How The New Affordable Tesla Cybertruck Compares To Its Rivals

With EV powertrains slowly becoming the norm on US roads, more and more manufacturers are trying to retire their ICE-powered vehicles to replace them with either hybrids or full EVs. This has spread to full-size pickup trucks too, with all major truckmakers having set out down this path alongside some new challengers, even if the segment is teetering on the edge of viability. One of the most unique is the Tesla Cybertruck, mainly due to its out-of-this-world styling.

The non-Foundation AWD version of the vehicle recently arrived at a price of $80,000, putting it right in the middle of a close battle for full-size EV truck supremacy. CarBuzz decided to find out how well it stacked up against its closest rivals.

The Tesla Cybertruck Grabbed All The Headlines When It Launched

Tesla arguably began the mass-EV revolution, the American marque blazing a path into the market with models such as the Model S sedan and Model X SUV. Having risen to the forefront of the market courtesy of its car range, it decided to finally take on the pickup truck market. Other brands, such as Ford and Rivian, had already got cracking and beaten Tesla’s model, the Cybertruck, to market.

The vehicle was first revealed in November 2019, wowing drivers around the world with its uniquely angular stainless steel body. It also became world-famous thanks to Tesla vehicle designer Franz von Holzhausen accidentally smashing the prototype’s window as he attempted to test its toughness by throwing a baseball at it, a feature that was a key headline of the launch. Following a long development process, customers finally began receiving their finished Cybertrucks in November 2023, though it wasn’t exactly as first specified.

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The dual-motor AWD and tri-motor Cyberbeast variants were the first to be offered, with the former costing $99,000 due to being the loaded Foundation model. In October 2024, Tesla finally began offering the standard AWD model, which saw the MSRP drop to $79,990. This ensured it was competitive with a range of its rivals, with three of the biggest being the Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat, the Chevrolet Silverado EV LT, and the Rivian R1T Dual.

All Are Priced Very Close To One Another

First things first, let’s get the business of money out of the way. The Tesla AWD’s $79,990 starting MSRP is still the highest of the four trucks explored, with Chevy’s Silverado EV LT being the cheapest. It starts from $73,100, putting it around $3,000 cheaper than anything else outlined here. The Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat and Rivian R1T Dual sit in the middle in terms of cost, with the latter pipping the former at $76,900 compared to $76,995.

The Chevy Comes Out On Top In The Power Stakes

On the face of it, all four trucks seem pretty similar as far as their technical makeup goes. Each comes with a dual-motor powertrain that has all-wheel-drive. Despite being the cheapest of the lot, the Chevrolet comes with the most grunt, with its powertrain affording a beefy 645 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque. The Tesla comes in next with 600 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque, figures that put it well off the back of the Chevy despite its price premium.

The F-150 Lightning completes the podium with 580 hp, though its torque output is the strongest at 775 lb-ft. Bringing up the rear is the Rivian, courtesy of its 533 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque figures, though there is an option for a Max Power battery pack that boosts grunt to 665 hp and torque up to a tire-bursting 829 lb-ft. It does cost $7,000 on top though, which pushes it to being over $10,000 more expensive than the Silverado.

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Given the value for money of the Silverado EV, and the fact it is easily the most powerful and comes a close second in the torque stakes, it takes a comfortable victory when it comes to grunt.

The Cybertruck Rules The Roost When It Comes To Work

While having a good chunk of power is great and all, who cares if your truck can’t also tow a respectable load. On that topic, you also need to ensure you drive correctly to make sure you tow properly. Pickup trucks are built to work, so they need to be able to take a good pounding. From this perspective, the more expensive Cybertruck comes up trumps. While its towing capacity is equal best with the Rivian R1T at 11,000 pounds, it sits well clear of the rest in terms of payload capacity and overall bed size.

The Cybertruck AWD can deal with 2,200 pounds of payload weight, while its sizable bed measures 6.4 feet. The Silverado’s 5.11-foot bed is the second largest of the collection, though its 1,800-pound load capacity stands as one of the weakest. Depending on which aspect matters more to you, the Ford’s smaller 5.5-foot bed but superior 1,800-pound load capacity may be better suited.

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While the Rivian proves to be a handy tool for towing, its bed is lacking from a practical perspective. It’s by far the smallest at just 4.6 feet, and it can only deal with 1,764 pounds of cargo weight. When it comes to work, the Tesla puts itself clear of its rivals.

The Tesla And Rivian Are The Most Efficient Of The Bunch

As far as range goes, the big Chevy has the others licked. It can travel an impressive 408 miles on a single charge, putting it well clear of the Rivian runner-up at 329 miles. The Cybertruck AWD and F-150 Lightning Lariat slot in just behind with expected ranges of 325 and 320 miles respectively. This doesn’t tell the whole story, as the Chevy uses a huge 205 kWh battery, which can hold significantly more energy than its rivals.

The Rivian wades into battle with a 135-kWh battery, while the Ford and Tesla get 131 kWh and 123 kWh, repspectively. As far as efficiency goes, the Tesla and Rivian run each other close. The R1T Dual manages a strong average MPGe – a measurement used instead of MPG like in normal ICE vehicles – of 78 MPGe as per Fuelconomy.gov, which leaves it well clear of the 70 and 68 MPGe ratings achieved by the Ford and Chevy. Tesla doesn’t currently have any official EPA figures, but its range is only four miles inferior to the Rivian despite having a battery 12 kWh smaller, illustrating that it’s that bit more efficient.

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The Silverado Offers Good Value From A Performance Standpoint, But It’s Inferior In Day-to-Day Work

All four full-size EV trucks have their positives and negatives, with the Silverado’s impressively low price and power figures making it a tempting proposition. For those looking to carry out heavy-duty work on a day-to-day basis though, the Tesla is the one to go for, despite it being the most expensive of the quartet. It’s easily the best when it comes to bed size and payload, while it’s also the most efficient. You’ll also get your fair share of looks as you drive around, if that sort of thing does it for you.

Sources: Tesla, Ford, Chevrolet, Rivian, Fuelconomy.gov.