Gary Zhou 
The Tesla Cybertruck is not yet in production, but the electric pickup truck market is already hitting its stride. This became quite evident earlier this month when two all-electric pickups, the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 Lightning, engaged each other in a tug-of-war bout. The results of the match were quite interesting.
Since Ford started its marketing efforts for the F-150 Lightning, the veteran automaker did not hesitate to lean into the F-150’s reputation of toughness. The Lightning is essentially just an electric F-150, a rough and tough pickup truck that’s been a staple on American roads for decades. It then made perfect sense to advertise the Lightning as a true red-blooded pickup that just happens to be electric.
The Rivian R1T, on the other hand, has been marketed more as a lifestyle vehicle that’s perfect for the outdoors. The R1T is incredibly strong and tough — tests of the vehicle on challenging terrain have proven this — but Rivian has generally promoted the R1T as a pickup that can take families anywhere outdoors. Unlike the Lightning, which is a full-size truck, the R1T is also slightly smaller.
There are other key differences between the two all-electric pickup trucks. For one, the F-150 Lightning has two electric motors, while the R1T is fitted with a quad-motor setup. The R1T, while slightly smaller, is also heavier than its Ford-made counterpart. More importantly, the R1T is equipped with all-terrain tires, while the Lightning is fitted with street tires.
The video of the R1T and the F-150 Lightning’s tug-of-war match was shared by electric vehicle fan and advocate Tesla Raj. The two vehicles engaged each other in a couple of matches, and in both rounds, the Rivian R1T humbled its Ford-made counterpart. Footage of the bouts showed the R1T barely breaking a sweat as it pulled the Lightning on the grass.
There are quite a number of factors behind the Rivian R1 T’s win against the Ford F-150 Lightning. The Rivian’s weight definitely played in its favor, and its all-terrain tires definitely gave it far more grip than the Lightning’s street tires on the grass. Had the tug-of-war match been done on the pavement, the Lightning might have performed better. That being said, the R1 T’s match with Ford’s all-electric truck does echo some excitement from years ago, when the Model S P85 started battling and winning against supercars in the quarter-mile.
Watch the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 Lightning’s tug-of-war match in the video below.
