- Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Range
- Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Performance
- Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Towing and Payload Capacity
- Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Price
The Tesla Cybertruck broke the internet in 2019 with its radical and futuristic design, taking the world by storm and launching an endless supply of memes. Inspired by the Lotus Esprit S from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me, Tesla’s all-new pickup appeared ready for an apocalypse and generated 250,000 orders within days of debuting. Just the year before, another California-based EV startup backed by Amazon, Rivian, introduced the beautifully designed R1T electric pickup truck. And in 2020, General Motors revived the Hummer nameplate and unveiled the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, a dominant-looking full-size electric pickup. Flying under the radar in the EV truck segment until now, Ford pulled the wraps off the mighty Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup in 2021, and its trucks are now reaching customers.
Resurrecting a performance badge first used on the 1993 SVT Lightning, Ford did not reinvent the wheel with the electric F-150. Instead it swapped the engine and running gear out of America’s best-selling truck to make room for a newly developed EV platform. Bound to be a game-changer in the industry, here is how the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning stacks up against its soon-to-be electric truck rivals.
Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Range
When equipped with its standard battery, the F-150 Lightning offers 230 miles of travel; opting for the larger extended battery increases the driving range to 300-320 miles, with the lower of those two figures assigned to the feature-laden (read: heavy) Lightning Platinum trim. Also a member of the Big Three, General Motors estimates the GMC Hummer EV will deliver more than 329 miles on a full charge, surpassing the extended-range Lightning pickup by a good chunk, though it’s worth mentioning that because of its sheer size, the Hummer needn’t be EPA tested. GMC’s figure is said to be generated by running the Hummer EV First Edition through the appropriate EPA test cycles, even though it won’t be a figure included on any window sticker.
The Rivian R1T is available with three battery options. For now, customers get to choose between 135 kWh and 180 kWh packs, which have ranges of 314 (EPA-verified) and 400 miles (estimated), respectively. Rivian says a smaller 105-kWh battery with an estimated range of 230 miles or more will be made available at a later date.
Moving on to likely one of the most controversial vehicles of the decade, Tesla’s dystopian Cybertruck gives you a choice of three configurations. A triple-motor, all-wheel-drive setup delivers 500-plus miles of driving range, according to Tesla. What’s more, the dual-motor Cybertruck claims a 300-plus mile range, while the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive variant gets an estimated 250-plus miles. At least, those were the specs offered at the truck’s release; it has since been delayed again and again, and the design has clearly changed in the interim.
Driving Range
- Ford F-150 Lightning: 230-320 miles
- Rivian R1T: 230-400 miles
- GMC Hummer EV: 329 miles
- Tesla Cybertruck: 250-500 miles
Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Performance
Slow trucks are a thing of the past. Powered by three electric motors and relying on a 4WD system, the GMC Hummer EV generates 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque (the torque figure, of course, uses some funny math, which we explain here). According to General Motors, in Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode, the Hummer electric pickup can reach 60 mph from a standstill in a mere 3.0 seconds. In our testing, the humongous EV ripped to 60 mph in that exact time, making it then the quickest pickup truck we’d ever tested, stealing the honors from the Rivian R1T.
The fastest Cybertruck equipped with the tri-motor and all-wheel-drive system is claimed to hit 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. We don’t have Tesla’s official power figures yet but estimate the Cybertruck to produce 690 hp and 824 lb-ft of torque. Or maybe it won’t. We might never know, even though the truck is promised to arrive—finally—next year, it’s already over a year late, so don’t hold your breath.
Meanwhile, Rivian’s R1T uses four electric motors, one per wheel, and comes with standard all-wheel drive. This elegant battery-electric pickup truck is rated at 835 hp and 908 lb-ft of torque (earlier figures had pegged the truck at 750 hp and 829 lb-ft) and rocketed to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds in our testing.
