Ford and Tesla are two of the most respected brands when it comes to cars. Both companies have long succeeded in developing new technologies and making huge profits out of them. The F-150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck are two of the most powerful, capable trucks available today, yet they are very different in their design, price, performance, features, and functionality. Depending on your specific needs, one truck may be more beneficial to you than the other—so how do you determine which one is better? This comparison gives you a good idea of what each vehicle provides in terms of performance and power. If you are considering buying one of these vehicles, you should be a little more informed about what each car offers before making your decision. Without further ado, here is the complete comparison of F-150 Lightning vs Tesla Cybertruck.
F-150 Lightning Vs Tesla Cybertruck: Side by Side Comparison
| F-150 Lightning | Tesla Cybertruck | |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | 2022 | 2023 |
| Price | From $39,974 | From $39,900(Est) |
| Range | Up to 320 miles | Up to 500 miles |
| Power | 2 motor, AWD | 4 motor, AWD |
| Autonomous driving | BlueCruise | Autopilot |
| Charging | 150 kW DC | 250 kW DC |
| Torque | 420 pound-feet of torque | 1,000 pound-feet of torque |
| 0-60 mph | Mid-4 second range | 2.9 seconds |
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F-150 Lightning Vs Tesla Cybertruck: 7 Must-Know Facts
- F-150 Lightning is in the market, while the Tesla Cybertruck is set to be released in 2023.
- The F-150 Lightning is similar to any other F-150 except that it is electric. On the other hand, the Cybertruck is a massive, wedge-shaped, potentially polarizing vehicle that could have been created with Mars or a science fiction film in mind. It is constructed from cold-rolled stainless steel resistant to scratches and dents and will not be painted at the factory.
- They both provide adequate power, great drive range, cutting-edge features, high safety ratings, autonomous driving, and a whole lot more.
- The Ford F-150 Lightning has a range of up to 320 miles, while the Tesla Cybertruck has a range of up to 500 miles.
- The cabin of the Cybertruck is extremely simple, which is not surprising given that this is the case with all of Tesla’s vehicles. The Cybertruck, however, seems even more basic than the rest of Tesla’s lineup.
- The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning comes standard with a SYNC 4 infotainment system, which includes voice activation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto smartphone integration, and navigation capability.
- Every Tesla Cybertruck will have a 17-inch touch screen that is landscape-oriented and controls almost all of the truck’s features. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are not supported by Tesla. Instead, it has a built-in infotainment system that provides navigation and music, movies, TV shows, and other media.
F-150 Lightning Vs Tesla Cybertruck: What are the Differences?
The Tesla Cybertruck is one of the newest models soon to be on the market, but it has already made waves in the automotive industry. It has a sleek and futuristic look, allowing you to do much more than just drive your car from point A to point B. The Ford F-150 Lightning comes with its own set of unique features that make it an interesting choice when comparing it to the Cybertruck. So, what makes the two trucks different?
Design
The F-150 Lightning has a more traditional design than the Tesla Cybertruck. It has a cab-over style truck body with a boxy shape with rounded corners on all sides. The Tesla Cybertruck has an aerodynamic design with sharp angles, flat surfaces, and no visible doors or windows. The Cybertruck includes a 6.5-foot truck bed and all the other typical truck features.
Instead of a traditional tailgate, the bed has an extendable telescoping ramp, which has its advantages despite being different. Elon Musk boasted proudly that the door of the Cybertruck could withstand shots from a 9mm handgun, proving that the vehicle was also built to be incredibly durable. While Tesla appears to be pushing the Cybertruck as a fashion statement—albeit a useful one that can do all the truck things you’d expect—Ford has built the F-150 to be as practical as a regular gas-powered pickup.
Pricing and Availability
Tesla had initially promised that the Cybertruck would be available before the end of the year, depending on whether you wanted the tri- or dual-motor version. However, production has been delayed twice and is now scheduled to begin in 2023. That one can be attributed to supply chain constraints. Ford promised an “early 2022” launch date for the F-150 Lightning, and they kept their word. Deliveries of Ford’s electric truck began earlier this year, but reservations had to be suspended indefinitely due to its overwhelming popularity. Ford launched about a year before Tesla, following closely behind Rivian and Hummer.
The base F-150 Lightning, which has two engines and all-wheel drive, costs $39,974. That’s $74 more than the $39,900 you’d pay for a single-motor Cybertruck, but you’d be missing a lot if you saved that small sum. The F-150 Lighting looks much like the dual-motor Cybertruck, which was priced at $49,900 — $10,000 more.
Previously, we were informed that the most expensive Cybertruck was the $69,900 tri-motor model, which comes with additional hardware and features, including significantly more range (500+ versus Ford’s 300) and the third motor for improved performance. A quad motor model has also been promised, but we currently know very little about it.
Autonomous driving
The Cybertruck, like all Teslas, comes standard with Autopilot and the FSD Autopilot option is available for an additional $10,000. The standard Autopilot system is a Level 2 autonomy system that includes automated steering within visible lanes, smart cruise control, lane-change suggestions, and blind-spot monitoring.
