The electric truck market is about to explode and two pickups are getting a fair amount of attention so far. The Rivian R1T and, of course, the Tesla “Cybertruck”. When you compare the two based on the limited known specs we have, it appears to be neck and neck.

We can’t help but wonder which one of the two would be the fastest. Would Tesla, well-known in the EV industry, produce a mega fast truck that outsells any of its competitors, or would Rivian, the underdog of the two, pull ahead of the EV giant? Looking at the specs of each one could give us a clue.

Rivian R1T

Inside EVs discusses both trucks, as well as a few others, and offers their opinions on each one. The Rivian appears to fall in between a larger mid-size truck and a smaller half-ton pickup.

The R1T promises to have an AWD version with a quad motor running 750 hp and a whopping 829 lbs-ft of torque. That makes sense since Rivian claims it should get an acceleration time of 3 seconds for a 0 to 60 mph range. The battery pack options are 105, 135 or 180 kWh. You should have plenty of power to get a decent amount of speed.

This electric pickup should get 11,000 lbs of towing capacity and it has a 14.1-inch ground clearance for optimal off-roading expeditions. Rivian plans to start production next year, with an estimated delivery time toward the end of 2020.

If that turns out to be true, it should be the first electric truck to hit the market in the United States. Other competitors are working on electric pickup creations, but so far, none of them appear anywhere close to hitting the market.

Tesla Cybertruck

Elon Musk announced that November 21st we’ll get our first glimpse of the new Tesla truck. So far, we don’t have too much information about it.

But there are a few things that Tesla dropped, within various media outlets, that we can piece together. The most interesting tidbit of information we have is that Tesla hopes to offer this truck at $50,000 or less. That’s pretty much unheard of these days, especially when you add up all the things Tesla plans to put into it.

Elon Musk hinted at implementing a dynamically adjustable suspension that automatically regulates itself according to the demands of the load the pickup has.

We also expect it to have an automatic parallel parking feature, as well as 360-degree cameras and sonar, equip. As for production, Tesla has set no date. We’re not expecting it too soon since the company is currently working on the Roadster and the Semi.

Which truck will be faster?

At this time, there’s not much known about the performance of the Tesla truck. But, looking at the clues Elon Musk dropped so far, we’re inclined to think the Tesla Cybertruck would probably take the prize for being the fastest of the two.

First, Tesla alludes to the fact that the towing capacity for their EV truck could far surpass those of our current big hauling pickups. Once, Elon even hinted at a possible 300,000 lbs towing capability. While that figure is impressive, it would be overkill with the needs consumer pickups have today.

If it turns out to have significantly more capacity for towing than the other pickups, that would mean the engine has to be powerful enough to handle pulling large amounts of weight. It’s certainly possible because Tesla has mentioned their EV truck would have an AWD option and have a motor for each of the truck’s axles.

The battery pack reportedly will handle a 400-500 mile range at least, if not more, for a top-level trim. The Rivian claims a 400 plus mile range, so it could come close, but Tesla has more experience in the EV market up to this point.

When we find out more about the Tesla Cybertruck, it would be interesting to see if our projection is spot on or if it will disappoint after all the hype Tesla is hinting so far. If what we’ve seen from Tesla in its cars is anything to go by, we’re not too worried about the performance of the new Cybertruck over the Rivian.