The Tesla Cybertruck broke the internet in 2019 with its radical and futuristic design, taking the world by storm and launching an endless supply of memes. Inspired by the Lotus Esprit S from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me, Tesla’s all-new pickup appeared ready for an apocalypse and generated 250,000 orders within days of debuting. Just the year before, another California-based EV startup backed by Amazon, Rivian, introduced the beautifully designed R1T electric pickup truck. And in 2020, General Motors revived the Hummer nameplate and unveiled the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, a dominant-looking full-size electric pickup. Flying under the radar in the EV truck segment until now, Ford recently pulled the wraps off the mighty Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup.

Resurrecting a performance badge first used on the 1993 SVT Lightning, Ford did not reinvent the wheel with the electric F-150. Instead it swapped the engine and running gear out of America’s best-selling truck to make room for a newly developed EV platform. Bound to be a game-changer in the industry, here is how the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning stacks up against its soon-to-be electric truck rivals.

When equipped with its standard battery, the F-150 Lightning offers 230 miles of travel; opting for the larger extended battery increases the driving range to 300 miles. Also a member of the Big Three, General Motors estimates the GMC Hummer EV will deliver more than 350 miles on a full charge, surpassing the extended-range Lightning pickup by a good chunk.

The Rivian R1T is available with three battery options. At launch, customers get to choose between 135 kWh and 180 kWh packs, which have projected ranges of over 300 and 400 miles, respectively. Rivian says a smaller 105-kWh battery with an estimated range of 230 miles or more will be made available at a later date.

Moving on to likely one of the most controversial vehicles of the decade, Tesla’s dystopian Cybertruck gives you a choice of three configurations. A triple-motor, all-wheel-drive setup delivers 500-plus miles of driving range, according to Tesla. What’s more, the dual-motor Cybertruck claims a 300-plus mile range, while the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive variant gets an estimated 250-plus miles.

Driving Range

Slow trucks are a thing of the past. Powered by three electric motors and relying on a 4WD system, the GMC Hummer EV generates 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque (the torque figure, of course, uses some funny math, which we explain here). According to General Motors, in Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode, the Hummer electric pickup can reach 60 mph from a standstill in a mere 3.0 seconds.

The fastest Cybertruck equipped with the tri-motor and all-wheel-drive system is claimed to hit 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. We don’t have Tesla’s official power figures yet but estimate the Cybertruck to produce 690 hp and 824 lb-ft of torque.

Meanwhile, Rivian’s R1T uses four electric motors, one per wheel, and comes with standard all-wheel drive. This elegant battery-electric pickup truck is rated at 800 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque (earlier figures had pegged the truck at 750 hp and 829 lb-ft) and rockets to 60 mph in as little as 3.0 seconds, according to Rivian.

Ford’s all-electric Lightning truck is going to be the quickest F-150 ever built. It features dual motors, standard all-wheel drive, and for the first time, an independent rear suspension. Ford says the F-150 Lightning optioned with the extended battery develops 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque and manages a 0-60 mph run in 4.4 seconds. The standard battery pack delivers the same torque but “only” 426 hp.

Maximum Power

As for towing and payload specifications, the Ford F-150 Lightning can tow up to 10,000 pounds and has a maximum payload capacity of 2,000 pounds (400 of those pounds can be held in the generous frunk). Should you decide to skip the biggest battery in either the work-focused Ford Lightning Pro or a regular Lightning, towing decreases to 5,000 pounds. But don’t fret because there is an optional Max Trailer Tow package that improves towing to 7,700 pounds.

GM has remained mum about towing figures for its Hummer EV, so that’s a mystery for now. Rivian says that a properly equipped R1T will tow up to 11,000 pounds and have a max payload of 1,760 pounds.

Based on Tesla estimates, the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck can tow 7,500 pounds. A dual-motor model raises towing capability to 10,000 pounds, and the tri-motor offers a whopping 14,000 pounds of towing. The Cybertruck has a payload capacity of 3,350 pounds, and according to Tesla, all three Cybertruck configurations could tow more than their projected estimates.

Payload and Towing Capacity

The Tesla Cybertruck is supposed to start at $39,900, but with the EV automaker’s penchant for later raising initial prices—and continually updating them—that window sticker could easily change. Optimistically speaking, the first Cybertruck deliveries could arrive in late 2021; however, we suspect the date will eventually move to 2022.

Priced at $79,995, GM’s base model Hummer EV is due in spring 2024. The sold-out Hummer EV Edition 1 starts at $112,595, and we expect it before the end of 2021. A Rivian R1T equipped with the Explore package and the 300-plus range battery starts at $67,500, and deliveries begin in January 2022. Reservations for the R1T Launch Edition, which arrives this summer and stickers for $75,000, are currently full.

Ford so far is building the most affordable full-size pickup to actually enter the EV space. (If or when Tesla’s production-ready Cybertruck arrives, and if it keeps its moonshot initial pricing, it’d take home that prize—both are big “ifs. “) The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro starts just under $42,000, while the nicer and more mainstream F-150 Lightning XLT will start at $54,669. After its unveiling at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, over 44,500 reservations piled up within 48 hours. The all-electric F-150 Lightning truck will arrive in May of 2022.