Ford’s BlueCruise, which will also be available on the Mustang Mach-E later this year, is standard on the F-150 Lightning. BlueCruise allows for steering and acceleration control without requiring the driver to maintain their grip on the steering wheel. You won’t be able to get away with taking a nap in the back seat while the truck drives itself because it also has an infrared camera that checks to see if the driver is paying attention to the road or not.
The two cars compare favorably in terms of the standard autonomous features. Although the FSD add-on for Tesla is a significant advantage, it is still not far enough to allow the car to operate autonomously without a person in the driver’s seat who can take over at any time. Additionally, it is an expensive addition to the vehicle, particularly if you choose the $40,000 option.
Battery & Range
Undoubtedly, Tesla has one of the best driving ranges and easily defeats its competitor in the electric truck market. The standard Cybertruck has a range of 250 miles, compared to the 230 miles of the standard-range F-150 Lightning and the 280–300 miles of the extended-range model. The dual-motor and tri-motor models range is 300 miles and 500 miles, respectively. Therefore, the Cybertruck clearly prevails in the range conflict and wins in the charging conflict.
The Cybertruck can charge from 10% to 80% in just 44 minutes, thanks to its up to 250 kW charging speed capability. Alternately, the F-150 Lightning can charge its batteries from 15% to 80% in about 45 minutes with support for up to 150 kW of charging power. Although there isn’t much of a difference here, Lightning’s lower range means that it will spend more time at charging stations, especially for long-distance travelers..
Interior
A 15.5-inch infotainment screen is just one of the many features Ford packed into the F-150 Lightning that you’d expect from a contemporary EV. Ford is still using the physical buttons and dials, in contrast to the Tesla Cybertruck, which favors a nearly entirely touchscreen-based experience. Even a physical dial has been incorporated into the screen, just like in the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The F-150 Lightning is a large truck with a ton of storage space. The front trunk measures 14.1 cubic feet, and the bed is the same length as the gasoline-powered F-150 at 5.5 feet. Other interior features include a fold-out workstation in the center console and flat-folding front seats.
True to Tesla’s trademark look, the Cybertruck’s interior is nearly devoid of buttons and levers. It contains little but a steering yoke in place of the traditional wheel and a 17-inch touchscreen display to handle all vehicle functions.
Performance
The electric Ford F-150 will initially come in four trim levels: the base Lightning Pro work truck, the mid-range XLT trim, and the top two luxury models, the Lariat and Platinum. All Lightning models will be available with all-wheel drive thanks to Ford’s dual-motor configuration, which includes one motor for each axle. The engines produce 426 horsepower in base trim and 563 horses, and 775 lb-ft of torque in an upgrade. A larger available pack increases the range to 300 miles from the standard battery’s 230 miles.
The Tesla Cybertruck comes in three different configurations. A single motor drives the rear axle of the base model, which has a range of 250 miles and a 6.5-second 0-60 mph acceleration time. The all-wheel-drive Dual Motor model is quicker, reaching 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, or roughly the same amount of time as the top-of-the-line F-150 Lightning. The range of that model is also 300 miles. Three electric motors, totaling about 800 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft of torque, are featured in the top Cybertruck. According to Tesla, it has a 500-mile range and a 2.9-second 0-60 mph time.
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F-150 Lightning Vs Tesla Cybertruck: Pros and Cons
Pros and Cons of F-150 Lightning
| Pros! | Cons! |
|---|---|
| Fully customizable interior | Expensive |
| High cargo capacity | Only one cab configuration |
| It also has a longer range, with an estimated range of up to 300 miles on a single charge | |
| Great towing capacity, up to 10,000 pounds |
Pros and Cons of Tesla Cybertruck
| Pros! | Cons! |
|---|---|
| The Tesla Cybertruck is environmentally friendly, emitting zero emissions and using renewable energy. | Questionable window durability |
| It has a much longer range than other vehicles. | Due to its size, it can be tricky when trying to park in regular garages. |
| The Tesla Cybertruck is safe, secure, and comfortable for passengers | Its polarizing design may not be appealing to some people. |
| The Tesla Cybertruck is a fully autonomous vehicle, which means the driver can take a nap or go out to lunch while the car drives itself. |
F-150 Lightning Vs Tesla Cybertruck: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Choose?
The F-150 Lightning and Tesla’s new truck are pretty similar in many ways. Both are high-tech, have a lot of power, and can be used for work or play. It’s challenging to determine which vehicle is superior without actually driving each one, especially given how comparable the two least expensive Cybertrucks are to the F-150 Lightning models. Given Ford’s decades of truck-building experience, the F-150 Lighting is the way to go if you want a more conventional truck experience. But if you’re looking for something distinctive, the Cybertruck is unmatched.
Up Next…
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The image featured at the top of this post is ©Mike Mareen/Shutterstock.com.
