Tesla's long-promised truck is here—in "Alpha" prototype form, anyway—and it looks like nothing we've ever seen before. The Cybertruck's diamond-like profile, pinched front-end, and stainless steel sheetmetal defy all kinds of truck convention. It's radically different to what will no doubt be one of its main competitors in the electric truck space, the Rivian R1T. But the differences don't stop at the looks, and there is a lot that separates the EV veterans at Tesla from the new kids on the block at Rivian.

Even though neither has hit production yet, these two trucks represent a fascinating step forward for what is an ever-changing class of vehicle. As the truck industry continues to grow, these two all-electric trucks prove the pickup isn't going anywhere. But the engineers in Plymouth, Michigan and Palo Alto, California will no doubt have different ideas of how to build an electric pickup, so let's check out the biggest differences between the Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck.

Overall Utility

Though they look radically different from each other, the R1T and Cybertruck will eventually have the same job; that is, towing, hauling, and generally making the lives of their owners as convenient as possible. Part of that utility is overall size, and the Tesla is notably bigger than the Rivian—more than a foot longer overall, most of which is in the wheelbase. The Cybertruck is 230.9 inches long and sports a 149.9-inch wheelbase with a 6.5-foot-long, 57-inch-wide bed out back. The Rivian is 217.1 inches long overall and has a 135.8 in wheelbase with a 4.5 foot-long bed behind it.

No word on the interior volume of either, but both will be crew cabs with four doors and both will have handy front trunks or "frunks," as we've come to call them. The R1T will have a unique cargo hold between the bed and rear seats, while the Cybertruck counters back with a Honda Ridgeline-style trunk. Rivian has confirmed that its base architecture isn't shrinkable and that it has no plans for any other cab configurations. The Cybertruck is unlikely to come in any other cab or bed configurations.

The towing specification for both trucks has yet to be finalized, but Tesla says the Cybertruck should be able to tow a maximum of 14,000 pounds and Rivian estimates the R1T will have a max tow capacity of 11,000 pounds. Max payload capacities for the Rivian and Tesla are a claimed 1,760 pounds and 3,350 pounds, respectively.

What About All That Electricity?

Range is going to be a consideration regardless of how capable your truck or well-endowed your battery is. Rivian estimates the top-of-the-line R1T with its 180 kW-hr battery on board will get up to 400 miles of range. The smallest, 105 kW-hr battery car will get a claimed 230 miles of range. Cybertruck buyers will get to pick from a number of battery and powertrain options, too, and the Cybertruck will end up getting a Tesla-estimated range between 250 and 500 miles. Neither Tesla nor Rivian have had their claimed ranges verified by the EPA yet.

Rivians will use a combined charge system charge port and can support up to a 160 Kw charger. Rivian says even the 180 kW-hr truck will be able to charge from five to 80 percent in about 50 minutes. No word on the charge times for the Tesla, but Tesla's V3 Superchargers with the 250kW peak output are mighty fast. In MotorTrend testing, the V3 Supercharger charged a compatible Model 3 from 5 to 90 percent in 37 minutes. While charge times will vary based on the size of your truck's battery, it's still a promising number, and likely a major determining factor when buying a truck like this.

Performance

Tesla is using the "Raven" powertrain for the Cybertruck, and that's essentially the biggest motor you can get in a Model 3 stuffed up front, and a Model S performance motor on the rear axle. MotorTrend estimates that powertrain will make around 690 hp and 824 lb-ft of torque, but Tesla said that the Cybertruck will be ready for Tesla's eventual Plaid powertrain—the same setup in the Model S that's currently running around the Nürburgring and giving the Porsche Taycan's record a hard time.

Rivian's estimates for the top-of-the-line R1T are "up to 750 hp" though we don't know what "up to" could entail in practice. Each of the Rivian's four motors are controlled independently at each wheel and are there to provide the massive traction necessary to catapult the heavy truck to 60 so quickly. They also list 829 lb-ft of torque without the "up to" caveat. Rivian claims less than three seconds to 60 mph, and at the reveal Elon Musk claimed Cybertruck will hit that speed in 2.9 seconds. That was backed up by video of it defeating a Porsche 911 in a roll race. It is a Tesla, after all.

For a little context, the quickest truck MotorTrend has ever tested was the 2008 Toyota TRD Supercharged and got to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.

But what about when the road disappears altogether? Tesla has said they are designing the Cybertruck with off-road use in mind, with Musk's time in South Africa on rutted and dirt roads partly informing that decision. To that end, the Cybertruck has AWD, sits on air suspension that's able to radically change the ride height of the truck—there to give it better approach angles when the going gets rocky, among other things. The R1T and its four, independently controlled motors are also suited for off roading. The Rivian also wears knobby, off-road ready looking tires, and Rivian says it has approach and departure angles of 34 and 30 degrees, respectively, and wade into waters up to three feet high. No word on the Cybertruck's off-road specifics at the moment, but we think they'll look similar to the Rivian's.

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