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An EV startup that centers on early adopters and ethical consumerism sure sounds like a Tesla sales pitch from ten years ago. However, here we are in 2026 with Tesla CEO Elon Musk inventing new ways to send the Tesla brand<\/a> scurrying over to the Dark Side<\/a>. That leaves plenty of room for other EV makers to fill in the gap, with a particular focus on the electric pickup truck void left in the wake of the Tesla Cybertruck flop<\/a>.<\/p>\n Musk killed Tesla\u2019s stab at pickup truck fame, but pickups remain among the top selling cars in the US, electric or not. At least three US startups \u2014 Rivian<\/a>, Slate Auto<\/a>, and Telo Trucks<\/a> \u2014 are depending on pickup trucks to help sustain the vehicle electrification movement past the rough patch of the Trump years. If the Cybertruck was a real pickup truck that offered real value to ethics-oriented car buyers, that market would be a tough nut for a newcomer to crack. Fortunately for the competition, the Cybertruck failed to fulfill its promise.<\/p>\n The Scout Motors<\/a> branch of Volvo is also in play, though the company reports that most of its reservations ask for a gas-powered range extender for its electric truck. In addition, Ford Motor Company is still pitching its forthcoming mid-sized, F1-influenced<\/a> electric pickup truck to help pick up the EV ball it dropped last fall, aiming to compete on cost against Tesla and other EV makers, and gasmobiles, too.<\/p>\n Now here comes the Massachusetts startup 1854 Motors<\/a> to pick up where Tesla left off. CEO and founder Brandale D. Randolph emailed CleanTechnica<\/em> last week with a reminder that his company is banking on sodium-ion batteries to release EVs from the ethical and environmental complications of the cobalt supply chain.<\/p>\n Sodium (chemical symbol Na) \u201csalt batteries\u201d have a safety advantage over the familiar lithium-ion formula, and they avoid the fraught supply chains that tie Li-ion batteries to conflict zones and human rights abuses overseas, particularly in regards to cobalt (see more sodium-ion background here<\/a>).<\/p>\n Sodium-ion initially emerged as an alternative for stationary Li-ion battery arrays. Earlier this year, China became first out of the box to introduce an Na-ion passenger car<\/a>, which is scheduled for production later this year. 1854 aims to be the first US automaker to introduce the technology to the domestic market.<\/p>\n \u201cWe target \u2018Cultural Architects,\u2019 socially conscious early adopters<\/a> who value authenticity, environmental justice, and ethical supply chains over corporate marketing,\u201d the company explains on its website.<\/p>\n \u201cThese consumers have become disillusioned with Tesla due to ethical concerns,\u201d 1854 adds. \u201cThey\u2019re looking for a company that represents their values, not just their aspirations.\u201d<\/p>\n In his email, Randolph indicated that a Series A round of funding is in progress. If all goes according to plan, 1854\u2019s forthcoming \u201cPierce\u201d electric pickup truck will serve as a sort of friendly Trojan Horse, proving that the technology works at scale in order to support a broader licensing program for both mobility and stationary applications.<\/p>\n \u201cVehicle applications provide real-world validation that pure-play battery companies cannot achieve. This creates licensing opportunities and expansion potential while building brand credibility with consumers who value ethical technology choices,\u201d 1854 explains, citing a list of advantages compared to Li-ion batteries:<\/p>\n 88% capacity retention at -20\u00b0C (versus 55-70% for lithium-ion competitors)<\/em><\/p>\n 300-mile range with less than 15-minute fast charging<\/em><\/p>\n 10,000+ cycle life, providing 7x longer battery lifespan than lithium-ion<\/em><\/p>\n Complete elimination of cobalt and lithium extraction, removing child labor from our supply chain<\/em><\/p>\n 35-40% lower COGS per vehicle ($10,800 additional gross profit per vehicle versus lithium-ion competitors).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n And, here\u2019s where it gets interesting. BMW and several other global automakers have been zeroing in on cold climate markets to pitch zero-emission fuel cells as a higher-performing alternative<\/a> to Li-ion batteries. 1854 has spotted a similar opportunity for Na-ion batteries in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not positioning our own sodium ion battery technology as a replacement for lithium-ion. We\u2019re positioning it as the dominant technology for cold-climate markets representing 60% of the US population,\u201d 1854 emphasizes. \u201cMinnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the Northeast represent a $214 billion addressable market for EVs specifically designed for winter performance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pierce is our entry vehicle\u2014a purpose-built electric pickup truck designed for cold-weather superiority and ethical construction,\u201d the company elaborates.