Ford’s all-electric Lightning truck is going to be the quickest F-150 ever built. It features dual motors, standard all-wheel drive, and for the first time, an independent rear suspension. Ford says the F-150 Lightning optioned with the extended battery develops 580 hp (recently adjusted from 563 horsepower) and 775 lb-ft of torque and manages a 0-60 mph run in 4.4 seconds. The standard battery pack delivers the same torque but “only” 452 hp, up from 426 hp. Either way, the F-150 is the most powerful model in the lineup, with the standard-range setup beating the F-150 Raptor by 2 hp (and a ton of torque).
Maximum Power
- Ford F-150 Lightning: 452-580 hp, 775 lb-ft
- Rivian R1T: Up to 835 hp, 908 lb-ft
- GMC Hummer EV: Up to 1,000 hp, 1,045 lb-ft
- Tesla Cybertruck: Up to 690 hp, 824 lb-ft (est. )
Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Towing and Payload Capacity
As for towing and payload specifications, the Ford F-150 Lightning can tow up to 10,000 pounds and has a maximum payload capacity of 2,235 pounds (recently adjusted from 2,000 pounds, and 400 of those pounds can be held in the generous frunk). Should you decide to skip the biggest battery in either the work-focused Ford Lightning Pro or a regular Lightning, towing decreases to 5,000 pounds. But don’t fret because there is an optional Max Trailer Tow package that improves towing to 7,700 pounds.
GM says the Hummer EV can haul 1,300 pounds and tow up to 7,500, while Rivian says that a properly equipped R1T will tow up to 11,000 pounds and have a max payload of 1,760 pounds.
Based on Tesla estimates, the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck can tow 7,500 pounds. A dual-motor model raises towing capability to 10,000 pounds, and the tri-motor offers a whopping 14,000 pounds of towing. The Cybertruck has a payload capacity of 3,350 pounds, and according to Tesla, all three Cybertruck configurations could tow more than their projected estimates, though, again, that is if the Cybertruck exists at all.
Payload and Towing Capacity
- Ford F-150 Lightning: Up to 10,000 lbs towing, 2,235 lbs payload
- Rivian R1T: Up to 11,000 lbs towing, 1,760 lbs payload
- GMC Hummer EV: Up to 7,500 lbs towing, 1,300 lbs payload
- Tesla Cybertruck: Up to 14,000 lbs towing, 3,350 lbs payload (est. )
Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Price
The Tesla Cybertruck is supposed to start at $39,900, but with the EV automaker’s penchant for later raising initial prices—and continually updating them—that window sticker could easily change. The first Cybertruck deliveries were supposed to arrive in late 2021; however, that date has repeatedly pushed back. Most recently, the truck was promised for 2023.
Priced at $79,995, GM’s base model Hummer EV is due in spring 2024. The sold-out Hummer EV Edition 1 starts at $112,595, and went on sale recently. A Rivian R1T equipped with the Explore package and the 314-mile-range battery starts at $68,575, and deliveries have already begun, though Rivian recently changed up its pricing, holding the line at the bottom but swapping in a less-powerful dual-motor setup. The original, quad-motor Rivian R1T now starts at $80,575.
Ford so far is building the most affordable full-size pickup to actually enter the EV space. (If or when Tesla’s production-ready Cybertruck arrives, and if it keeps its moonshot initial pricing, it’d take home that prize—both are big “ifs. “) The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro starts at $41,769, while the nicer and more mainstream F-150 Lightning XLT will start at $54,769. After its unveiling at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, over 44,500 reservations piled up within 48 hours. The all-electric F-150 Lightning truck started arriving in dealers in May 2022.
Pricing
- Ford F-150 Lightning: $41,769 to start
- Rivian R1T: $68,575 to start
- GMC Hummer EV: $79,995 to start
- Tesla Cybertruck: $39,900
This article was originally published on May 26, 2021, and has since been updated to reflect the latest pricing, range, and power figures for the trucks compared.
Keyword: Ford F-150 Lightning vs. Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Cybertruck: Electric Truck Specs Comparison