Here’s How the Electric Ford F-150 Compares to the Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T
At least two of these vehicles have a production timeline.
Ford just unveiled the first mass-market, fully-electric, full-sized pickup: the F-150 Lightning. Seeing as full-size pickups are the most popular vehicles in America, the move makes total sense.
With its release, Ford provided a bunch of the vehicle's specs to us, so we're finally able to compare it to some other EV pickups that also aren't for sale yet. At least two of them have production timelines, though. The third, well...
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
- Price: $39,974 base trim | $52,974 XLT trim (without destination)
- Horsepower: 426 standard battery | 563 extended range battery
- Torque: 775 lb-ft of torque (both trims)
- Dimensions: 232.7 inches long x 80 inches wide x 78.9 inches high
- Max Towing: 7,700 pounds standard battery | 10,000 pounds extended range battery
- Max Payload: 2,000 pounds standard battery | 1,800 pounds extended range battery
- Battery: TBA for both trims
- Range: 230 standard battery | 300 extended range battery (targeted EPA-estimated range)
2022 Rivian R1T
- Price: $67,500 base trim (without destination) | TBA mid-trim | TBA top trim
- Horsepower: 402 for 105 kWh (not yet for sale) | 800+ for 135 kWh | 800+ 180 kWh
- Torque: 413 lb-ft for 105 kWh (not yet for sale) | 826 for 135 and 180 kWh
- Dimensions: 217.1 inches long x 81.8 inches wide x 75.7 inches high
- Max Towing: 11,000 pounds
- Max Payload: 1,764 pounds
- Battery: TBA
- Range: 230+ for 105 kWh (not yet for sale) | 300+ for 135 kWh | 400+ for 180 kWh (all claimed)
Tesla Cybertruck
- Price: $39,900 base trim (claimed)
- Horsepower: TBA
- Torque: TBA
- Dimensions: 231.7 inches long x 79.8 inches wide x 75 inches high (per CNET)
- Max Towing: 7,500 pounds base | 14,000 pounds max (claimed)
- Max Payload: TBA
- Battery: TBA
- Range: 250+ base (claimed) | 500+ max (claimed)
Ford is one of the few companies making an EV truck to publish precise specifications. Rivian's specifications are nowhere near as detailed. There appears to only be one Tesla Cybertruck as far as we know, and the claims made on Tesla's website are sparse, to say the least. There is no known release date for the Cybertruck yet, while the Ford is claimed to arrive in the spring of 2022. Rivian deliveries are set to begin as early as June of this year, with a January date more likely.
Really, this is a two-horse race between the Rivian R1T and the F-150. Based on price alone, the Ford might possibly move more units. The Lightning's base price of just $39,794 before incentives is extremely attractive for an EV, especially a full-sized pickup. The torque rating is also excellent, as is the payload and horsepower for both trims. The range is lacking slightly in the base trim at an estimated 230 miles, although it's likely a conservative number based to what we've seen with EVs from Ford and other OEMs. The extended range of 300 estimated miles is solid, however. Ford did not specify how much more the extended-range drivetrain would cost, although it's available as an option on the base model.
The Rivian has the same range for its higher price tag and is positioned as a more luxurious vehicle. The top trim R1T is claimed to have 800+ horsepower, and the truck is available with 22-inch wheels. The F-150 Lightning will be offered in a Platinum trim with a slew of luxury features, but those pricing details aren't available yet.
The Cybertruck is not really comparable here until more precise specifications for the production models are released. It would be nice to make an honest comparison, but we only have the prototype to work off of, however. A model that's closer to production-spec has yet to be seen.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: peter@thedrive.com
Correction on May 20, 2021 at 4:10 p.m. ET: This article previously listed different dimensions and pricing for the Rivian R1T; however, they have since been updated to reflect the automaker’s most recent claims.
