Skip to main content

The Rivian R1T is one of the most exciting pickups we’ve ever seen. It’s already making a big splash in the industry with a fully electric powertrain and tons of unique features. However, it’s wildly expensive and entirely out of reach for the average person. In addition, Rivian just announced a massive price increase, making it over $12,000 more expensive. Here are some alternative electric pickups to buy instead of the overpriced Rivian R1T.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is an electric pickup to buy instead of the overpriced Rivian R1T

Blue 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, one of the electric pickups to buy instead of the overpriced Rivian R1T.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | Ford

If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative to the Rivian R1T, one answer is obvious. Ford has made the most popular pickup truck in America for a very long time. Now, it’s become an electric model, and it might be better than ever. The Ford F-150 Lightning has tons of unique features like turning into an Intelligent Backup Power system, also known as a generator. Owners can use it to power a house, charge up an electric car, and much, much more.

In addition, according to KBB, the Lightning comes with 21 external charge points and 11 outlets. That makes it perfect for job sites, so those in need of a work truck can swap to electric immediately. Finally and most importantly, the price of the Ford F-150 Lighting destroys the Rivian R1T. A Ford F-150 Lightning base dual-motor AWD work truck starts at $39,974, roughly half the price of a base model R1T.

If the Tesla Cybertruck ever comes out, it’s a pickup to buy instead of the overpriced Rivian R1T

Tesla Cybertruck, one of the electric pickups to buy instead of the overpriced Rivian R1T.
People take pictures of the newly unveiled all-electric battery-powered gray Tesla Cybertruck | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

First and most obviously, if you love all things unique and different, the Cybertruck screams it. Tesla purposely designed this model to stand out among other pickup trucks. That’s one thing it can do, as the exterior design is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Additionally, it favors high performance and can move pretty quickly. According to Tesla, it’ll go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds.

Still, the Tesla Cybertruck comes with serious pickup truck utility. Supposedly, it’ll tow up to 14,000 pounds, though that’s undoubtedly in its most expensive trim level. Speaking of which, the single motor Tesla Cybertruck starts at $39,900, while in its tri-motor form, it reaches $69,900. Even the tri-motor setup is more affordable than a base model Rivian R1T after its recent $12,000 price boost.

The unofficial price of the Chevy Silverado EV is way cheaper

The Chevy Silverado EV is one of the electric pickups we know the least about. We don’t even know the official price; however, it’s easy to assume it will be similar to Ford’s offering. The Silverado will likely use a similar price point as a direct competitor to Ford and Ram with gas-powered pickups. That would put the base model at around $40,000, which is remarkably more affordable than Rivian R1T.

As for what we do know, the Silverado EV can tow up to 10,000 pounds and has a maximum payload capacity of 1,300. These specs lose to the Rivian competition, but not by much. Rivian R1T electric pickups can tow 11,000 pounds and 1,760 pounds of payload. While the Silverado EV does lose, is it enough of a difference to spend nearly double the price? We don’t think so, which is why the Silverado EV is the final great Rivian alternative.

Electric pickups to buy intead of the overpriced Rivian R1T

The 2022 Rivian R1T is an excellent, unique, and highly capable electric pickup truck. However, it comes at a steep price. While the competition has affordable trims and much more expensive ones, the R1T doesn’t. Many reviewers think the Rivian model is worth the price. However, according to Electrek, it just received a massive price boost of $12,000, making it unaffordable for most people. That’s why the Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck, and Chevy Silverado EV are electric pickup trucks to buy instead of the overpriced Rivian R1T.

Related

How Much Does a Fully Loaded 2022 Rivian R1T Cost?