Americans love pickup trucks, and that truism is no longer bound geographically or politically. Car enthusiasts love trucks. Off-road enthusiasts love trucks. Trucks serve the people doing a hard day’s work for a living, often for employers and customers who are also driving pickup trucks.

We can’t say much with certainty about how the automotive market will play out over the next few years with tariff-related uncertainty. But we can assert with reasonable confidence that the truck market will proliferate to meet the fervent demand. The next few years should see manufacturers launch six-figure, V8-powered monsters, tiny budget-minded electric trucks, and just about everything in between. Here are some of our favorite upcoming trucks that we can’t wait to drive.

Future vehicles were selected based on personal excitement. Confirmed performance numbers come from manufacturers’ customer and media websites.

10

Toyota Electric Pickup

The Electric Truck We’ve Been Waiting For

What We Know So Far

Toyota has previewed two potential directions for an electric pickup. One is an electric Tacoma. Survey data has suggested the idea of an electric Tacoma is more popular than any existing electric truck. Toyota revealed a Pickup EV concept in 2021 that closely resembled an electric Tacoma. Toyota also confirmed in 2024 that it was looking at battery electric and PHEV powertrains for the Tacoma. Toyota also unveiled the EPU truck concept in 2023, which was more of a compact, unibody, electric take on the Ford Maverick.

Toyota hasn’t confirmed anything yet. So both (or neither) of those trucks may be in the works. But Toyota did preview three new EV launches for 2026 in silhouette form earlier this year, and one of them is definitely a pickup.

9

Ram 1500 TRX

It’s All But Confirmed, And It Should Be What You Want

Ram 1500 TRX Details

Ram put the TRX on hiatus for the 2025 model year, ostensibly replacing it with the 1500 RHO. However, the brand reintroduced the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 to the 1500 pickup for the 2026 model year. That has raised hopes for a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 coming back to power a new TRX, potentially packing even more power than the 702 horsepower from the last generation. Ram has not confirmed that a new TRX is coming. But when prodded by media at a recent event, the brand’s CEO, Tim Kuniskis, only alluded to forthcoming product announcements.

Modifying the 6.2-liter V8 to the new electrical architecture will take some time. Ram said the priority was to get the 5.7-liter V8 into the 2026 lineup for sales volume reasons. But we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new TRX arrive sometime during the 2027 calendar year.

8

Slate Truck

Slate Truck Details

What We Know So Far

Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto has revealed a new electric pickup. The base model (aka The Blank Slate) will be a seriously stripped-down model with hand-crank windows, no infotainment or radio, no off-road capability, no paint and 150 miles of EV range. Buyers will pick from myriad customizations, including options to level up to 240 miles of range or convert the vehicle into a five-seater SUV.

The Slate Truck has no off-road capability. But it does have ample payload to play with: 1,433 pounds for work operations. And in theory, at least, it will be affordable. Slate has claimed a starting price of around $20,000 with incentives. However, the actual cost could be higher with realistic builds and the likely disappearance of the federal EV tax credit.

7

Ram Mid-Size Truck

We Don’t Quite Know What It Is. But It’s Happening

Ram Mid-Size Truck Details

What We Know So Far

Ram’s first mid-size truck since the Dakota left the lineup in 2022 appears to be in the works. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis has been vocal about wanting and needing a midmid-sizeckup to slot below the Ram 1500. And a Ram mid-size truck has been confirmed to arrive in 2027 as part of the UAW agreement. Kuniskis has mooted the $35,000 range as mid-size truck price territory.

Ram has not confirmed many details about the new truck yet, including what platform it will use. But Ram did confirm to Car and Driver that plans are in place for multiple powertrain options, potentially gas, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric.

6

Ram 1500 REV

Still On The Way. Still Not Packing A Hemi

Ram 1500 REV Details

What We Know So Far

The Ram 1500 REV is Ram’s all-electric response to the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV. The truck has been delayed until 2027, with customers demanding the Hemi V8’s return and the political climate turning against EVs. And Ram has reportedly axed the large battery version that would have offered around 500 miles of range. But the 1500 REV, when/if it does emerge, should be a formidable truck with 654 hp, 620 lb-ft of torque, 350 miles of range, a 2,700-lb payload, and 14,000 lbs of towing capacity.

5

Scout Terra

Think Rivian… But Cheaper

The Scout Terra Details

What We Know So Far

Volkswagen resurrected the Scout nameplate as an American off-road truck and SUV brand. The Terra will be Scout’s first pickup and we know a few things about it. The Terra will be a full-size truck, about the size of an F-150. It will use a body-on-frame platform with a solid rear axle, mechanical locking front and rear differentials and four-wheel drive. The Terra will have a 5.5-ft bed and be able to tow up to 7,000 lbs as an EV.

Scout says the Terra will deliver up to 350 miles of range as an EV and 500 miles of range with the range extender. Scout is targeting 2027 for “initial production”. The starting MSRP may be as low as $51,500 with incentives (if those incentives stay in place).

4

Ford Project T3

Delayed But Still Happening

Ford Project T3 Details

What We Know So Far

Ford was one of the first manufacturers to market an electric pickup with the F-150 Lightning. But the brand revealed in 2023 that it was building a next-generation Project T3 pickup on a dedicated EV platform to surpass that. The T3 code name stands for “Trust the Truck”. Ford CEO Jim Farley described the truck as a “Millennium Falcon – with a back porch attached”.

We don’t have many specifics yet. But Ford will build the new truck in Tennessee. It should exceed the F-150 Lightning’s 580 horsepower and 320 miles of range in top spec. And Ford may build an EREV range-extended version. Originally supposed to launch in 2025, the Project T3 truck has reportedly been delayed until 2027.

3

Toyota Compact Pickup (Stout)

A Toyota Truck You Can Afford

Toyota Compact Pickup Details

What We Know So Far

Toyota has not confirmed it is bringing a compact pickup back to the US yet, but there are signs. Toyota was spied benchmarking the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Toyota’s truck is rumored to be based on the Corolla Cross and may revive the Stout nameplate. Toyota execs confirmed the brand is “trying to do” a compact pickup and that it would be a “matter of timing”. Timing could conceivably be delayed, as Toyota faces substantial tariff uncertainty.

2

Nissan Frontier PHEV

The Change Needed To Stay Relevant

Nissan Frontier PHEV Details

What We Know So Far

The Nissan Frontier is the most old-school truck still on the market, featuring a naturally aspirated V6. Nissan has confirmed it needs an electrified solution to stay relevant. That solution is likely to be a plug-in hybrid on a body-on-frame pickup. Though it should be substantially different from the Frontier PHEV Nissan just unveiled in China. It should arrive by 2028, pending any delays due to Nissan’s ongoing financial difficulties.

1

Telo MT1

Telo MT1 Details

What We Know So Far

The Telo MT1 may be the most distinctive-looking pickup concept in development. The company is promising specs that would be eye-popping in an electric Toyota Tacoma: up to 500 hp, up to 350 miles of range, up to 2,000 lbs of payload, and a starting MSRP of $41,520. It plans to deliver those specs in a vehicle with a footprint the size of a Mini Cooper, while still accommodating a full five-foot bed. We don’t know when it will arrive yet. But there is a prototype truck on the road.