Rivian R1T, Cybertruck, and F-150: Comparing Range and Price

Pickup trucks are among the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. Rivian, Tesla, and Ford are bringing new models to consumers, specifically electric pickup trucks. Ford has been in the pickup business for many years and has dominated the category. Tesla has dominated the electric car space and is expanding into the truck segment. Rivian, an electric vehicle startup, will take on both Ford and Tesla. How does Rivian’s R1T pickup compare with Tesla’s Cybertruck and Ford’s F-150 Lightning?

A recent NASA study has warned that climate change might start to impact the global supply of corn and wheat as early as 2030. At the COP26 climate summit, island nations warned that they risk sinking because of climate change. Shifting to electric vehicles can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can slow down rising global temperatures.

In the U.S., the Biden administration wants to accelerate that shift. For example, the administration plans to convert the federal government’s entire vehicle fleet to electric models. The administration aims to ensure that electric vehicles will account for half of all vehicles sold in the country by 2030. For electric vehicle makers, there's a huge demand to meet and the truck segment is particularly lucrative.

The global pickup truck market is forecast to surpass $207 billion by 2026 from $166 billion in 2019. Rivian, Ford, and Tesla have their sights set on this enormous revenue opportunity and the competition is going to be tough. The truck that customers like more will no doubt take the lion’s share of the market.

Rivian has started the deliveries of its R1T pickup. Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Tesla’s Cybertruck are expected to hit the market in 2022. The R1T pickup starts at $68,000 and the base model offers 230 miles of driving range. Rivian’s base truck has payload and towing capabilities of 1,760 pounds and 11,000 pounds, respectively.

Ford’s F-150 Lightning will start at $40,000 and offers 230 miles of range. The base model will have 2,000 pounds of payload and 7,700 pounds of towing capabilities. Tesla’s Cybertruck is also expected to start at $40,000 and offer 250 miles range. The base model is expected to come with 7,500 towing capability.

Rivian enjoys a head start in the electric pickup truck market since it could take months before rivals Ford and Tesla introduce their products on the market. Rivian’s R1T truck also boasts impressive features that could help it capture market share quickly.

The R1T pickup is 217.1 inches long, 81.8 inches wide, and 75.7 inches high. The truck can generate up to 800 horsepower and up to 826 lb-ft torque. It can offer up to 300 miles of drive range. The truck can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in three seconds.

With Rivian posing a tough challenge in the lucrative pickup truck market, Ford is spreading its risks. The automaker has purchased a stake of 12 percent in Rivian, which gives it an opportunity to share in the upstart challenger’s success.

Amazon also owns a stake of 20 percent in Rivian and has tapped it as a strategic partner. Rivian will supply Amazon with thousands of electric vans for the e-commerce giant to use for its delivery operations. Amazon, like many companies, aims to reduce its carbon footprint as part of the efforts to combat climate change.