of a truck.
It appears it's too early for Neuron to be bothered with details like powertrain identification, dimensions, or any iota of hard information whatsoever. About as specific as it gets is to say that the T/One's "multi-source propulsion system draws power from an all-electric traction battery pack, replaceable reserve power, and removable solar panel truck bed cover." The "replaceable reserve power" bit makes it sound more like a hybrid-electric, but Neuron has repeatedly referred to it as "electric" and has even said the T/One has a "pure electric battery propulsion system."
Wherever its power comes from exactly, the T/One wears many hats thanks to its scalable chassis and modular component set. Configurations range from a flatbed truck, to a dump truck, to several styles of pickup, to a van/SUV. None of them look quite as cool as the little camper van Neuron showed with its Star mini-pickup, but the T/One would presumably make a more comfortable camper van/pickup camper owing to its extended size.
Neuron's initial concept truck has an extended cab that Neuron uses to highlight the T/One's potential comfort and luxury. The interior is laid out in a 1 + 2 configuration, seating the driver front and center inside a wraparound dashboard with digital instrument display and left and right rear-view displays. The two rear passengers enjoy individual recliners with plenty of legroom and dedicated digital displays of their own. The driver's seat also includes swivel action, presumably as a preview of Neuron's autonomous intentions but also potentially useful in creating a camper van dining area and lounge.
Other possible configurations include more traditional two-, four- and five-seat pickup cabs and a six-seat SUV layout with smaller load area in place of full pickup bed.
Sadly, that's about as much as Neuron wants us to know for now. The company's latest press release is a Q&A list that appears to be written completely in-house, and Neuron still sidesteps any hint of substantive info. In response to a concise question about how fast and powerful its vehicles are, Neuron answers: "For us, vehicle performance is determined by usability. Why are vehicles engineered to go faster than the speed limit if our goal as a society is to reduce car accidents? Neuron's product quality is measured by ease of use, comfort, reliability, safety, and sustainability." Which isn't a bad statement, but it certainly isn't the speed and power numbers it specifically asked itself about. Weak.
Neuron is headquartered in Los Angeles, but it skipped the short drive to the LA Auto Show to hold the T/One debut at the CIIE trade expo in Shanghai. There, it also debuted the Torq semi accompanied by as little information as the T/One. Apparently, reservations are available for both trucks, and while we're sure everyone reading has reservations about those trucks (and Neuron in general), we'd say it's quite premature to make reservations for them. Neuron will show them again next week at the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood ... Otherwise, you can get a better look at the T/One and Torq in the photo gallery.
Source: Neuron EV
