The Tesla Cybertruck has been consistently making headlines in the electric truck world, not just for its outlandish design, but also for its numerous recalls. Thankfully, it’s been a while since the last recall, and the Cybertruck could finally be on the road to success. But there’s another electric truck on the way in the form of the first Ram electric pickup truck. The Ram 1500 REV is set to be one of the best electric trucks out there, and it could prove an excellent alternative to the Cybertruck for those who don’t want something quite as flashy.
These two trucks actually compete quite closely, but is one better than the other? Here’s a look.
Design
Design is probably the area where the Ram 1500 REV and Tesla Cybertruck are most different. That would be true of any truck that goes up against the Cybertruck, though. Its design is unlike anything else on the roads, thanks to its angular metal build. True to its name, it looks more like something you might find on Mars than parked at your local grocery store. To put it mildly, the Cybertruck’s look is polarizing. Personally, it’s not my favorite, but you might have a different view.
The Ram 1500 REV is a much more traditional-looking vehicle, but that’s not to say it looks dated. On the contrary, it has the muscular build that Ram truck owners have loved for years, with a more modern dual headlight design. The Ram 1500 REV is only available as a crew cab with a shorter bed, though that’s also true of the Cybertruck, which has a 6-foot bed.
I have to say, given my personal views about the Cybertruck, it’s very tempting to give the Ram the win here. But ultimately, design is down to personal preference, so this one’s a tie.
Winner: Tie
Interior and tech
The interior designs of these two vehicles are completely different too. The Tesla Cybertruck continues Tesla minimalistic interior design aesthetic, offering a stock dashboard coupled with a large horizontally aligned center display for both instrument and infotainment. It’s a modern look.
But perhaps more important than look is the tech on offer by the Cybertruck. Tesla has been hailed for offering among the best software experiences you can get in a car right now, and that continues with the Cybertruck. The software is responsive and well-designed, at least compared to other automotive manufacturers. The downside to Tesla’s software focus is that it wants to control the entire in-car experience, which means there’s no CarPlay support — something that’s unlikely to change any time soon.
The interior design of the Ram 1500 REV is a little more traditional, but it’s still very premium looking. To be fair, we haven’t sat in the new Ram ourselves just yet, but it looks well-designed and relatively durable. It also has a large display at the front for infotainment that is vertically aligned instead of horizontal. It’s coupled with a second display for instrument monitoring behind the steering wheel. It also has yet another display that serves as an entertainment screen for the front seat passenger.
The second row on the Ram also has another advantage, which is the ability to recline. While the first-party software offered by the Ram isn’t going to be great, the vehicle does support wireless CarPlay.
Do you want a minimalistic look and better software or a more traditional interior design with support for CarPlay? This is also down to personal preference, and that makes this category another tie.
Winner: Tie
Performance
Performance is the area where things start to shift. Tesla is known for delivering high-performance electric vehicles, and that remains true with the Cybertruck. It is currently available in two variants, including the dual-motor all-wheel drive variant and a tri-motor all-wheel drive variant that Tesla calls the “Cyberbeast.” Tesla is expected to launch a single-motor model at some point down the line — however, given the fact that it’s not available yet, we won’t be including it here.
The dual-motor Cybertruck offers 600 horsepower and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 4.1 seconds. The tri-motor model, on the other hand, boasts a hefty 845 hp and can reach 60 mph in only 2.6 seconds. Both vehicles offer a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds.
The Ram 1500 REV is no slouch either. Only one model of the 1500 REV has been publicly announced, Ram says it will able to launch from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, with its dual motors delivering 654 hp. That’s very quick, but not quite as fast as the Cybertruck. The vehicle does have a higher capacity of up 14,000 pounds, so if you tow heavy loads, it’s worth keeping that in mind.
But given the availability of the tri-motor Cybertruck, it gets the win here.
Winner: Tesla Cybertruck
Range and charging
Both the Tesla Cybertruck and the Ram 1500 REV offer a solid range. The Cybertruck gets 301 miles for the tri-motor model or 318 miles on the dual-motor model. Eventually, Tesla plans on offering a range extender that it says will bring the range to around 470 miles. However, that extender isn’t available yet.
The Ram 1500 REV has a slightly longer range, though. Its 168 kilowatt-hour battery can deliver a range of around 350 miles. Like Tesla, Ram plans on making larger battery pack available down the line, which it says will deliver a range of up to 500 miles.
The Ram charges faster too. While the Tesla Cybertruck offers a maximum DC fast charging speed of 250kW, the Ram 1500 REV supports fast charging at up to 350kW. You’ll have to find a charger capable of those speeds to get it, but it can seriously come in handy for fast charges. It’s currently unclear if the Ram 1500 REV will have a Combined Charging System (CCS) charging port or adopt the North American Charging System (NACS) connector. We’re hoping for the latter.
Given its longer range and faster charging speed, Ram gets the win here.
Winner: Ram 1500 REV
Price and availability
This category is kind of easy, but only because only one of these vehicles is available right now. The Tesla Cybertruck can be purchased straight from Tesla itself — however, it doesn’t come cheap. The dual motor model starts at $99,990. The Cyberbeast, on the other hand, starts at $119,990. Yeah, it’s pretty expensive, and it’s a whole lot more expensive than it was originally supposed to be,
The Ram 1500 REV isn’t available yet, and we don’t yet know the final pricing. We are expecting it to be quite a bit cheaper than the Cybertruck, but that’s just speculation and it remains to be seen how much the vehicle will cost.
Given the fact that only one of these trucks is available right now, the Tesla gets the win.
Winner: Tesla Cybertruck
Overall winner: Tesla Cybertruck
Technically, the Tesla Cybertruck gets the win here, but that’s largely because it’s the only vehicle currently available. If both vehicles were available, the Ram 1500 REV would likely come out on top if it came in at a lower price than the Cybertruck.
Setting price and availability aside, you may have to decide what’s more important to you if you’re choosing between these two vehicles. The Tesla Cybertruck performs better, but the Ram 1500 REV has a longer range and faster charging speed. And, of course, you’ll have to contend with the design of the Cybertruck and whether or not it’s something you’re willing to drive.
