Comparison of the Tesla Cybertruck and the Rivian R1T, Including Important Facts
The Tesla Cybertruck is an all-electric, zero-emission truck modeled after the Tesla Semi. It has a range of up to 300 miles on a single charge and can travel without stopping for fuel. It has a battery capacity of one hundred kilowatt hours (kWh), and there is no risk that it will run out of power in real-world conditions where it will be used.
At Los Angeles Auto Show from 2018, which took place in November, Rivian was the first company to unveil an electric truck. The R1T pickup and R1S SUV, which share the same platform, were revealed as the startup’s initial cars. However, because of the pandemic, the presentation date had to be moved back by one year.
Every brand-new Rivian vehicle will come equipped with Driving+, the company’s exclusive driver assistance system. It can obtain software upgrades and bug fixes remotely via over-the-air transmissions in a manner analogous to those of comparable systems that came before it.
Since the company introduced the Model 3 in the middle of 2017, the new Tesla truck has been the most significant addition to the company’s product selection. The electric semi-truck produced by this company will go up against the Rivian R1T and other premium vehicles produced by Daimler AG and Volvo AB.
The body panels of the Tesla Cybertruck are comprised of cold-rolled stainless steel. Because of its greater density in comparison to steel or aluminum, it is more difficult to manipulate.
The body of the Rivian R1T is constructed of aluminum and carbon fiber, while the vehicle’s chassis is made of high-strength steel. Its more lightweight construction helps compensate for the car’s battery pack’s weight, which increases the model’s overall power.
DESIGN
Even though these two pickups share some similarities — the most evident of which is that they are both electric — the design language of these two trucks couldn’t be more different from one another. Despite its unconventional headlamp design, the Rivian R1T attempts to maintain the shape of a conventional pickup truck. In the meanwhile, the Cybertruck eschews traditional design conventions in favor of a cyberpunk and science fiction appearance.
The Cybertruck, let’s face it, has more angles than a geometry class does. Elon Musk wasn’t kidding around when he warned that the design would not be to everyone’s liking when he described it as looking like the offspring of an F-117 Nighthawk and a DeLorean.
As can be seen, the two electric trucks are diametrically opposed to one another in every conceivable way. Even though people’s early responses to the Cybertruck were somewhat contradictory, the vehicle’s design is gradually beginning to win people over.
The Cybertruck is not only intended to be durable, but it also lives up to its intimidating appearance.
On top of that is the notorious Tesla Armor Glass that Tesla offers. The Tesla Cybertruck is virtually indistinguishable from a bulletproof tank.
On the other hand, the Rivian R1T uses a more conventional aluminum chassis. This is not inherently a negative thing, and it should function adequately in the vast majority of applications. Because it is difficult to paint the body of the Cybertruck, you will most likely have to wrap it to make it look presentable. One could argue that the aluminum body is more adaptable.
Moving on to the cabin, none of the electric pickups attempt to recreate the feel of an old-fashioned or traditional pickup truck. These are not your typical legacy OEM interiors, typically covered in knobs, buttons, and dials all over the place. Instead, these futuristic interiors feature clean lines and plenty of technology.
Specifications
At this point in time, the Cybertruck outperforms the R1T in every significant metric. This is despite the fact that it appears that both of these bad boys will be able to handle anything (and anything) that the casual owner will throw at it.
The Cybertruck has a higher maximum payload (3,500 pounds compared to 1,750 pounds), higher ground clearance (16 inches compared to 14 inches), a longer trunk bed (6.5 feet compared to 4.5 feet), and even more so, the tri-motor version of the Cybertruck has a considerably higher maximum towing rating. This is speaking strictly from the perspective of a pickup truck (14,000 lbs. vs. 11,000 lbs.). However, the single-motor (7,500 lbs) and dual-motor (10,000 lbs) versions both have lesser towing ratings, even though all Rivian R1T models have the same maximum towing capability of 11,000 lbs.
The maximum speed of the R1T is 125 miles per hour, making it faster than the single-motor and dual-motor Cybertrucks but slower than the tri-motor version’s top speed of 130 miles per hour. However, this top speed is shared by all of the R1varied T configurations.
Compared to its Rivian counterpart, the Cybertruck’s range either outperforms or is on par with its Rivian counterpart (250 mi vs. 230 mi, 500 mi vs. 400 mi). The 0-60 times are more fascinating because both the single-motor and dual-motor Cybertrucks are outpaced by their Rivian equivalents notes(6.5 sec vs. 4.9 sec as well as 4.5 sec vs. 3.0 sec). However, the Cybertruck with three motors is significantly faster than even the most powerful R1T, making it the best choice for speed overall. It is interesting to see that the R1T with the middle battery is the quickest of the three, despite being the one with the highest price tag.
The charge rate of the R1T is 160 kW, whereas it is believed that the Cybertruck will have a charge rate of at least 250 kW when it is released. This gives the Cybertruck an advantage over the R1T in terms of charging speed.
Features
The Cybertruck and the R1T have their own qualities that undoubtedly set them apart from one another. People who deal with power tools will find increased utility in the Cybertruck due to its unique and interesting features. As an illustration, it comes equipped with power outlets of 110V and 220V in addition to an air compressor. It would appear that blue-collar workers, in addition to the typical Tesla enthusiast, are interested in Tesla. The Cybertruck has a “vault” that can lock the truck bed, while the Rivian has a “gear tunnel” that will easily fit upon your skis for a trip to Aspen. Both trucks come with various storage capabilities, but the Cybertruck has a “vault” that can lock the truck bed.
Both companies have come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial to those who appreciate the camping lifestyle to display their electric trucks. The Rivian team has converted a portion of their gear tunnel into what is essentially a kitchenette. During the unveiling, Tesla also displayed a camping version of the Cybertruck, including a kitchen and a tent. However, this version of the Cybertruck seemed to occupy the lower portion of the bed rather than taking up space in a gear tunnel.
When discussing distinctive characteristics, it is impossible to avoid mentioning the Full-Self Driving option that Tesla offers. In recent times, Tesla’s Autopilot has been receiving regular software updates. And so as time goes on, it will become difficult to envision how much more advanced it is to become by the time the Cybertruck starts making deliveries, which is most likely going to be in the year 2021.
Price
If you aren’t surprised by the appearance of the Tesla Cybertruck, then the significant price gap between the two vehicles will certainly come as a surprise to you (in a good way).
Rivian previously indicated that their base 105 kWh, 230-mile range R1T would start at roughly $69,000. However, the price was later changed to reflect the new pricing structure. Rivian recently said that the price of $69,000 would be sufficient for their middle-tier R1T model, which has 135 kWh of battery capacity and a range of 300 miles. At this point, we are unaware of the specific pricing for their base model, nor do we have any idea how much more expensive their most advanced version will be.
In any case, Rivian would have to reduce the cost of their R1T quite a little in order to compete with the starting price of the entry-level Cybertruck, which is $39,900. This is because the base price of the Cybertruck is higher. Even considering the electric vehicle tax credit of $7,500, for which Tesla is no longer qualified, the base model of the R1T would have to begin selling for less than $50,000 to compete with the Cybertruck.
There is a difference of over $20,000 between the two options as a result of this. In addition, the tri-motor will have a starting price of $69,990, which is approximately the same as the price of the mid-tier R1T (before the application of any tax credits), but it will have performance that is superior to that of Rivian’s highest-tier model.
It would appear that Rivian will have no choice but to rely on its more conventional design in order to win over customers. When one only considers the cost, there is virtually no justification for someone to go with the R1T rather than the Cybertruck.
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