<\/p>\n As for what the Pierce will look like, that remains to be seen. Although, the AI-generated images on 1854\u2019s website indicate that the company has drawn on the 1987 Chevrolet El Camino utility vehicle for inspiration. Chevy introduced the \u201cElky\u201d in 1958 complete with Batmobile styling, a design approach that it shed to arrive at the model\u2019s final iteration in 1987. As depicted by 1854, the Pierce has the sleek silhouette of a sedan with a hint of muscle car along the sides and wheels, effectively screening an open truck bed in the rear.<\/p>\n The Cybertruck is also a sort of sedan-with-a-truck-bed, but Tesla and 1854 have adopted two significantly different takes. The Cybertruck is often compared to a garbage bin on wheels, while 1854 opted for an eye-appealing retro vibe, upstyling a quirky car from the 1980s alongside a lookback name evoking the innovative US automaker Pierce-Arrow<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Musk\u2019s pursuit of the testosterone market ended in disaster. The uber-macho styling of the Cybertruck made some sense in terms of the pickup truck market as a whole, which skews largely male. In addition, selling EVs to women<\/a> has always been a notoriously tough row for automakers to hoe. Somehow, though, Musk managed to miss the low-hanging fruit. The Cybertruck quickly suffered an Edsel-worthy sales crash<\/a> from which it will never recover.<\/p>\n Somewhat ironically, an S&P survey from 2023 indicates that the Tesla Model Y has had more success in closing the gender gap than other EVs, but that ship has sailed. Sales of the Model Y<\/a> were already on shaky ground in the US and other markets leading into last year, largely attributed to Musk\u2019s right-wing politics and his role as Trump\u2019s Chopper-in-Chief.<\/p>\n Revelations regarding Musk\u2019s connection to the Epstein scandal<\/a> didn\u2019t help win hearts and minds among female drivers last year, and this year started off with a bang as additional Epstein-related documents<\/a> surfaced alongside a whole new can of worms opened up by another Musk venture, xAI, and its Grok chatbot.<\/p>\n The stage was set for trouble in December, when Musk\u2019s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) introduced a new editing feature enabling users to command Grok to digitally undress images of real people, mainly women along with tens of thousands of children.<\/p>\n The feature came to widespread media attention in January. Authorities in Europe have already called Musk to account in court<\/a> for the images. Now the chickens have come home to roost in the US as well. On February 19, three Democratic members in the House of Representatives, Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), released a letter to Elon Musk<\/a> in his capacity as CEO of xAI, demanding an explanation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Committee leaders wrote that many images created using the Edit Image feature appear to qualify as the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and Child Sexual Abuse Material<\/a> (CSAM),\u201d the three lawmakers explained in a press statement.<\/p>\n \u201cSince the company\u2019s Edit Image feature was launched in December 2025, it has been widely weaponized as a \u2018nudification tool\u2019 to digitally alter and post nonconsensual sexualized images of people at an alarming rate,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n As for whether or not Musk will explain himself, xAI, or both, we\u2019ll soon know. The lawmakers are expecting an answer to their questions by March 5.<\/p>\n Image: The US startup 1854 Motors aims to be the first domestic automaker to introduce sodium-ion batteries in a full sized EV, beginning with the Pierce pickup truck (screenshot; AI-generated image courtesy of 1854 Motors).<\/em><\/p>\n <\/strong> Sign up for CleanTechnica’s Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott’s in-depth analyses and high level summaries<\/a>, sign up for our daily newsletter<\/a>, and follow us on Google News<\/a>!<\/em> <\/p>\n Advertisement <\/p>\n Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here<\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n Sign up for our daily newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day<\/a>. Or sign up for our weekly one on top stories of the week<\/a> if daily is too frequent.<\/em> <\/p>\n [embedded content] <\/p>\n CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here<\/a>.<\/span><\/em> <\/p>\n CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy<\/a><\/em><\/b><\/p>\n <\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" … and several other global automakers<\/span> have been zeroing in on … name evoking the innovative US automaker<\/span> Pierce-Arrow. Meanwhile, Musk … a notoriously tough row for automakers<\/span> to hoe. Somehow, though, … to be the first domestic automaker<\/span> to introduce sodium-ion …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97210\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Filling The Electric Pickup Truck Gap<\/h3>\n
Cultural Architects And Trojan Horses<\/h3>\n
A New Cold-Weather EV<\/h3>\n
An Electric Truck That Looks Like A Car, Not A Garbage Bin<\/h3>\n
Support CleanTechnica via Kickstarter<\/h4>\n
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