How the Ford F-150 Lightning stacks up against the electric Rivian and Hummer trucks

San Antonio – Ford Motor The new F-150 Lightning is an electric pickup truck. This might sound obvious since it looks like a truck and has electric motors and a battery pack instead of a motor, but it has to be said.

why? Because successful battery-powered pickup is a critical step in the electric vehicle transition, for Ford and the industry in general.

While the industry leader Tesla Prove that consumers will buy electric cars and Rivian Cars Showing that there is demand for electric lifestyle vehicles, the F-150 is the most significant test yet of whether electric vehicles can transition from compliance vehicles and specialty trucks to a product that attracts more mainstream buyers.

Although the electric pickup market is still largely unproven, it will be important for investors to watch in the coming years. Trucks have traditionally enjoyed large profit margins and account for about 20% of vehicles sold in the United States, according to automotive intelligence firm Edmonds.

LMC Automotive expects the electric pickup market in the US to increase from about 25,000 vehicles this year to a million or so by 2030. It is expected that there will be five electric pickup models available on the market this year, and that is expected to jump to 21 Over the next year held.

The Ford F-150 Lightning is the first conventional electric pickup truck. It’s not a GMC Hummer EV Super Truck. It’s not a Tesla “Cybertruck”. It is not an “adventure vehicle” Rivian R1T. It’s an electrified pickup truck.

The F-150 Lightning’s features are similar to the Hummer EV and Rivian R1T, but these pickup trucks—the only ones currently sold in the United States—were not created equal. Drive the three differently, and will appeal to different buyers once sales move from early adopters to more general and curious buyers of electric vehicles.

The Lightning lives up to the F-150 name in both function and form, serving as a bridge between a traditional pickup that people know and a new EV. He. She It shares many of its design and parts With its traditional siblings, apart from the motors, some design tweaks and the optional 15.5-inch control screen.

It’s also priced like a traditional pickup, ranging from around $40K to over $90K. That’s similar to Ford’s current line of four-door pickup trucks and is in line with average prices of about $61,000 for a full-size pickup, according to Cox Automotive.

Ford was uniquely positioned to bring it to market. The F-Series lineup, including the F-150, was The best selling car in America for 40 years and the top truck for 45 years.

The company set out to make an electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, and they succeeded. The car functions as a full-size truck. But electrification brings the additional benefits of essentially instantaneous torque, and increased storage through a massive front trunk, or “frunk,“Where the engine is traditional – and removes the burden of having to fill up on gas.

Lightning engines are like the F-150, which is not a bad thing. Ford and other automakers have increasingly converted pickup trucks from tough work trucks to comfortable vehicles capable of navigating smoothly on and off-road.

A large car battery provides a better ride, as it keeps the car more stable and provides a weight ratio closer to 50-50 for better balance. Moreover, it provides an even towing experience because electric vehicles do not require transmission changes, which are especially noticeable when towing goods.

While the Lightning is capable of climbing hills or even some rough terrain, it’s no match for a Hummer or R1T in that respect — but that’s by design. This is a truck intended for ordinary buyers, not a specialized segment. Ford may at some point offer such a tougher car, but that’s not the case.

The F-150 Lightning has 580 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque. Consumer models with a high-end 131kWh battery start around $72,500 and have a range of 320 miles on a single charge. Its towing capacity is 10,000 pounds – between the capacity of a Hummer and an R1T. Vehicles with smaller batteries, with a range of 230 miles, are less expensive but also provide lower performance.

One of Lightning’s unique advantages over the Hummer and the R1T is its ability to generate onboard power. Ford loaded the car with outlets and a two-way charging system that can power a job site or home in the event of a power outage for up to 10 days, depending on energy use.

Ford began shipping the F-150 Lightning earlier this month to a select group of fleet buyers and More than 200,000 booking owners. The company has not announced when it will reopen its order bank, as it plans to increase production to 150,000 vehicles by mid-2023.

The Rivian R1T It has little first-mover advantage in the electric pickup truck market; Production started last fall but is slowly increasing. The R1T is capable of both performance and off-roading, going from 0 to 60 mph in about three seconds like a sports car, but it can climb big rocks or hills like a Jeep SUV.

Its interior and exterior, with vegan leather and real wood, is more elegant like a Tesla than an off-roader. It’s also a much smaller car—in fact, about 16 inches shorter—than the F-150 Lightning, which makes it more comparable to the Ford Ranger or Jeep Gladiator.

This talks about how Rivian presents its products as “adventure vehicles”. It’s how Jeep has described its SUV for years, making the Rivian even more of a threat to Stilants The SUV brand of the F-150.

For now, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe agrees, telling CNBC during a recent interview that the three pickup trucks are “completely different products.” He said the shopping spree between the Rivian R1T and Hummer and the F-150 is very low: “Obviously the aim and objectives are different.”

Edmunds reports that shoppers search the R1T more often compared to a Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover and other electric vehicles, rather than other pickups.

However, Scaringe has hinted at plans for a full suite of vehicles in the Rivian, which could theoretically include a larger truck.

Starting prices for the R1T range from $67,500 to $85,000. The cars currently available have a range of 314 miles on a single charge with a “big” 128.9 kWh battery. The high-performance versions with four engines combine to produce 835 horsepower and 908 pound-feet of torque. The vehicle can tow up to 11,000 pounds – an important measure for many pickup owners.

There’s a reason General Motors is reviving Hummer, the brand popular in the ’90s and 2000s for its hyper-fueled vehicles. Whether you love Hammers or hate them, you know them. This means that GM has brand awareness as long as the new EV stays true to the brand, and it does.

The Hummer E pickup looks like a modernized version of its offspring. He’s big, glowing, and very capable.

Instead of consuming gases, it drains a lot of energy. The electric Hummer is said to be the least efficient electric truck of the three at 47 mpg, which is an electric vehicle’s miles-per-gallon range. compare to 70 MP for both R1T and F-150 Lightning. But again, it’s a Hummer, so what did you expect?

The Hummer’s off-road capability also stands out compared to the other two trucks, which helps explain its lower efficiency and 9,000-pound weight.

This Hummer can easily climb rocks, proving a smooth experience on the road and exceptional hands-free highway driving with GM Super Cruise System. It also features removable roof panels that can fit in the trunk of the car and several other special and hidden features, including a “crab walk” mode and faster charging than other trucks.

General Motors threw all it had and more at the Hummer in terms of off-road and performance parts. Its starting price of $110,000 is proof of that, ahead of lower-priced variants expected in the coming years that could start at $79,995.

The current high-end Hummer, despite its weight, can achieve 0-60 mph in about three seconds “Whats to Freedom” or “WTF” mode. It’s capable of up to 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of engine torque. It has a range on a single charge of 329 miles with a 212.7-kWh battery (of which 205 is usable, GM says). It can tow up to 7,500 pounds, which is the lowest lift of the three electric trucks.

Unlike the Rivian pickup truck, Edmunds reports some notable cross-shopping between the electric Hummer and its less ruthless competitors. Buyers interested in Hummers look to the R1T and Lightning for comparison more than any other models.

However, this crossover still accounts for only about 9% of those truck seekers.