Here's How the Ford F-150 Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck Stack Up

Newest Competitor

The EV pickup space - which didn't even exist just a couple of years ago - has quickly blossomed into one ripe with competition. Along with the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, and GMC Hummer EV, the Tesla Cybertruck just launched, and will soon be joined by the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. In the meantime, many are wondering just how the F-150 Lightning and Cybertruck stack up, which is precisely what we're taking a much closer look at here. 

Photos: Ford

Powertrains

The Cybertruck is available with three different powertrain setups - rear-wheel-drive single or all-wheel-drive dual and ti-motor setups, with the latter two churning out 600 and 845 horsepower, respectively. In terms of acceleration, Tesla says that these pickups will complete that in 6.5, 4.1, and 2.7 seconds.

The F-150 Lightning, on the other hand, comes with standard all-wheel-drive and two electric motors that churn out either 452 or 580 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque with the standard or extended range battery, respectively, with 0-60 taking around 4.1 seconds for the former and 3.8 for the latter. 

Photos: Tesla

Range

The Tesla Cybertruck's range varies based on which model one opts for, coming in at an estimated 250 miles for the single-motor version, 340 for the dual motor, and 320 for the tri-motor. However, customers can also purchase an optional range extender - a battery that mounts in the bed - and up those numbers to 440 or 470 miles.

The F-150 Lightning, on the other hand, is rated to travel 240 miles on the standard range battery and 320 miles with the extended range in every trim except for the Platinum and its larger wheels, which nets 300 miles of range.

Photos: Ford

Size and Weight

The Cybertruck measures in at 223.7 inches from end to end, 70.5 inches in height, and 86.6 inches wide, with the mirrors folded. That means it's slightly wider than the F-150 Lightning, which is 83.3 inches wide, and quite a bit shorter - nine inches, as a matter of fact, even though both trucks have a six-foot bed, though it seems as if the difference lies in the Cybertruck's stubby front end, which seemingly offers up less frunk space.

In terms of weight, the dual-motor Cybertruck tips the scales at 6,603 pounds, while the tri-motor Cyberbeast weighs 6,843 pounds. As for the F-150 Lightning, it falls right in that range with a curb weight of 6,855 pounds. 

Photos: Tesla

Towing and Hauling

The Cybertruck offers up a max payload rating of 2,500 pounds, which is slightly better than the top configuration of the F-150 Lightning at 2,235 pounds, and it also trumps the Blue Oval pickup in terms of max towing capacity with an 11,000-pound rating versus 10,000 pounds. Interestingly, while both trucks tout a six-foot bed, the Lightning actually comes in at 5.6 inches in length, but is slightly wider than the Cybertruck at 4.2 inches versus four flat. 

Photos: Ford

Pricing

Pricing has been a big sticking point for EV pickups thus far, and the Cybertruck is no exception. Things have changed quite a bit since it was originally announced in 2019, with the base model now starting out at $49,890, followed by the dual-motor at $68,890 and the tri-motor at $96,390.

The F-150 Lightning, on the other hand, starts out at $52,090 for the work-focused Pro, followed by $59,590 for the XLT, $72,090 for the Flash, $79,590 for the Lariat, and $92,090 for the Platinum. However, opting for the extended-range battery on lower trims adds another $10k or so to the bottom line, too. 

Photos: Tesla

Conclusion

Ultimately, it's somewhat surprising just how similar the Cybertruck and F-150 Lightning are in many ways, given how different each model looks, inside and out. Tesla will certainly alienate some customers with the Cybertruck's wild appearance - while also attracting others that love its styling - while the Lightning is far more traditional and very close to its ICE brethren. Once Tesla ramps up Cybertruck production to meet demand, it'll be interesting to see how the two trucks fare in terms of sales, but for now, it's clear that each has its own, unique, target customer. 

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about this comparison right here in the forum.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section of Ford-trucks.com.