Atlis announces plans for XT electric pickup with 500 miles of range

Startup Atlis Motor Vehicles is planning to launch an all-electric pickup truck called the XT. The company's ambitious plan is for the truck to have up to 500 miles of driving range, up to 35,000 pounds of towing ability and even a duallie setup.

The Atlis XT is positioned as a rival to tough work trucks such as the Ford F-250, with Atlis saying its truck is a little more utility-focused than the Rivian R1T, an all-electric truck shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Air suspension will allow the truck to offer 12 inches of ground clearance, or 15 inches with an optional off-road suspension, and it'll be offered with a fifth-wheel gooseneck hitch for hauling heavy trailers.

Beneath the surface, the XT rides on Atlis's XP Platform, which is basically a skateboard-like chassis with a massive battery pack and an electric motor at each wheel -- similar to Rivian's R1T chassis. The truck will be offered with battery capacities giving driving ranges of 300, 400 or 500 miles of range on a charge, though Atlis has so far not yet offered up specifics on the battery type or kilowatt-hour rating.

Nor have any horsepower or torque figures been announced. Still, Atlis says acceleration to 60 miles per hour is said to take under 5 seconds, with the truck's top speed pegged at 120 mph. Depending on the model, tow and payload ratings will vary significantly. The former will range from 5,000 to 20,000 pounds with traditional hitch towing, and 10,000 to 35,000 pounds with the fifth-wheel setup. Payload capacities range from 1,000 to 5,000 pounds.

Visually, the Atlis XT is a slick, modern truck with a tough, beefy stance. It sits high on its big, knobbly tires, and cues like protruding recovery hooks hint at its utility. There's a "frunk" storage area where a traditional truck's engine would reside, and various exposed cameras and sensors for the promised Level 1 driver-assist features such as adaptive cruise control. Inside the cabin, a giant touchscreen infotainment system supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The truck also lacks real side-view mirrors, instead using cameras and screens.

Atlis says it plans to develop its own high-speed chargers and charging network. The reason, Atlis says, is that today's charge points won't easily accommodate a truck towing a trailer. The chargers will apparently be able to deliver a full charge for the truck in just 15 minutes -- a bold claim not, so far, backed up by charge-rate numbers.

Pricing for the truck is expected to start from $45,000, before any applicable tax credits or rebates. But Atlis is also considering a subscription model called the Atlis Subscriber Club. Members would get a new vehicle every three, five or seven years, depending on subscription. Atlis would cover insurance, maintenance and charging posts, and prices would start at $700 per month.

Atlis isn't ready to launch the XT truck just yet, however. The company is currently attempting to raise $1 million so it can build a working prototype of the XT. We'll have to keep tabs on Atlis over the coming months to see whether that comes to fruition.