Dear IanB:
--I want to thank you for your helpful post. It has help me to clarify my thinking, and I do understand and agree with most of your attitude. Specifically, my interest in an "All Electric Pickup Truck" it to get rid of all the compromises and design restraints that result from using an envelope that was originally designed to accommodate a fueled vehicle, as has been the practice for, lo these many years. An all electric vehicle (car or truck) need not necessarily have a big long snout where the fueled power plant used to go. For a long time the "Horseless Carriage" looked a lot like a horse carriage, with no horse and a steam, gas or electric engine sitting on top. I would like to quantum jump this stage in the design process. Doing away with unnecessary design restraints, gives the engineer and or designer more freedom.
--As for an "All Electric" whatever; that is a rather more general question than I am prepared to answer. Space and time limitations being what they are.
--As to whether or not it is sensible, I share your perspective as to its dubiousness. Nonetheless, you may have noticed that there is quite a bit of market activity in this area lately. Even though most of this activity is admittedly driven by the government and the Eco-Rangers. Sensible or not it it taking place. And, arguably there are some legitimate uses of quiet vehicles with no tail pipe emissions (yes, we know there will be emissions, if the power plant burns fossil fuels).
--Now, I can see no sane reason to suppose that everyone will be using electric vehicles anytime soon. But, I will assume your senario arguendo. My answer would be the Traveling Wave Thorium Reactor, or if we are lucky perhaps one the Fusion technologies will prove useful. But I am as truly as ignorant as the next fellow with regard to prognostication and prophecy.
"He was born ignorant, and has been losing ground ever since." Fred Allen
Best Regards
Clear Ether